2025 Best Nursing Schools in Illinois
75
Colleges in Illinois
20,676
Nursing Degrees Awarded
$84,107
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in
nursing, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #3 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
College Factual looked at 75 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Nursing Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 20,676 degrees in nursing annually.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Nursing School
Your choice of nursing school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Nursing School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your Nursing Degree Level
The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Nursing Schools in Illinois.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Nursing in Illinois
The schools below may not offer all types of nursing degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
15 Top Illinois Schools in Nursing
Loyola University Chicago is a good decision for students interested in a degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.
There were about 530 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago receive an earnings boost of approximately $3,057 over the average earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a degree in nursing from Loyola University Chicago
Rasmussen University - Illinois is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in nursing. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a small private for-profit university located in the midsize city of Rockford. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Rasmussen University - Illinois is a great university overall.
There were about 721 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Rasmussen University - Illinois in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, nursing degree recipients typically earn about $69,825 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in nursing from Rasmussen University - Illinois
Bachelors
Degree Type
BS in Nursing - RN to BSN
Program Name
With the affordable and transfer-friendly online RN to BSN program at Southern New Hampshire University, you can build upon your prior educational journey and enhance your professional experience in a program designed to fit around your schedule.
More information about a degree in BS in Nursing - RN to BSN from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
It is difficult to beat University of Illinois at Chicago if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. UIC is a very large public university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 533 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, nursing degree recipients usually make an average of $78,335 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in nursing from University of Illinois at Chicago
Rush University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Chicago, Rush University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
There were about 389 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Rush University in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing major at Rush University make $18,284 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in nursing from Rush University
Chamberlain - Illinois is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the suburb of Addison.
There were roughly 11742 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Chamberlain - Illinois in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Chamberlain University - Illinois make $7,249 more than the typical nursing grad.
More information about a degree in nursing from Chamberlain University - Illinois
Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 19th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 234 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program make around $73,846 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in nursing from Bradley University
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 302 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $77,338 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in nursing from Illinois State University
Bachelors
Degree Type
BS in Nursing - RN to BSN - Accelerated RN to MSN
Program Name
At Southern New Hampshire University, we understand the demands placed on today's nursing professionals. When it comes to your education, consider saving money and time by electing the RN to MSN pathway. Eligible students will complete graduate courses within their undergraduate program. This pathway allows you to gain a BSN along the way and ultimately shorten your time within the MSN Nursing Education or Population Healthcare tracks.
More information about a degree in BS in Nursing - RN to BSN - Accelerated RN to MSN from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 31st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 584 nursing students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program report average early career earnings of $71,161.
More information about a degree in nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Located in the large suburb of Joliet, University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 190 nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Saint Francis in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from University of St Francis get an earnings boost of around $8,702 above the average earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a degree in nursing from University of St Francis
SXU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. This university ranks 30th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 174 nursing students who graduated with this degree at SXU in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Saint Xavier University receive $4,728 more than the average nursing graduate.
More information about a degree in nursing from Saint Xavier University
Located in the small suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 34th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 181 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Olivet Nazarene in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, nursing degree recipients usually earn around $82,791 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in nursing from Olivet Nazarene University
Masters
Degree Type
MS in Nursing - Nurse Executive Leadership
Program Name
Get on track to lead with your online MSN in Nurse Executive Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in MS in Nursing - Nurse Executive Leadership from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Located in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 39th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 264 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Lewis in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $85,966 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in nursing from Lewis University
SACN is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Rockford.
There were about 76 nursing students who graduated with this degree at SACN in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $71,970.
More information about a degree in nursing from Saint Anthony College of Nursing
Lakeview College of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Danville.
There were approximately 61 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Lakeview College of Nursing in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, nursing degree recipients typically earn around $69,090 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in nursing from Lakeview College of Nursing
Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #348 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Aurora is a great university overall.
There were about 158 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Aurora in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $72,520 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in nursing from Aurora University
