2024 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois
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
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:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on nursing students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of nursing students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How much debt nursing students go into to obtain their associate degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized nursing related body.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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