2026 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Illinois
[Nursing Practice](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-practice/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong nursing practice education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for nursing practice students.
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2026 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing practice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nursing Practice Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Chicago, our #1 best value for nursing practice in Illinois. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $15,949 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $32,009. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $87,290. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Illinois At Chicago admits about 77% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in nursing practice will find it at Millikin University, which ranked #2. Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Decatur. Students from in state pay about $26,792 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $27,000. Nursing Practice graduates of Millikin University earn a median of $58,852 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Millikin University admits about 67% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Governors State University one of the best values for nursing practice. Set in the suburb of University Park, Governors State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,004. Students borrow a median of $27,342 to complete the nursing practice program here. Nursing Practice graduates of Governors State University earn a median of $91,087 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 48% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in nursing practice will find it at Northern Illinois University, which ranked #4. Set in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,060. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the nursing practice program here. Nursing Practice graduates of Northern Illinois University earn a median of $91,491 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northern Illinois University admits about 70% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Southern Illinois University Edwardsville one of the best values for nursing practice. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,092. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $23,043. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $118,455. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.
University Of St Francis placed #6 among the best values for nursing practice. Set in the suburb of Joliet, University Of St Francis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,110. Students borrow a median of $30,700 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $94,166. That is a strong return on a $30,700 median debt. University Of St Francis admits about 65% of applicants.
North Park University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing practice schools. Set in the city of Chicago, North Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $36,710. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $89,721. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. North Park University admits about 68% of applicants.
Lewis University placed #8 among the best values for nursing practice. Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Romeoville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,200. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, nursing practice degree recipients from Lewis University generally make around $90,066. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 71%.
Illinois State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing practice schools. Set in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,410 in tuition and fees, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $23,075 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $90,432. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Elmhurst College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing practice schools. Located in the suburb of Elmhurst, Elmhurst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $42,955. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Nursing Practice graduates of Elmhurst College earn a median of $51,232 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Elmhurst College admits about 74% of applicants.
Bradley University placed #11 among the best values for nursing practice. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,160. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $95,389. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois placed #12 among the best values for nursing practice. Located in the suburb of Addison, Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois is a very large private for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,536. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $39,146 in student loans. Nursing Practice graduates of Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois earn a median of $109,135 early in their careers. Set against $39,146 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 83%.
Depaul University placed #13 among the best values for nursing practice. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans. Nursing Practice graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $140,906 early in their careers. Set against $25,310 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
Loyola University Chicago placed #14 among the best values for nursing practice. Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,710. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $111,912. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Loyola University Chicago admits about 82% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
