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Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in Illinois

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2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in Illinois

16 Colleges
$71,879 Avg Salary
$21,916 Avg Student Debt

Nursing is the most popular major in Illinois with 21,938 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which healthcare program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in Illinois to see which online programs were the most popular for healthcare students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from schools with online programs.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for nursing majors pursuing an online .

Our analysis found Chamberlain University - Illinois to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue an online degree in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Addison, Chamberlain - Illinois is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Illinois take out $38,460 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola University Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in Illinois list. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

Nursing majors at Loyola Chicago take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $767, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#3

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Bradley University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in Illinois list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Peoria.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Bradley take out is $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $580.

Full Nursing at Bradley University Report

#4

McKendree University

Lebanon, IL

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend McKendree University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of Lebanon, McKendree is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at McKendree accumulate an average of around $24,850 in student debt.

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Out of the 16 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of St Francis landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Joliet, University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from University of Saint Francis carry an average student debtload of $29,375. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $332.

Full Nursing at University of St Francis Report

#6

Governors State University

University Park, IL

With a ranking of #6, Governors State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. GSU is a small public school located in the rural area of University Park.

On average, nursing graduates from GSU take out $22,254 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#7

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL

With a ranking of #7, Lewis University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Lewis carry an average student debtload of $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $468, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Lewis University Report

#8

Rush University

Chicago, IL

Rush University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Rush University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#9

Illinois College

Jacksonville, IL

Illinois College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in Illinois list. Located in the town of Jacksonville, Illinois College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Nursing at Illinois College Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from SIUE carry an average student debtload of $23,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $215.

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Best Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Ohio 13,973
Michigan 7,345
Indiana 7,922
Wisconsin 5,410

More Nursing Rankings in Illinois

One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 266,651
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 16,104
Nursing Administration 9,838
Nursing Practice 7,992
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 5,092
Nursing Science 4,600
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 2,287
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 2,021
Nurse Anesthetist 1,936
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing 1,883
Critical Care Nursing 773
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 563
School Nursing 553
Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery 509
Clinical Nurse Leader 444
Clinical Nurse Specialist 419
Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing 331
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing 181
Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing 57
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing 53
Palliative Care Nursing 14
Forensic Nursing 14

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274
Allied Health Professions 82,308
Public Health 40,596

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 16 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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