2023 Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
With all the nursing programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 42 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best value experiences for nursing students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Youngstown State University to be the best value school for nursing students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the Great Lakes Region . This fairly large public school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 2 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Youngstown State University are $6,931 a year.
Youngstown State University does have options available for those who want to take online graduate 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, 60% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Out of the 42 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the # 2 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 6 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at SIUE are $9,316 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at SIUE, 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 graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Read full report on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Concordia University, Wisconsin. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Mequon, Wisconsin, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 69 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Concordia University, Wisconsin are $11,760 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Concordia University, Wisconsin. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 67% took at least some of their classes online.
Concordia University, Wisconsin also took the #3 spot in our Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region rankings.
Out of the 42 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Herzing University - Madison landed the # 4 spot on the list. Herzing University - Madison is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 62 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Herzing University - Madison are $11,680 a year.
Since the graduate programs at Herzing University - Madison are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Herzing University - Madison also made our Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, coming in at #4.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of St Francis is a great place for nursing students working on their graduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Joliet, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 27 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate 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 did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Illinois State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 74 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Illinois State are $11,773 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Illinois State. In fact, around 81% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, Illinois State is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Purdue University Global came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 115 students in 2020-2021.
Purdue University Global graduate students pay an average of $10,582 in tuition and fees each year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $33,486 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Since the graduate programs at Purdue University Global are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Lewis University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate nursing programs. Lewis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 14 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Lewis are $14,960 a year.
Lewis does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. 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 #5 on our Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Alverno College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 15 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Alverno are $10,402 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Alverno. In 2019-2020 about 16% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Xavier University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 7 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Xavier are $12,076 a year.
Xavier does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 46% took at least some of their classes online.
Bradley University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 30 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Bradley are $17,400 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Bradley. During the 2019-2020 year, about 95% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Bradley also made our Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, coming in at #2.
Purdue University Northwest ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Hammond, Indiana, the medium-sized public school handed out 1 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Purdue Northwest are $11,356 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Purdue Northwest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 54% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Olivet Nazarene University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Olivet Nazarene are $12,190 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Olivet Nazarene does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 97% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate nursing programs. IWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Marion, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at IWU are $10,440 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at IWU. In fact, around 90% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #15, Franciscan University of Steubenville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Steubenville, Ohio, and it awarded 1 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Franciscan U are $12,888 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Franciscan U does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #16 on the list. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,936 a year.
University of Akron Main Campus does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 80% took at least some of their classes online.
North Park University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate nursing programs. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at North Park are $14,184 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at North Park. 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.
Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in Athens, Ohio, the large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at OHIO Athens are $17,712 a year.
One thing to take note of is that OHIO Athens does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 70% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
University of Michigan - Flint came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Flint, Michigan, the medium-sized public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UM Flint are $18,747 per year.
UM Flint does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 63% took at least some of their classes online.
Marquette University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate nursing programs. Marquette is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Marquette graduate students pay an average of $21,960 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Marquette. In fact, around 58% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Marquette also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Grand Valley State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #21 on the list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, the large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
GVSU graduate students pay an average of $17,904 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since GVSU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 73% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Southern Indiana landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate nursing programs. University of Southern Indiana is a medium-sized public school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 19 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at USI are $19,815 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at USI, 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 96% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 9 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Loyola Chicago are $19,894 a year.
Loyola Chicago does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 92% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #24 on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 3 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison graduate students pay an average of $25,501 in tuition and fees each year.
UW - Madison does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 75% took at least some of their classes online.
UW - Madison excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Wright State University - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 13 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Wright State University - Main Campus are $24,286 a year. On average, graduate certificate students take out $28,259 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Wright State University - Main Campus does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 73% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
View Best Value Graduate Certificate Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools Nationwide >
More Great Lakes Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 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.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |