2027 Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Clinical Nurse Leader](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/clinical-nurse-leader/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for clinical nurse leader students.
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2027 Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the clinical nurse leader degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Schools
Our analysis ranked Saginaw Valley State University the best value for a degree in clinical nurse leader in the Great Lakes Region. Saginaw Valley State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of University Center. In-state tuition and fees average $12,930, compared with $30,450 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete the clinical nurse leader program here. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Saginaw Valley State University generally make around $50,012. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Students looking for strong value in clinical nurse leader will find it at Andrews University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Berrien Springs, Andrews University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $35,056. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates carry a median of $31,500 in student loans. Early-career clinical nurse leader graduates make about $62,634. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Goshen College earned it the #3 place for clinical nurse leader. Located in the city of Goshen, Goshen College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $38,890. Typical student debt for clinical nurse leader graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Goshen College generally make around $71,791. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
College Of Mount St Joseph came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value clinical nurse leader schools. Located in the suburb of Cincinnati, College Of Mount St Joseph is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,150. Typical student debt for clinical nurse leader graduates is $28,000. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from College Of Mount St Joseph generally make around $69,964. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. College Of Mount St Joseph admits about 59% of applicants.
Otterbein University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical nurse leader, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Westerville, Otterbein University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $35,548. Typical student debt for clinical nurse leader graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Otterbein University generally make around $45,871. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Otterbein University admits about 84% of applicants.
Elmhurst College came in at #6 for value in clinical nurse leader this year. Set in the suburb of Elmhurst, Elmhurst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,955. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the clinical nurse leader program here. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Elmhurst College generally make around $51,232. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Elmhurst College admits about 74% of applicants.
Edgewood College earned the #7 position for value in clinical nurse leader this year. Located in the city of Madison, Edgewood College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $35,860 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the clinical nurse leader program here. Early-career clinical nurse leader graduates make about $73,249. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois landed the #8 spot for clinical nurse leader value this year. Located in the suburb of Addison, Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois is a very large private for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $21,536 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $39,146 to complete the clinical nurse leader program here. Early-career clinical nurse leader graduates make about $109,135. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 83%.
Xavier University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value clinical nurse leader schools. Located in the city of Cincinnati, Xavier University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $49,425. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the clinical nurse leader program here. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Xavier University generally make around $55,045. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Loyola University Chicago earned the #10 position for value in clinical nurse leader this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $53,710. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the clinical nurse leader program here. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $58,568. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
