2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which nursing program is right for you. 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. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamp with offerings that you might find attractive.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 36 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for nursing students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Rasmussen University - Illinois the best school in Illinois for nursing students working on their associate degree.
The average tuition and fees at Rasmussen University - Illinois is $13,883. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,566 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Rasmussen University - Illinois, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 99% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakton Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list.
In-state students pay an average of $10,446 in tuition and fees if they attend Oakton Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $12,462. Associate Degree recipients from Oakton Community College accumulate an average of $12,398 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Oakton Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 91% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent associate degree programs at William Rainey Harper College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Illinois.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Harper College is $9,870. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $11,682. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,799 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Harper College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 86% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Out of the 36 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Parkland College landed the # 4 spot on the list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Parkland College is $11,580. Out-of-state students pay an average of $15,930. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,845 in student loans.
Parkland College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 61% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent associate degree programs at Waubonsee Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Illinois.
Students from Illinois who attend Waubonsee full time pay an average of $9,271 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,076. Associate Degree recipients from Waubonsee accumulate an average of $12,163 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Waubonsee. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 70% took at least some of their classes online.
Joliet Junior College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking.
Full-time students from Illinois pay an average of $12,570 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Joliet Junior College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $13,410. On average, associate degree students take out $13,342 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Joliet Junior College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 96% took at least some of their classes online.
Lincoln Land Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking.
Students from Illinois who attend LLCC full time pay an average of $6,840 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,068. Associate Degree recipients from LLCC accumulate an average of $16,056 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
LLCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 81% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Elgin Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list.
Full-time students from Illinois pay an average of $7,140 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend ECC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,516. Associate Degree recipients from ECC accumulate an average of $16,016 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at ECC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 74% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Morton College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list.
Full-time students from Illinois pay an average of $9,476 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Morton College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $11,524. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,317 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Morton College. In fact, around 94% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
McHenry County College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs.
In-state students pay an average of $11,608 in tuition and fees if they attend MCC full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $14,449. On average, associate degree students take out $11,243 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at MCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 50% took at least some of their classes online.
College of Lake County landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs.
Students from Illinois who attend College of Lake County full time pay an average of $9,632 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,824. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,641 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at College of Lake County. In 2019-2020 about 91% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Kishwaukee College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs.
Full-time students from Illinois pay an average of $9,390 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Kishwaukee College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,800. Associate Degree recipients from Kishwaukee College accumulate an average of $16,320 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Kishwaukee College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 98% took at least some of their classes online.
Kankakee Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #13 on the list.
In-state students pay an average of $13,200 in tuition and fees if they attend Kankakee Community College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $25,560. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,166 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Kankakee Community College. In 2019-2020 about 67% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Lake Land College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking.
In-state students pay an average of $8,104 in tuition and fees if they attend Lake Land College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $13,906. Associate Degree recipients from Lake Land College accumulate an average of $11,990 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Lake Land College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 69% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #15, Rock Valley College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.
Students from Illinois who attend Rock Valley College full time pay an average of $8,924 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,564. Associate Degree recipients from Rock Valley College accumulate an average of $11,336 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Rock Valley College. In fact, around 86% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Illinois Valley Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at IVCC is $12,952. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,942. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,837 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since IVCC does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 73% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #17, City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.
Associate Degree recipients from Malcolm X College accumulate an average of $16,772 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Malcolm X College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 97% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Read full report on City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College
With a ranking of #18, Lewis and Clark Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.
Students from Illinois who attend Lewis and Clark Community College full time pay an average of $9,552 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $12,552. On average, associate degree students take out $13,019 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Lewis and Clark Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 16% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Carl Sandburg College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #19 on the list.
Full-time students from Illinois pay an average of $7,860 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Carl Sandburg College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,760. On average, associate degree students take out $9,267 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Carl Sandburg College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 83% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Olney Central College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list.
Students from Illinois who attend Olney Central College full time pay an average of $10,056 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,082. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,748 in student loans.
Olney Central College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 39% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
South Suburban College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list.
In-state students pay an average of $11,033 in tuition and fees if they attend SSC full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $12,683. Associate Degree recipients from SSC accumulate an average of $13,924 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SSC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 79% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Triton College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #22 on the list.
Full-time students from Illinois pay an average of $11,190 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Triton College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $13,980. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,807 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Triton College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Illinois Central College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,789 in student loans.
ICC does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 62% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Moraine Valley Community College landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs.
In-state students pay an average of $8,118 in tuition and fees if they attend MVCC full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,334. On average, associate degree students take out $13,988 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at MVCC. In fact, around 78% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Highland Community College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $6,846 to cover tuition and fees at Highland Community College. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, associate degree students take out $14,039 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Highland Community College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 52% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
View Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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