2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s
22
Ranked Colleges
5,250
Degrees Awarded
$91,232
Avg Salary

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 322,592 nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $70,916 and had an average of $25,426 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 21,995 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,879 and $21,916 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great nursing programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the nursing program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s”.
Top 22 Best Nursing Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lewis University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s. Lewis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Romeoville, Illinois. It awarded 104 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Lewis also made our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6.Among the 6,437 students enrolled at Lewis University, 23 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 16 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,559. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Lewis Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,082. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SIUE]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola University Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
Loyola Chicago also made our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2.Of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola University Chicago, 261 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 101 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
UIC also made our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5.Of the 33,518 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,878. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Illinois at Chicago]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-chicago/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chamberlain University - Illinois. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s list. Addison, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 3,923 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying nursing list, Chamberlain - Illinois has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Chamberlain - Illinois supports 29,481 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,800. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Chamberlain - Illinois Veteran Student Life Report
University of St Francis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s ranking. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 56 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 3,529 students enrolled at University of St Francis, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,734. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of St Francis]](/colleges/university-of-st-francis/student-life/veterans/)
DePaul University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s list. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 200 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 528 of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul University were GI Bill® students, of which 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. To help with additional expenses, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. DePaul University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full DePaul Veteran Student Life Report
Illinois State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 30 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State, 530 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Illinois State]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Benedictine University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Lisle, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 138 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying nursing list, Benedictine U has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 89 of the 3,779 students enrolled at Benedictine University were GI Bill® students, of which 66 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,915. During this same period, 10 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Benedictine University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Benedictine University]](/colleges/benedictine-university/student-life/veterans/)
Saint Xavier University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s ranking. Saint Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 3,764 students enrolled at Saint Xavier University, 65 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 49 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,740. On top of their other funding sources, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Saint Xavier University Veteran Student Life Report
McKendree University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 25 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
McKendree also made our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19.According to our most recent data, McKendree University supports 2,200 students, and 69 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 41 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,814. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full McKendree Veteran Student Life Report
Governors State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 24 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
GSU also made our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20.Of the 4,650 students enrolled at Governors State University, 146 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,291. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full GSU Veteran Student Life Report
Northern Illinois University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 27 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 16,769 students enrolled at NIU, 480 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
[Read full report on veteran student life at NIU]](/colleges/northern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #14, Bradley University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 94 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 96 of the 5,855 students enrolled at Bradley were GI Bill® students, of which 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,498. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Bradley offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #15. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 85 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10.Of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene, 57 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. In addition to receiving other benefits, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Olivet Nazarene does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Olivet Nazarene University]](/colleges/olivet-nazarene-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #16, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s list. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 32 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 77 of the 3,421 students enrolled at Elmhurst University were GI Bill® students, of which 57 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,985. To help with additional expenses, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Elmhurst]](/colleges/elmhurst-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #17, Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 11 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity College, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 12 of the 206 students enrolled at Trinity College were GI Bill® students, of which 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,295. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences Veteran Student Life Report
North Park University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s ranking. North Park University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 31 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
North Park not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 2,831 students enrolled at North Park University, 30 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,080. To help with additional expenses, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. North Park University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at North Park University]](/colleges/north-park-university/student-life/veterans/)
Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 43 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree vets studying nursing list, St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing supports 466 students, and 9 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,613. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #20, Rush University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Nursing for a Master’s list. Rush University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 175 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rush University, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 2,816 students enrolled at Rush University, 35 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 21 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,591. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Rush University Veteran Student Life Report