by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 322,592 nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $70,916 and had an average of $25,426 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 21,995 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,879 and $21,916 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 5,250 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,317 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 30 colleges that offer a degree in nursing. That schools that top this list have a program in nursing in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois”.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois master’s degree nursing students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chamberlain University - Illinois. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Chamberlain University - Illinois is a large private for-profit school situated in Addison, Illinois. It awarded 3,923 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 30 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing landed the #2 spot on the list. St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The undergraduate 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.
Full Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing Nursing Report
Out of the 30 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Rush University landed the #3 spot on the list. Rush University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 175 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.
Out of the 30 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences landed the #4 spot on the list. Trinity College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 11 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois. This small school is located in Quincy, Illinois, and it awarded 7 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate 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 Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Benedictine University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Benedictine University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lisle, Illinois. It awarded 138 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
St. John’s College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois ranking. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #8, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 85 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 94 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #10, Lewis University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Lewis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Romeoville, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 104 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 56 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Methodist College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Methodist College is a small school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 12 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
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.
Oak Point University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois ranking. Oak Point is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
North Park University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 31 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
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 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Saint Anthony College of Nursing ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. SACN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
McKendree University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 200 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Saint Xavier University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Saint Xavier University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 22 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Governors State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 24 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 101 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%.
Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #22. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 61 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Northern Illinois University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois ranking. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 27 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 17 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois State University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major in Illinois list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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 our data sources and methodologies
