Find Nursing Colleges

What Do You Want to Study?

Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region

331 Colleges
$67,682 Avg Salary
$28,838 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 55,295 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.

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.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Nursing Colleges.

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

On average, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Illinois take out $33,687 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $283, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. OHIO Athens is a fairly large public school located in the town of Athens.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at OHIO Athens take out is $23,099. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $209.

Read More…

#3

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, IN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ivy Tech Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ivy Tech Community College take out is $12,000.

Read More…

The excellent programs at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the city of Cincinnati, UC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from UC take out $46,819 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 $327.

Full Nursing at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Report

#5

<nil>

<nil>, <nil>

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend . It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the of <nil>, <nil> is a college with a student population.

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.

On average, nursing graduates from IWU take out $38,598 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $450, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #7 on the list. IUPUI is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at IUPUI accumulate an average of around $30,533 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $192.

Full Nursing at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Report

Kent State University at Kent came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Kent State carry an average student debt load of $27,833. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $213.

Full Nursing at Kent State University at Kent Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Columbus.

Nursing majors at Ohio State take out an average of $35,734 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $302, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

With a ranking of #10, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Hammond.

Nursing majors at Purdue Northwest take out an average of $25,736 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $155, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

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.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Loyola Chicago take out is $42,375. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $862, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#12

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI

With a ranking of #12, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan is a public school with a large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Eastern Michigan carry an average student debt load of $28,676. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $144, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a large student population.

Nursing majors at SIUE take out an average of $44,206 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 $247.

Read full report on Nursing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

With a ranking of #14, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public college with a very large student population.

Nursing majors at UIC take out an average of $66,847 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $465.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Illinois at Chicago

#15

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, MI

Oakland University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #15 on the list. Oakland is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Rochester Hills.

On average, nursing graduates from Oakland take out $32,785 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $180, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#16

Xavier University

Cincinnati, OH

With a ranking of #16, Xavier University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, Xavier is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

Nursing majors at Xavier take out an average of $29,875 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $713, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Xavier University

#17

Oak Point University

Oak Brook, IL

Oak Point University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Oak Point is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Oak Brook.

Nursing majors at Oak Point take out an average of $43,250 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $351, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

University of Michigan - Flint came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the small city of Flint, UM Flint is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UM Flint accumulate an average of around $47,607 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $95, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Michigan - Flint

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 fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbus.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Mount Carmel College of Nursing carry an average student debt load of $28,732. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $404.

Read More…

Rasmussen University - Illinois came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the midsize city of Rockford, Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Illinois accumulate an average of around $22,529 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $221.

Read More…

#21

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI

Spring Arbor University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Spring Arbor.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Spring Arbor take out is $39,278.

Full Nursing at Spring Arbor University Report

#22

University of Toledo

Toledo, OH

University of Toledo came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Toledo is a large public school located in the large city of Toledo.

On average, nursing graduates from University of Toledo take out $34,750 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $220, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Toledo

#23

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI

Marquette University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Marquette take out $51,997 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $529, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Marquette University

#24

Rush University

Chicago, IL

With a ranking of #24, Rush University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Chicago, Rush University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Rush University take out $80,137 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Nursing at Rush University Report

Herzing University - Madison ranked #24 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Madison, Herzing University - Madison is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Herzing University - Madison take out $29,256 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $175.

Full Nursing at Herzing University - Madison Report

#26

Marian University

Indianapolis, IN
#27

Madonna University

Livonia, MI
#34

Hondros College of Nursing

Westerville, OH
#36

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH
#38

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, IN
#38

Bradley University

Peoria, IL
#40

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI
#44

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL
#45

Baker College

Owosso, MI
#47

DePaul University

Chicago, IL
#48

Mercy College of Ohio

Toledo, OH
#49

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN
#49

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

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 Concentrations

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

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

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.

Featured Schools

Find Nursing Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited nursing schools across the U.S.