2024 Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in Illinois
Ranked #2 in popularity,
nursing is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,250 master's degrees in nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Master's Degree
The nursing master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
Overall Quality Is a Must
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Early-Career Salaries
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on nursing students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of nursing students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for nursing to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized nursing related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for nursing students working on their master's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Nursing in Illinois
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for nursing students seeking a a master's degree.
10 Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Nursing
Loyola University Chicago is a wonderful option for individuals interested in a master's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients usually earn an average of $93,218 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Loyola University Chicago
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in nursing needs to take a look at Rush University. Located in the large city of Chicago, Rush University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $68,029.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Rush University
It is difficult to beat Bradley University if you want to pursue a master's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in nursing from Bradley University
Chamberlain University - Illinois is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in nursing. Chamberlain - Illinois is a very large private for-profit university located in the large suburb of Addison.
Those nursing students who get their master's degree from Chamberlain University - Illinois earn $2,213 more than the standard nursing graduate.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Chamberlain University - Illinois
UIC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chicago.
After graduation, nursing master's recipients usually make an average of $79,216 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Illinois at Chicago
Located in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
After graduation, nursing master's recipients generally make around $91,652 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Lewis University
Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $66,719 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in nursing from DePaul University
Located in the large suburb of Joliet, University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Nursing master's degree recipients from University of St Francis get an earnings boost of around $11,692 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of St Francis
Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population.
Those nursing students who get their master's degree from Illinois State University receive $6,324 more than the standard nursing grad.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Illinois State University
Oak Point is a fairly small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Oak Brook.
Soon after graduation, nursing master's recipients generally make around $83,327 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Oak Point University
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