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2027 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in Illinois

[Critical Care Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/critical-care-nursing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value critical care nursing schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in Illinois

2027 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in Illinois

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the critical care nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools

1

Lewis University
Romeoville, IL

$39,200 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$66,099 Median Earnings (10yr)

Lewis University tops our 2027 list of the best value critical care nursing schools in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,200. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $90,066. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 71%.

2

Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL

$53,710 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$71,530 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in critical care nursing will find it at Loyola University Chicago, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $58,568. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.

View All Critical Care Nursing Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.