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Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois

38 Colleges
$57,700 Avg Salary
$16,287 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

Ambria College of Nursing

Hoffman Estates, IL

Our analysis found Ambria College of Nursing to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in Illinois. Located in the small city of Hoffman Estates, Ambria College of Nursing is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Ambria College of Nursing take out an average of $31,154 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Ambria College of Nursing Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rasmussen University - Illinois. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Rockford.

On average, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Illinois take out $20,731 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $210.

Read More…

#3

Oakton Community College

Des Plaines, IL

Out of the 38 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Oakton Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Oakton Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Des Plaines.

Nursing majors at Oakton Community College take out an average of $7,638 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Oakton Community College Report

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 fairly large student population.

Nursing majors at Harper College take out an average of $15,005 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#5

Parkland College

Champaign, IL

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 school with a moderately-sized student population.

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#6

Waubonsee Community College

Sugar Grove, IL

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 $11,830.

Read More…

#7

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, IL

Joliet Junior 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 #7 on the list. Located in the suburb of Joliet, Joliet Junior College is a public school with a large student population.

Nursing majors at Joliet Junior College take out an average of $12,132 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Joliet Junior College

Lincoln Land 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 #8 on the list. LLCC is a small public school located in the city of Springfield.

Nursing majors at LLCC take out an average of $17,171 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Lincoln Land Community College Report

Elgin Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the midsize city of Elgin, ECC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at ECC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $10,929.

Read full report on Nursing at Elgin Community College

#10

Morton College

Cicero, IL

Morton 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 #10 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Cicero, Morton College is a public college with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Morton College take out an average of $8,093 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Morton College Report

Best 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

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 262,974
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 16,647
Nursing Practice 8,862
Nursing Administration 8,663
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 4,717
Nursing Science 4,701
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 2,895
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 2,075
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing 2,011
Nurse Anesthetist 1,768
Critical Care Nursing 747
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 622
Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery 567
School Nursing 539
Clinical Nurse Leader 502
Clinical Nurse Specialist 340
Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing 269
Women’s Health Nurse/Nursing 262
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing 192
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing 87
Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing 26
Forensic Nursing 23
Palliative Care Nursing 13

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 85,339

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.

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