2026 Best Nursing Administration Schools in Illinois

Nursing Administration degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for nursing administration students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Nursing Administration Schools in Illinois

Best Schools for Nursing Administration in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall nursing administration education in Illinois.

Top Schools in Nursing Administration

1

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

16 Nursing Administration Degrees Awarded

$118,455 Median Starting Salary

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in nursing administration. Set in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public institution. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates 55% of students within six years. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville awarded about 16 nursing administration degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing administration degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $118,455. Students borrow a median of $23,043 to complete this degree. See the full nursing administration program report for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

2

Lewis University
Romeoville, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

118 Nursing Administration Degrees Awarded

$90,066 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong nursing administration program will find one at Lewis University, which ranked #2. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Romeoville. Roughly 67% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 118 nursing administration degrees were awarded at Lewis University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, nursing administration degree recipients from Lewis University generally make around $90,066. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree. See the full nursing administration program report for Lewis University

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 12 schools evaluated.

• 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.