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Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices

13 Schools Ranked
$15,840 Avg Tuition & Fees*

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. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 13 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best value doctor's degree programs for nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

Top Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
11 Total Awards
$9,756 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named McKendree University the best value school in Illinois for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Lebanon, Illinois, and it awarded 11 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

McKendree graduate students pay an average of $9,756 in tuition and fees each year.

Online graduate courses are available at McKendree, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 68% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

McKendree did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.

Full McKendree University Report

#2

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
5 Total Awards
$11,773 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Illinois State University is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Illinois State are $11,773 per year.

One thing to take note of is that Illinois State does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 81% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Illinois State University

69 Total Awards
$9,316 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at SIUE are $9,316 a year.

SIUE does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 86% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#4

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
6 Total Awards
$13,839 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent doctor’s degree programs at University of St Francis helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in Illinois. Located in Joliet, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at University of Saint Francis are $13,839 per year.

University of Saint Francis does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 89% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

University of Saint Francis not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.

Full University of St Francis Report

#5

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
1 Total Awards
$14,674 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 13 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s value ranking, Governors State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. This small public school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 1 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

GSU graduate students pay an average of $14,674 in tuition and fees each year.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since GSU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 35% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#6

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
6 Total Awards
$14,960 Average Tuition & Fees

Lewis University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Romeoville, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Lewis are $14,960 per year.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Lewis does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.

Lewis not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.

Read full report on Lewis University

#7

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
44 Total Awards
$17,400 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Bradley University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in Peoria, Illinois, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 44 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Bradley are $17,400 a year.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Bradley does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Bradley did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.

Full Bradley University Report

#8

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
2 Total Awards
$14,184 Average Tuition & Fees

North Park University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at North Park are $14,184 per year.

North Park does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 92% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, North Park is ranked #5 for overall quality in Illinois.

Read More…

#9

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
4 Total Awards
$11,390 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, the fairly large public school handed out 4 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

NIU graduate students pay an average of $11,390 in tuition and fees each year.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at NIU. In fact, around 43% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Northern Illinois University Report

#10

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
134 Total Awards
$28,468 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. This large public school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 134 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UIC are $28,468 per year.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UIC. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Report

#11

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
14 Total Awards
$20,000 Average Tuition & Fees

Millikin University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Millikin are $20,000 per year.

Online graduate courses are available at Millikin, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 61% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Millikin University Report

#12

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
22 Total Awards
$19,894 Average Tuition & Fees

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Loyola Chicago are $19,894 per year.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Loyola Chicago does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 92% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Loyola University Chicago Report

#13

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
33 Total Awards
$18,341 Average Tuition & Fees

DePaul University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 33 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at DePaul are $18,341 per year.

Online graduate courses are available at DePaul, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 96% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full DePaul University Report

Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 13 schools only.

References

  • 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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