Best Nursing Schools in Illinois (2026): Rankings and Reviews

Illinois has more than 30 colleges producing BSN graduates, from Chicago research universities to small private colleges across the state. This guide ranks them using official federal data and reviews the top five.

Imagine you are choosing between a big Chicago university, a mid-sized private college in Peoria and a large public university in Normal. Each can lead to an RN licence, but graduation rates, costs and early earnings vary widely. This guide puts the numbers side by side.

How we ranked these schools

We used the latest official data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard. We included colleges in Illinois that award a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), and ranked those producing at least 20 BSN graduates a year by their graduation rate. We also show how much their nursing graduates earn and what tuition costs. Graduation rates are for each college as a whole, not nursing students alone.

Illinois nursing schools ranked (2026)

Rank	College	City	Type	Graduation rate	BSN graduates a year	BSN graduates’ median earnings (1 year)	In-state tuition
1	Bradley University	Peoria	Private nonprofit	75%	91	$77,642	$43,850
2	Illinois Wesleyan University	Bloomington	Private nonprofit	74%	37	$80,143	$59,430
3	Loyola University Chicago	Chicago	Private nonprofit	73%	322	$82,706	$56,060
4	Elmhurst University	Elmhurst	Private nonprofit	67%	115	$77,461	$45,858
5	Illinois State University	Normal	Public	66%	228	$79,220	$16,152
6	University of St Francis	Joliet	Private nonprofit	65%	102	$80,434	$38,900
7	Illinois College	Jacksonville	Private nonprofit	62%	22	$75,522	$39,854
8	University of Illinois Chicago	Chicago	Public	62%	367	$82,644	$14,652
9	Lewis University	Romeoville	Private nonprofit	61%	81	$82,495	$40,700
10	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	Carbondale	Public	61%	45	n/a	$13,544
11	Aurora University	Aurora	Private nonprofit	60%	192	$76,950	$29,970
12	Olivet Nazarene University	Bourbonnais	Private nonprofit	60%	69	$80,396	$41,120
13	Dominican University	River Forest	Private nonprofit	58%	39	$79,130	$40,608
14	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	Edwardsville	Public	57%	331	$76,657	$13,299
15	Saint Xavier University	Chicago	Private nonprofit	56%	128	$83,060	$39,080
16	Methodist College	Peoria	Private nonprofit	55%	176	$77,709	$18,318
17	North Park University	Chicago	Private nonprofit	55%	51	$79,244	$38,250
18	Millikin University	Decatur	Private nonprofit	53%	31	$79,863	$26,928
19	McKendree University	Lebanon	Private nonprofit	52%	70	$74,224	$35,430
20	Northern Illinois University	Dekalb	Public	49%	124	$77,976	$13,792
21	Eastern Illinois University	Charleston	Public	49%	57	$81,372	$14,654
22	Western Illinois University	Macomb	Public	47%	39	$76,577	$15,466
23	Benedictine University	Lisle	Private nonprofit	47%	33	$81,322	$37,650
24	Rockford University	Rockford	Private nonprofit	46%	28	$76,273	$39,640
25	Quincy University	Quincy	Private nonprofit	45%	23	$75,424	$38,400
26	Governors State University	University Park	Public	23%	21	$95,568	$13,124

Also offering a BSN in Illinois (not ranked: either a comparable graduation rate isn’t reported, often because they mainly enrol transfer, upper-division or adult students, or they’re for-profit career colleges whose college-wide rates aren’t comparable with universities):

College	City	Type	Graduation rate	BSN graduates a year	BSN graduates’ median earnings (1 year)	In-state tuition
Chamberlain University-Illinois	Addison	Private for-profit	39%	7843	$89,974	$22,243
Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing	Peoria	Private nonprofit	n/a	104	$72,550	$22,008
Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences	Rock Island	Private nonprofit	n/a	53	$80,750	n/a
Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences	Quincy	Private nonprofit	n/a	46	$73,589	n/a
Saint Anthony College of Nursing	Rockford	Private nonprofit	n/a	45	$84,491	$28,648
St. John’s College	Springfield	Private nonprofit	n/a	42	$77,146	n/a
Lakeview College of Nursing	Danville	Private nonprofit	n/a	36	$77,576	n/a

Top Illinois nursing schools reviewed

1. Bradley University

Bradley University in Peoria is a private university whose nursing programme tops our Illinois list for graduation rate, with clinical training in Peoria’s large regional medical centres.

• Graduation rate: 75%, number 1 in Illinois on our list
• Programme size: about 91 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $77,642 one year after graduating
• Cost: $43,850 tuition a year before financial aid
• Acceptance rate: 77%

2. Illinois Wesleyan University

Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington is a selective private liberal arts university with a small, well-regarded School of Nursing.

• Graduation rate: 74%, number 2 in Illinois on our list
• Programme size: about 37 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year, a smaller programme with a more personal feel
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $80,143 one year after graduating
• Cost: $59,430 tuition a year before financial aid
• Acceptance rate: 39%

3. Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University Chicago’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is one of the largest Catholic nursing schools in the US, with clinical links across Chicago’s hospitals.

• Graduation rate: 73%, number 3 in Illinois on our list
• Programme size: about 322 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year, one of the largest in the state
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $82,706 one year after graduating
• Cost: $56,060 tuition a year before financial aid
• Acceptance rate: 82%

4. Elmhurst University

Elmhurst University in the western Chicago suburbs offers a private BSN with smaller classes and access to suburban and city hospitals.

• Graduation rate: 67%, number 4 in Illinois on our list
• Programme size: about 115 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $77,461 one year after graduating
• Cost: $45,858 tuition a year before financial aid
• Acceptance rate: 74%

5. Illinois State University

Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing in Normal is one of the largest public nursing programmes in the state, at much lower in-state tuition.

• Graduation rate: 66%, number 5 in Illinois on our list
• Programme size: about 228 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $79,220 one year after graduating
• Cost: $16,152 in-state tuition ($28,218 out of state)
• Acceptance rate: 88%

Large public options such as the University of Illinois Chicago, Northern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville also train many of the state’s nurses at public tuition.

Ways to become a registered nurse in Illinois

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): a four-year degree, the route covered in this guide, preferred by many hospitals and required for most leadership and advanced roles.
• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN): a two-year programme, often at community colleges, leading to the same NCLEX-RN exam. Many nurses later complete an RN-to-BSN degree, often online and part-time while working.
• Accelerated BSN (ABSN): for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another subject, usually 12 to 18 months of intensive study.
• Direct-entry master’s (MSN): offered by some universities for graduates of other fields.

Whichever route you choose, you must graduate from an approved programme and pass the NCLEX-RN exam to be licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Frequently asked questions

How many colleges in Illinois offer a BSN?

Based on the latest College Scorecard data, 33 colleges in Illinois produce at least 20 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year, together awarding around 10,991 BSN degrees annually. Some smaller programmes are not included.

Which Illinois nursing school has the highest graduation rate?

Bradley University has the highest college-wide graduation rate on our list, at 75%.

Which is the largest nursing programme in Illinois?

Chamberlain University-Illinois produces the most bachelor’s nursing graduates in the state, about 7843 a year.

How much do new BSN graduates earn in Illinois?

Across the colleges listed, the median first-year earnings of bachelor’s nursing graduates range from $72,550 to $95,568, with a typical (median) figure of about $79,175. Earnings depend on where graduates work, their shift patterns and whether they were already working as nurses.

How much does a public nursing degree cost in Illinois?

In-state tuition at the public universities on our list ranges from $13,124 to $16,152 a year, before fees, housing and financial aid.

But is a ranking enough to choose a school?

No ranking can tell you everything. Before you apply, also check:

• NCLEX pass rates: the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation publishes first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates for approved programmes. Look for consistently high rates over several years.
• Accreditation: make sure the BSN is accredited by CCNE or ACEN.
• Getting into the nursing major: many universities admit students as “pre-nursing” first. Ask what share progress into the nursing programme.
• Clinical placements: where students train and how placements are arranged.
• Total cost: use each college’s net price calculator to see your likely cost after financial aid.

Related: US nursing schools with the highest graduation rates · How to get into nursing school

Sources: US Department of Education College Scorecard (accessed November 2026), Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Figures change every year; always confirm with the college.