2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 57,106 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 331 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones were the most popular programs for nursing students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Nursing program at each school on the list.
2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Nursing Colleges.
Top 25 Most Popular Great Lakes Region Schools in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named Chamberlain University - Illinois the most popular school in the Great Lakes Region for nursing students. Located in the large suburb of Addison, Chamberlain - Illinois is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
Nursing majors at Chamberlain - Illinois take out an average of $38,460 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Ohio University - Athens Campus is a great place for nursing students. OHIO Athens is a very large public school located in the distant town of Athens.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at OHIO Athens take out is $27,632. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $180, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Ivy Tech Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ivy Tech Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Indianapolis.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Ivy Tech Community College accumulate an average of around $17,979 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from UC take out $21,978 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $247.
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The excellent programs at Purdue University Global helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the small city of Indianapolis, Purdue University Global is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Purdue University Global take out $39,595 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $157, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #6, Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. IWU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Marion.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at IWU accumulate an average of around $30,853 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $344.
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Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. IUPUI is a very large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at IUPUI accumulate an average of around $28,677 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $189.
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With a ranking of #8, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the large suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Kent State accumulate an average of around $28,565 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $222.
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Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State is a very large public school located in the city of Columbus.
On average, nursing graduates from Ohio State take out $26,028 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $277, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Purdue University Northwest came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Hammond.
On average, nursing graduates from Purdue Northwest take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $152.
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Loyola University Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Loyola Chicago accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $767, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Eastern Michigan University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Eastern Michigan carry an average student debt load of $30,815. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $164, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at SIUE take out is $23,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $215.
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University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from UIC take out $19,528 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $299, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Oakland University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Oakland is a large public school located in the suburb of Rochester Hills.
On average, nursing graduates from Oakland take out $31,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $138.
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Xavier University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the city of Cincinnati, Xavier is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Xavier carry an average student debt load of $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $726.
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With a ranking of #17, Oak Point University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Oak Point is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Chicago.
On average, nursing graduates from Oak Point take out $29,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $342, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the city of Flint, UM Flint is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UM Flint carry an average student debt load of $40,680.
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Mount Carmel College of Nursing did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #19 on the list. Mount Carmel College of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbus.
Nursing majors at Mount Carmel College of Nursing take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $365.
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Rasmussen University - Illinois ranked #20 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Rockford, Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Illinois take out an average of $35,539 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $161.
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With a ranking of #21, Spring Arbor University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Spring Arbor.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Spring Arbor accumulate an average of around $36,200 in student debt.
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University of Toledo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #22 on the list. University of Toledo is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Toledo.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at University of Toledo take out is $21,938. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $141.
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Marquette University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Marquette carry an average student debt load of $23,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $511.
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Rush University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, Rush University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Herzing University - Madison landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the city of Madison, Herzing University - Madison is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Herzing University - Madison accumulate an average of around $39,727 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $156, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional popular schools for Nursing students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Galen College of Nursing - Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH |
| 52 | Benedictine University | Lisle, IL |
| 52 | Viterbo University | La Crosse, WI |
| 54 | Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais, IL |
| 55 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL |
| 56 | Owens Community College | Perrysburg, OH |
| 57 | University of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN |
| 57 | University of St Francis | Joliet, IL |
| 59 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| 60 | Aurora University | Aurora, IL |
| 60 | Ursuline College | Pepper Pike, OH |
| 60 | Bryant & Stratton College - Wauwatosa | Wauwatosa, WI |
| 63 | Wright State University - Main Campus | Dayton, OH |
| 64 | University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne, IN |
| 65 | Henry Ford College | Dearborn, MI |
| 66 | Lansing Community College | Lansing, MI |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 7,345 |
| Ohio | 13,973 |
| Illinois | 21,938 |
| Indiana | 7,922 |
| Wisconsin | 5,410 |
Nursing Related Majors
Nursing Concentrations
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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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