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2025 Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
1,151 Doctor's Degrees
$170,183 Avg Early-Career Salary
Nursing is of the hottest doctor's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #5 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 10 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for doctor's degree seekers in the field of nursing. Combined, these schools handed out 1,151 doctor's degrees in nursing to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Doctor's Degree

Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois The nursing doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for nursing students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Nursing in Illinois

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in nursing.

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Doctorate in Nursing

1

Loyola University Chicago is a good choice for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in nursing. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.

Doctorate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $149,948 in their early career salary.

More information about a doctorate in nursing from Loyola University Chicago

2
Rush University crest
Rush University
Chicago, IL

Any student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in nursing needs to look into Rush University. Rush University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.

Students who graduate with their doctorate from the nursing program report average early career earnings of $119,538.

More information about a doctorate in nursing from Rush University

3

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a wonderful option for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in nursing. SIUE is a large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.

Soon after graduation, nursing doctorate recipients generally earn an average of $165,748 in their early careers.

More information about a doctorate in nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

4

It is difficult to beat Bradley University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in nursing. Bradley is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Peoria.

Students who graduate with their doctorate from the nursing program report average early career earnings of $108,003.

More information about a doctorate in nursing from Bradley University

5

Located in the large suburb of Addison, Chamberlain - Illinois is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Doctorate students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $130,967 in their early career salary.

More information about a doctorate in nursing from Chamberlain University - Illinois

6
136 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in nursing from University of Illinois at Chicago

7
16 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Rockford, SACN is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a doctorate in nursing from Saint Anthony College of Nursing

8
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL

DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.

Nursing doctor's degree recipients from DePaul University earn a boost of about $33,974 over the average earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a doctorate in nursing from DePaul University

9

Located in the city of Decatur, Millikin is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Nursing doctor's degree recipients from Millikin University receive an earnings boost of about $89,243 over the average income of nursing majors.

More information about a doctorate in nursing from Millikin University

10
20 Annual Graduates

McKendree is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Lebanon.More information about a doctorate in nursing from McKendree University

Best Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 149 169
Ohio 144 238
Indiana 132 190
Wisconsin 108 209

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One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Nursing Practice 1,060
Nurse Anesthetist 48
Nursing Science 21
Nursing Administration 20
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 2

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Medicine 1,391
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 514
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 452
Dentistry 307
Optometry 163
Communication Sciences 82
Chiropractic 65
Alternative Medicine & Systems 39
Allied Health Professions 28
Other Health Professions 19

Notes and References

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