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2024 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois

39 Colleges in Illinois
2,975 Associate Degrees
$56,297 Avg Early-Career Salary
Nursing is of the hottest associate degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #2 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 39 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,975 associate degrees in nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Associate Degree

Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois The nursing associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their associate degree from the school. After all, your associate degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.


 

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Nursing in Illinois

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in nursing.

10 Top Illinois Schools for an Associate in Nursing

1
450 Annual Graduates
$58,266 Median Starting Salary
$30,500 Median Student Debt

Rasmussen University - Illinois is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in nursing. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a small private for-profit university located in the midsize city of Rockford.

Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $58,266.

More information about a associate in nursing from Rasmussen University - Illinois

2
121 Annual Graduates
$63,114 Median Starting Salary
$15,000 Median Student Debt

William Rainey Harper College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in nursing. Harper College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Palatine.

Those nursing students who get their associate degree from William Rainey Harper College make $6,817 more than the average nursing graduate.

More information about a associate in nursing from William Rainey Harper College

3
Oakton Community College crest
Oakton Community College
Des Plaines, IL
55 Annual Graduates
$65,988 Median Starting Salary
$10,000 Median Student Debt

Oakton Community College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in nursing. Oakton Community College is a medium-sized public college located in the city of Des Plaines.

Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Oakton Community College earn $9,691 more than the average nursing graduate.

More information about a associate in nursing from Oakton Community College

4
66 Annual Graduates
$61,377 Median Starting Salary
$12,005 Median Student Debt

College of Lake County is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in nursing. College of Lake County is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Grayslake.

Those nursing students who get their associate degree from College of Lake County make $5,080 more than the average nursing grad.

More information about a associate in nursing from College of Lake County

5
91 Annual Graduates
$53,782 Median Starting Salary
$10,793 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Elgin, ECC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Soon after graduating, nursing associate recipients typically make an average of $53,782 in their early careers.

More information about a associate in nursing from Elgin Community College

6
141 Annual Graduates
$55,494 Median Starting Salary
$15,660 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Chicago, Malcolm X College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $55,494 in their early career salary.

More information about a associate in nursing from City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College

7
102 Annual Graduates
$55,094 Median Starting Salary
$20,416 Median Student Debt

LLCC is a small public college located in the city of Springfield.

Soon after graduating, nursing associate recipients generally earn about $55,094 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in nursing from Lincoln Land Community College

8
75 Annual Graduates
$60,197 Median Starting Salary
$19,345 Median Student Debt

MVCC is a large public college located in the large suburb of Palos Hills.

Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Moraine Valley Community College receive $3,900 more than the average nursing student.

More information about a associate in nursing from Moraine Valley Community College

9
Triton College crest
Triton College
River Grove, IL
60 Annual Graduates
$58,310 Median Starting Salary
$18,209 Median Student Debt

Triton College is a medium-sized public college located in the suburb of River Grove.

Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Triton College receive $2,013 more than the average nursing graduate.

More information about a associate in nursing from Triton College

10
Prairie State College crest
Prairie State College
Chicago Heights, IL
43 Annual Graduates
$58,132 Median Starting Salary
$24,122 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Chicago Heights, Prairie State College is a public college with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $58,132.

More information about a associate in nursing from Prairie State College

Best Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Ohio 196 4,139
Michigan 192 2,284
Indiana 123 1,648
Wisconsin 114 1,768

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 2,975

Related Major Annual Graduates
Allied Health Professions 1,144
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 691
Health & Medical Administrative Services 513
Dental Support Services 370
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 63
Mental & Social Health Services 32
Health/Medical Prep Programs 15
Communication Sciences 5
Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services 4
Other Health Professions 4

Notes and References

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