Nursing Schools in Illinois (2026)
119 accredited nursing programs found
Illinois has 119 nursing-relevant schools in this directory, with 57 public and 62 private institutions. Average in-state tuition is $17,333, with a moderate public/private gap (averages of $6,558 and $31,047 respectively). The 25th-to-75th-percentile tuition band runs from $4,590 to $27,811, reflecting a broad pricing landscape that includes the City Colleges of Chicago system at the low end and several private universities and academic-medical-center-affiliated programs at the high end. The cheapest tracked program is Elgin Community College at $3,180 per year, and the largest by undergraduate enrollment is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at approximately 34,623.
Across Illinois programs the average graduation rate is 51.1 percent and the average retention rate is 69.5 percent. Median post-graduation earnings average $46,394 and median federal debt at graduation averages $15,429. The state's healthcare employer base, dominated by the Chicago metro hospital systems including Northwestern Medicine, Rush, and University of Chicago Medicine, supplies the practicing-nurse labor market that newly licensed graduates enter.
Registered Nurse Market in Illinois
BLS wage and employment data for registered nurses
Registered Nurse Salary in Illinois
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024
Matches the Illinois average of $17,333.
Matches the Illinois average of 51.1%.
Matches the Illinois median of $46,394.
Tuition Overview
| Avg Public Tuition | $6,558 |
| Lowest Tuition | $3,180 |
| Highest Tuition | $65,997 |
| Avg Private Tuition | $31,047 |
Student Outcomes
| Avg Graduation Rate | 51.1% |
| Avg Earnings After Grad | $49,914 |
| Avg Student Debt | $15,429 |
| Total Enrollment | 413,620 |
All Nursing Schools in Illinois
| Institution | City | Type | Tuition (In-State) | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign | Public | $16,004 | 34,623 |
| DeVry University-Illinois | Lisle | For-Profit | $17,488 | 25,975 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public | $14,338 | 21,814 |
| Illinois State University | Normal | Public | $16,021 | 18,414 |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn | Public | $4,320 | 15,185 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | Private | $44,460 | 14,283 |
| Chamberlain University-Illinois | Addison | For-Profit | $20,604 | 12,188 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private | $51,716 | 11,576 |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public | $12,700 | 11,277 |
| College of Lake County | Grayslake | Public | $4,494 | 9,282 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston | Private | $65,997 | 8,960 |
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet | Public | $4,530 | 8,843 |
| Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | Edwardsville | Public | $12,922 | 8,836 |
| William Rainey Harper College | Palatine | Public | $3,822 | 8,815 |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | Carbondale | Public | $13,244 | 8,116 |
| Moraine Valley Community College | Palos Hills | Public | $3,822 | 7,417 |
| Elgin Community College | Elgin | Public | $3,180 | 6,463 |
| Oakton College | Des Plaines | Public | $3,985 | 6,229 |
| Triton College | River Grove | Public | $4,920 | 6,229 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College | Chicago | Public | $4,380 | 5,847 |
| Waubonsee Community College | Sugar Grove | Public | $3,432 | 5,499 |
| Southwestern Illinois College | Belleville | Public | $3,870 | 5,280 |
| Western Illinois University | Macomb | Public | $14,952 | 4,939 |
| Illinois Central College | East Peoria | Public | $4,650 | 4,909 |
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston | Public | $13,403 | 4,398 |
| Rock Valley College | Rockford | Public | $4,274 | 4,362 |
| McHenry County College | Crystal Lake | Public | $4,012 | 4,335 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College | Chicago | Public | $4,380 | 4,186 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College | Chicago | Public | $4,380 | 4,146 |
| National Louis University | Chicago | Private | $12,345 | 4,100 |
| Aurora University | Aurora | Private | $28,220 | 4,021 |
| Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield | Public | $3,672 | 3,917 |
| Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago | Public | $12,383 | 3,869 |
| Bradley University | Peoria | Private | $39,680 | 3,865 |
| Lewis University | Romeoville | Private | $37,882 | 3,665 |
| Parkland College | Champaign | Public | $4,284 | 3,293 |
| Saint Xavier University | Chicago | Private | $36,840 | 3,030 |
| Heartland Community College | Normal | Public | $5,460 | 2,991 |
| Elmhurst University | Elmhurst | Private | $41,628 | 2,954 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago | Private | $51,763 | 2,812 |
| Morton College | Cicero | Public | $4,884 | 2,593 |
| Roosevelt University | Chicago | Private | $20,280 | 2,583 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College | Chicago | Public | $4,380 | 2,540 |
| Governors State University | University Park | Public | $11,320 | 2,518 |
| Lake Land College | Mattoon | Public | $4,280 | 2,492 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais | Private | $37,940 | 2,485 |
| Prairie State College | Chicago Heights | Public | $4,176 | 2,448 |
| Augustana College | Rock Island | Private | $49,834 | 2,418 |
| North Central College | Naperville | Private | $44,394 | 2,360 |
| University of Illinois Springfield | Springfield | Public | $12,252 | 2,292 |
| Dominican University | River Forest | Private | $37,844 | 2,271 |
| Black Hawk College | Moline | Public | $4,920 | 2,266 |
| Lewis and Clark Community College | Godfrey | Public | $3,552 | 2,252 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton | Private | $43,930 | 2,087 |
| John A Logan College | Carterville | Public | $4,630 | 2,018 |
| South Suburban College | South Holland | Public | $5,093 | 2,012 |
| Kankakee Community College | Kankakee | Public | $5,070 | 1,904 |
| Illinois Valley Community College | Oglesby | Public | $4,060 | 1,851 |
| North Park University | Chicago | Private | $35,325 | 1,844 |
| Kaskaskia College | Centralia | Public | $4,800 | 1,842 |
| Benedictine University | Lisle | Private | $34,290 | 1,817 |
| Kishwaukee College | Malta | Public | $4,980 | 1,794 |
| McKendree University | Lebanon | Private | $34,070 | 1,600 |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington | Private | $55,704 | 1,570 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College | Chicago | Public | $4,380 | 1,564 |
| Millikin University | Decatur | Private | $26,892 | 1,458 |
| Chicago State University | Chicago | Public | $12,754 | 1,414 |
| Richland Community College | Decatur | Public | $4,590 | 1,412 |
| John Wood Community College | Quincy | Public | $5,700 | 1,387 |
| Danville Area Community College | Danville | Public | $5,300 | 1,360 |
| Concordia University-Chicago | River Forest | Private | $36,258 | 1,337 |
| University of St Francis | Joliet | Private | $37,000 | 1,292 |
| Rend Lake College | Ina | Public | $4,500 | 1,196 |
| Sauk Valley Community College | Dixon | Public | $5,190 | 1,164 |
| Midwest Technical Institute-Illinois | Springfield | For-Profit | N/A | 1,128 |
| Carl Sandburg College | Galesburg | Public | $5,300 | 1,124 |
| Quincy University | Quincy | Private | $35,740 | 1,038 |
| Rockford University | Rockford | Private | $37,300 | 956 |
| Highland Community College | Freeport | Public | $4,696 | 926 |
| Illinois College | Jacksonville | Private | $37,470 | 925 |
| Midwestern Career College | Chicago | For-Profit | N/A | 824 |
| Trinity Christian College | Palos Heights | Private | $20,325 | 796 |
| St. Augustine College | Chicago | Private | $13,288 | 749 |
| Spoon River College | Canton | Public | $5,580 | 735 |
| Monmouth College | Monmouth | Private | $43,520 | 725 |
| Shawnee Community College | Ullin | Public | $4,650 | 675 |
| Southeastern Illinois College | Harrisburg | Public | $4,320 | 659 |
| Olney Central College | Olney | Public | $4,390 | 549 |
| Eureka College | Eureka | Private | $28,400 | 522 |
| Northwestern College | Oak Lawn | For-Profit | $18,475 | 464 |
| Methodist College | Peoria | Private | $18,008 | 374 |
| Blackburn College | Carlinville | Private | $26,758 | 341 |
| MDT College of Health Sciences | Chicago | For-Profit | $21,600 | 335 |
| First Institute of Travel Inc. | Crystal Lake | For-Profit | N/A | 274 |
| Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | Peoria | Private | N/A | 267 |
| Verve College | Oak Brook | For-Profit | N/A | 257 |
| Soma Institute-The National School of Clinical Massage Therapy | Chicago | For-Profit | N/A | 253 |
| Fox College | Tinley Park | For-Profit | $17,190 | 239 |
| Ambria College of Nursing | Hoffman Estates | For-Profit | N/A | 195 |
| Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Quincy | Private | N/A | 176 |
| University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts | Springfield | For-Profit | N/A | 165 |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing | Rockford | Private | $27,811 | 152 |
| Universal Spa Training Academy | Downers Grove | For-Profit | N/A | 144 |
| Trinity International University-Illinois | Deerfield | Private | $12,320 | 140 |
| State Career College | Gurnee | For-Profit | N/A | 140 |
| Rush University | Chicago | Private | N/A | 120 |
| Capital Area Career Center | Springfield | Public | $11,670 | 115 |
| Zen Shiatsu Chicago | Evanston | For-Profit | N/A | 95 |
| CAAN Academy of Nursing | Matteson | Private | N/A | 90 |
| Lakeview College of Nursing | Danville | Private | N/A | 81 |
| St. John's College-Department of Nursing | Springfield | Private | N/A | 76 |
| Taylor Business Institute | Chicago | For-Profit | $12,000 | 70 |
| Estelle Medical Academy | Skokie | For-Profit | $9,180 | 64 |
| CALC Institute of Technology | Alton | For-Profit | N/A | 63 |
| Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences | Rock Island | Private | N/A | 59 |
| Career Center of Southern Illinois | Red Bud | Public | N/A | 48 |
| Lincoln Christian University | Lincoln | Private | $15,400 | 44 |
| Graham Hospital School of Nursing | Canton | Private | $8,417 | 36 |
| Americare Technical School | Park Ridge | For-Profit | $20,500 | 28 |
Nursing Schools by City in Illinois
Nursing Guides & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How many nursing schools are in Illinois?
What is the average nursing school tuition in Illinois?
What is the average graduation rate for nursing schools in Illinois?
What is the average retention rate in Illinois?
What do graduates from nursing schools in Illinois earn?
What is the average student debt at nursing schools in Illinois?
How much do registered nurses earn in Illinois?
What is the RN job outlook for Illinois?
Illinois Nursing Market Context
BLS data for Illinois shows an RN median annual wage of $79,860 and a mean of $84,280. The 10th to 90th percentile range runs from $57,450 to $114,760. Statewide RN employment is approximately 119,760 and the projected growth rate is 5 percent.
Median program debt of $15,429 against a $79,860 RN median wage produces a comfortable payback profile, helped by the relatively low community-college floor and the fact that many Illinois graduates from public universities carry below-average debt. The 90th-percentile figure of $114,760 reflects what experienced Chicago-area specialty nurses can reach, particularly in academic medical centers and high-acuity ICU and ER roles. Outside the Chicago metro the wage figures compress, and the after-tax difference between Illinois and lower-tax neighboring states is one of the practical considerations for new graduates choosing where to begin practice.