Illinois is often referred to as the “Land of Lincoln,” as a nod to the late President and former Illinois resident Abraham Lincoln, a pillar of democracy and freedom. Nurses played a significant role in the Civil War, fought during Lincoln’s time in office. 

The nursing field has always had an undercurrent of democracy that informs its policies. Nurses provide care to all types of people regardless of their background. 

Fundamental to a nurse having success in their role involves having a degree. Nurses are skilled practitioners and going to college to advance their careers helps them successfully move forward. 

Some of the more common degree types are: 

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) 
• Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN)
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) 
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

However, accelerated degree programs and bridge programs are offered to nursing students that can significantly reduce the amount of time spent in school.

Choosing a nursing program may feel stressful and confusing. To help, we’ve created a list of the best nursing programs in the state of Illinois. 

---

In this post, we will explore the following: 

• Top nursing schools in Illinois
• How to choose the right program
• Our ranking methodology

BACK TO TOP

---

Top nursing programs in Illinois

1. Saint Anthony College of Nursing – Score 94

NCLEX pass rate: 92%

Saint Anthony College of Nursing is located in Rockford, Illinois, and has just over 200 undergraduate students on campus per year. Due to its small student population, the school provides students with an intimate learning environment. Their nursing program is one of the most prominent schools in the nation. Over the last four years, the school’s graduates have had a 96% pass rate 

Nursing programs offered:

• BSN
• RN to BSN
• MSN
• DNP

2. Loyola University Chicago – Score 83

NCLEX pass rate: 91%

Loyola University Chicago is home to over 22,000 students, making it a medium-sized institution. The school has a 14:1 faculty to student ratio. Additionally, 98% of students who graduate are employed or in graduate school. Additionally, the school offers nursing students a lot of options when it comes to completing a BSN. Specifically, the school offers students a traditional BSN, RN to BSN, accelerated BSN programs, and hybrid programs. 

Nursing programs offered: 

• BSN
• RN to BSN
• MSN
• DNP

3. Rush University – Score 79.5

NCLEX pass rate: 96%

Rush University, located in Chicago, is home to over 2,000 students. This makes it a relatively small student body. Rush University Medical Center received approximately $94 million in 2019 in research awards. According to the U.S. Department of Education, Rush University undergraduate students earn more money after graduation than other undergraduates nationwide with an average income of $74,000. 

The school offers the following nursing programs to students: 

• MSN
• DNP
• PhD

4. Lewis University – Score 79.5

NCLEX pass rate: 94%

Lewis University is a Catholic university located in Romeoville, IL, and is home to over 6,200 students. The school has a 13:1 faculty to student ratio. The school’s nursing program has been running for over 40 years. The school regularly has one of the highest NCLEX pass rates in the nation. 

The school offers the following nursing programs to students: 

• BSN
• BAC to BSN
• MSN
• DNP

5. Elmhurst University – Score 76

NCLEX pass rate: 90%

Elmhurst University is a Christian university located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and is home to approximately 2,400 students. The school offers a 13:1 faculty to student ratio and average 18 students per class. This makes for a unique learning experience where students can learn in a tight-knit community and receive individualized instruction. More than 93% of students who graduate from an undergraduate program are employed within a year of graduating. 

How to choose the right nursing program

Choosing the right nursing program may feel stressful. The good news is that we’ve provided several factors for you to consider to help make your decision easier. When choosing a school, some of the factors you should consider are location, tuition, NCLEX scores, and programs offered. 

Location

This is a major factor for a lot of nursing students when choosing a program to attend. Most nursing programs don’t have online components, so you must select a program that you can easily commute to. The worst thing would be to choose a program that becomes a burden to you simply because it’s too far from your house. Below is a map that shows where each school is located.

Tuition 

Let’s face it: paying for school can be a huge barrier for students. Also, many nurses end up absorbing a massive amount of student debt from their years of college. Additionally, some nurses transition into the field after spending years in another specialty or having another degree from which they’ve already accumulated student debt.

Finding a school that’s both affordable and reputable can seem challenging. Fortunately, you don’t have to jeopardize quality over price. Several of the schools we analyzed were both affordable and highly respected. 

NCLEX scores

One of the most critical measures of a nursing program’s credibility is its NCLEX pass rates. The NCLEX test is an examination that measures a potential registered nurse’s aptitude. A good NCLEX pass rate for a school is anything in the 90th percentile and above. 

Programs offered

The programs offered at the particular school you want to go to is critically important. You need to make sure that the school you are applying to has the program that you need. There are many different nursing programs offered at various schools. The principal baseline program offered at most universities is the BSN program. However, every person has different needs, and choosing the right program depends on the career track you are interested in. 

Graduation Rate 

The last factor that you should consider when choosing a nursing program is the graduation rate. A higher graduation rate indicates that the school graduates first-year students within 4-6 years at a greater rate than other schools. Knowing that your school has a proven track record of graduating students on time is crucial. 

BACK TO TOP

---

Ranking methodology

To capture the best schools in each state, we applied a rigorous formula, isolating five variables that were weighted equally: 

• Graduation rate
• NCLEX pass rate
• CCNE accreditation
• Programs offered
• Tuition costs 

We retrieved our data from the following locations: 

• University webpages
• The state board of registered nursing if applicable (for example, Illinois Board of Registered Nursing)
• The U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard  
• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• U.S. News Best Colleges 

To calculate the scores for the respective schools, we took the lowest-scoring school from each individual metric, assigned it a 1 and gave the highest score a 10. We then were able to create brackets within that range to place each college in. 

After coming up with a score for each school out of ten for their respective metric, we added them up and multiplied them by two to come up with a score out of 100. 

BACK TO TOP