2026 Best Nursing Science Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Nursing Science degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
College Factual analyzed 25 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best nursing science schools.
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Best Schools for Nursing Science in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall nursing science education in the Great Lakes Region.
Top Schools in Nursing Science
No school ranked higher than University Of Illinois At Chicago this year for nursing science. This very large public university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Illinois At Chicago awarded about 110 nursing science degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the nursing science program make about $87,290 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete this degree.
See the full nursing science program report for University Of Illinois At Chicago
A rank of #2 makes Benedictine University one of the top schools for nursing science. Set in the suburb of Lisle, Benedictine University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Benedictine University graduates 50% of students within six years. Benedictine University awarded about 57 nursing science degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing science degree from Benedictine University earn around $90,860 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $17,188 to complete this degree.
Read more about the nursing science program at Benedictine University
Rush University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in nursing science, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Rush University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. There were roughly 160 nursing science students who graduated with this degree at Rush University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the nursing science program make about $100,700 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $31,206 to complete this degree.
Read more about the nursing science program at Rush University
A rank of #4 makes Northern Illinois University one of the top schools for nursing science. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public university. Roughly 49% of students complete a degree within six years here. Northern Illinois University awarded about 35 nursing science degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing science degree from Northern Illinois University earn around $91,491 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the nursing science program at Northern Illinois University
North Park University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best nursing science schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 10 nursing science students who graduated with this degree at North Park University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the nursing science program make about $89,721 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
Get the full nursing science details for North Park University
Governors State University earned the #6 position for nursing science this year. Governors State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of University Park. Roughly 21% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 18 nursing science degrees were awarded at Governors State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the nursing science program make about $91,087 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $27,342 to complete this degree.
Get the full nursing science details for Governors State University
Trinity College Of Nursing And Health Sciences earned the #7 position for nursing science this year. Trinity College Of Nursing And Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rock Island. There were roughly 12 nursing science students who graduated with this degree at Trinity College Of Nursing And Health Sciences in the most recent data year. Graduates of the nursing science program make about $67,202 in their early career. Trinity College Of Nursing And Health Sciences graduates carry a median of $35,500 in student loans.
Read more about the nursing science program at Trinity College Of Nursing And Health Sciences
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 25 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.
