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2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

29 Ranked Colleges
12,042 Degrees Awarded
$15,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 313,362 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 21,261 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $67,215 and $24,483 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 12,042 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality nursing programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 485 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 237 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $10,648 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Nursing Report

#3

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, GSU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GSU is $10,872 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at GSU

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 159 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Northern Illinois University

#5

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Xavier University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SXU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 144 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $11,266 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Saint Xavier University

#6

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 183 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,470 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Illinois State University

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,350 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read more about Nursing at Eastern Illinois University

#8

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Aurora University is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 184 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Aurora has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $14,103 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Aurora Nursing Report

#9

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Lewis also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis is $12,821 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Lewis

#10

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $15,847 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Saint Francis

#11

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $13,942 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full WIU Nursing Report

#12

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 64 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,903 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at Elmhurst

#13

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $17,205 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Bradley

#14

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

McKendree also took the #20 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,184 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend McKendree University.

Full McKendree Nursing Report

#15

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Millikin University is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 45 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $17,656 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millikin University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Nursing at Millikin

#16

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 50 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,570 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at Illinois Wesleyan

#17

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Quincy, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,292 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Quincy University.

Full Quincy U Nursing Report

#18

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dominican U is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Dominican U has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,060 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dominican University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Nursing at Dominican University

#19

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 152 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $15,806 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Nursing Report

#20

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Park University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 73 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $17,808 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Nursing at North Park University

#21

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $14,097 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Concordia University, Chicago

#22

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago State University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSU is $11,507 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Nursing at CSU

#23

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Palos Heights, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian also took the #21 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,611 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trinity Christian.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Trinity Christian College Nursing Report

Chamberlain University - Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Addison, Illinois, this large private for-profit school awarded 7,888 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Chamberlain - Illinois has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,596 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chamberlain University - Illinois.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at Chamberlain University - Illinois

#25

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois

Benedictine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Benedictine University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lisle, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Benedictine University is $22,862 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Benedictine University

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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