Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in Illinois (With Aid)

31 Ranked Colleges
12,042 Degrees Awarded
$18,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 313,362 nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in nursing. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent nursing programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 237 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

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 University of Illinois at Chicago Nursing Report

#2

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Governors State University is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 42 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $12,077 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

Full Governors State University Nursing Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 485 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid list, SIUE has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

Read more about Nursing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 159 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 $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

Full NIU Nursing Report

#5

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Xavier University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 144 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

Full Saint Xavier University Nursing Report

#6

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSU is $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Nursing at CSU

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

Full EIU Nursing Report

#8

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. University of St 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 $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

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 more about Nursing at University of Saint Francis

#9

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Aurora is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 184 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full Aurora University Nursing Report

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 26 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

Read more about Nursing at Western Illinois University

#11

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Quincy U is $17,497 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

Read more about Nursing at Quincy University

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 183 bachelors’s nursing 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 estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 full report on Nursing at Illinois State

#13

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 51 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Nursing at Dominican U

#14

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 121 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

Lewis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis University is $18,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

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 more about Nursing at Lewis University

#15

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #15, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

Read more about Nursing at Concordia University, Chicago

#16

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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 took the #19 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid per year to attend North Park.

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.

Full North Park Nursing Report

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It awarded 152 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also took the #17 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

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

#18

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid list, Millikin has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Millikin Nursing Report

#19

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree is $19,844 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

Read full report on Nursing at McKendree University

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students 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. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

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 full report on Nursing at Elmhurst

Chamberlain University - Illinois ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Addison, Illinois, and it awarded 7,888 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chamberlain - Illinois, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chamberlain University - Illinois is $25,598 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

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 Chamberlain University - Illinois Nursing Report

#22

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Trinity Christian is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Palos Heights, Illinois. It awarded 26 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid list, Trinity Christian has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity Christian College is $21,904 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

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%. 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.

Full Trinity Christian Nursing Report

#23

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid per year to attend Bradley University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Nursing at Bradley University

#24

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois

Rockford University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rockford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Rockford is $22,197 for illinois bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

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 Rockford

#25

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,749 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid per year to attend Roosevelt.

Read more about Nursing at Roosevelt University

Switch to a Similar Major

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.

Credits

Featured Nursing Schools

Find Schools Near You