2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 38 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best bachelor's 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.
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2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 10 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Chamberlain University - Illinois the best school in Illinois for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Chamberlain - Illinois is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the suburb of Addison.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Chamberlain - Illinois take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $25,436. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $283.
Out of the 38 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola University Chicago landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Nursing majors at Loyola Chicago take out an average of $21,779 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $862, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois Wesleyan University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Bloomington.
When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $297.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Anthony College of Nursing. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Rockford, SACN is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at SACN take out an average of $19,600 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $319.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Oak Point University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Oak Brook, Oak Point is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Oak Point take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $21,498. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $351, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
With a ranking of #6, McKendree University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lebanon.
Nursing majors at McKendree take out an average of $18,943 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Illinois State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Illinois State carry an average student debtload of $19,029. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $355.
Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Concordia University, Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest.
With a ranking of #9, University of St Francis did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Joliet.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from University of Saint Francis carry an average student debtload of $27,042. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $410.
With a ranking of #10, Bradley University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Bradley carry an average student debtload of $24,431. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $689, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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 Related Rankings by Major
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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