2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Illinois. In total, 21,938 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Illinois.
Today's nursing students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
The Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 38 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for nursing students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a associate degree.
Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Ambria College of Nursing the best school in Illinois for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Hoffman Estates, Ambria College of Nursing is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ambria College of Nursing take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,601.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Rasmussen University - Illinois is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Rockford.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Illinois carry an average student debtload of $32,326. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $175.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakton Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list. Oakton Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Des Plaines.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Oakton Community College accumulate an average of around $11,885 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend William Rainey Harper College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a public school with a large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Harper College take out $19,644 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Out of the 38 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Parkland College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Champaign, Parkland College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing majors at Parkland College take out an average of $10,582 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Waubonsee Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Waubonsee is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Sugar Grove.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Waubonsee take out while working on their Associate Degree is $17,386.
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Joliet Junior College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the large suburb of Joliet, Joliet Junior College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Joliet Junior College carry an average student debtload of $20,094.
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With a ranking of #8, Lincoln Land Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. LLCC is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at LLCC accumulate an average of around $22,153 in student debt.
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Elgin Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Elgin, ECC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at ECC accumulate an average of around $15,362 in student debt.
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Morton College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the large suburb of Cicero, Morton College is a public school with a small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Morton College carry an average student debtload of $14,200.
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Request InformationBest Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
State | Degrees Awarded |
---|---|
Michigan | 7,345 |
Ohio | 13,973 |
Indiana | 7,922 |
Wisconsin | 5,410 |
More Nursing Rankings in Illinois
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
Nursing Focus Areas
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 |
Majors Similar to Nursing
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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.