2027 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Critical Care Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/critical-care-nursing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for critical care nursing students.
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2027 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in critical care nursing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools
Youngstown State University earned the #1 spot for value among critical care nursing schools in the Great Lakes Region. Youngstown State University is a large public school located in the city of Youngstown. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,926, with out-of-state students paying around $10,286. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $106,008. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Lewis University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value critical care nursing schools. Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Romeoville. Students from in state pay about $39,200 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $27,000. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Lewis University earn a median of $90,066 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 71%.
Ursuline College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value critical care nursing schools. Located in the suburb of Pepper Pike, Ursuline College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,990. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $35,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from Ursuline College generally make around $93,515. That is a strong return on a $35,000 median debt. Ursuline College admits about 75% of applicants.
Kent State University At Kent came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value critical care nursing schools. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,220, while out-of-state students pay about $21,575. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $28,625 in student loans. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn a median of $83,999 early in their careers. Set against $28,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Herzing University Madison earned it the #5 place for critical care nursing. Herzing University Madison is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Madison. In-state tuition and fees average $13,450. Students borrow a median of $37,747 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $90,021. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Alverno College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value critical care nursing schools. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Alverno College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,086. Students borrow a median of $34,000 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from Alverno College generally make around $91,109. That is a strong return on a $34,000 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Marquette University landed the #7 spot for critical care nursing value this year. Set in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $51,170. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $22,000 in student loans. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $86,752. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Loyola University Chicago landed the #8 spot for critical care nursing value this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $53,710 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of $58,568 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Loyola University Chicago admits about 82% of applicants.
Case Western Reserve University earned the #9 position for value in critical care nursing this year. Located in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $66,608. Students borrow a median of $26,580 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from Case Western Reserve University generally make around $112,484. Set against $26,580 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Case Western Reserve University admits about 36% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
