by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2021-2022, 319,502 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In , nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $70,911 and had an average of $28,318 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 55,295 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $67,682 and $28,838 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 10,068 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,182 and $43,142 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 104 colleges that offer a degree in nursing. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in nursing.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree nursing students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Spring Arbor University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Spring Arbor University is a small school located in Spring Arbor, Michigan that handed out 369 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chamberlain University - Illinois. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Chamberlain University - Illinois is a large private for-profit school situated in Addison, Illinois. It awarded 3,637 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Nursing at Chamberlain University - Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 41 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Nursing at Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Herzing University - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region. Herzing University - Madison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 218 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rush University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region. Rush University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 167 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Mount Carmel College of Nursing ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Mount Carmel College of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 79 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Nursing at Mount Carmel College of Nursing
With a ranking of #7, Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 14 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
Ursuline College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Ursuline College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pepper Pike, Ohio. It awarded 45 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Mount St. Joseph University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Alverno College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 135 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
Bellin College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bellin College is a small school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 26 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
With a ranking of #12, Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. IWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Marion, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 307 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
With a ranking of #13, Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution located in Quincy, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Nursing at Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Otterbein University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Otterbein is a private not-for-profit institution located in Westerville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%.
Goshen College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Goshen, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 21 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Benedictine University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Lisle, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 60 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
St. John’s College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. St. John’s is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 10 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Marquette University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 290 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Olivet Nazarene University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It awarded 91 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Walsh University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. North Canton, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 51 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.
Bradley University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 86 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.
Lewis University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Romeoville, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 127 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Madonna University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Livonia, Michigan, and it awarded 61 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 40 masters’s nursing degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Marian University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 26 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
