Compare top-ranked BSN programs by cost, accreditation, outcomes, and format across Illinois.
Illinois requires every new RN to pass the NCLEX-RN, yet the paths to that exam vary sharply: a downstate community college ADN can cost under $11,000 in total tuition, while a private Chicago-area BSN can run past $90,000. Schools stretch from Chicago and its suburbs to Carbondale, Quincy, and Olney, and each tier carries different tradeoffs in cost, admission selectivity, and time to licensure.
The best nursing schools below are compared on NCLEX results, net price, graduate earnings, and CCNE or ACEN accreditation. The mix spans traditional BSN, accelerated, RN-to-BSN programs, and online formats, plus associate degree routes.
The practical reality is that the cheapest route and the highest-earning route rarely coincide, and many students bridge them by starting at a community college and finishing a bachelor's later.
These 10 Illinois nursing schools stand out for a mix of campus and online delivery, net price, and NCLEX preparation. Each card highlights program format and specific entry requirements, while the institution-wide graduation rate is reported as schoolwide context, not a nursing-specific outcome. Use the program details to compare cost and clinical placement options.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Chamberlain University-Illinois | Addison, IL | ~$32,000/yr (est.) | Working learners needing flexible scheduling | |
Chamberlain University's BSN pairs hybrid class scheduling with a 3-year, 122-credit pathway and no prerequisite coursework. Students train in the SimCare Center and rotate through Chicago-area clinical sites. Federal data shows median earnings around $92,400 for former students and typical debt near $20,900; the 42% graduation rate is institution-wide, not a nursing-specific outcome. Military benefits
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| #2 | University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago, IL | ~$18,000/yr (est.) | Illinois residents wanting multi-campus access | |
UIC's College of Nursing offers a traditional BSN and a direct-entry MSN for non-nurses, with multiple Illinois campus locations and a shared curriculum. The BSN provides freshman, transfer, and online RN-to-BSN pathways, plus clinical placements through UI Health and regional partners. Former students report median earnings near $68,700 and typical debt around $16,700, though the 62% graduation rate is institution-wide. CCNE accredited
CCNE accredited
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| #3 | Lake Land College | Mattoon, IL | $2,000/yr (est. net price) | Budget-conscious learners pursuing an ADN | |
Lake Land College's associate degree nursing program is a low-cost, campus-based path that prepares students for the NCLEX-RN. It features clinicals in hospitals, long-term care, and community settings, and dual-enrollment agreements make it possible to continue toward an online BSN. Federal data reports median earnings for former students near $38,900 and typical debt around $6,200. The institution-wide graduation rate is approximately 58%, not nursing-specific. ACEN accredited
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| #4 | Saint Anthony College of Nursing | Rockford, IL | $25,000 – $30,000/yr (est.) | ||
Saint Anthony College of Nursing stands out for its tiny 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and strong licensure results. The campus-based BSN reports a 98% NCLEX pass rate, well above state and national averages, and offers a high school early entry option. Federal data shows median earnings around $77,700 for former students, though graduation-rate data is not available at the institution-wide level in this source.
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| #5 | Lewis University | Romeoville, IL | ~$17,000/yr (est.) | ||
Lewis University in Romeoville pairs a CCNE-accredited BSN with a cohort-based structure and more than 50 clinical affiliate sites. Admission requires SAT, ACT, or TEAS scores and a minimum 3.0 GPA. The program reports a 98% NCLEX pass rate. Former students show median earnings near $66,100 and typical debt around $21,500; the 67% graduation rate is schoolwide, not nursing-specific. CCNE accredited
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| #6 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL | ~$23,000/yr (est.) | ||
Bradley University's BSN and 15-month accelerated BSN both emphasize early clinical experience, including access to a Level 1 trauma center and rural health settings. Peoria's two major hospital systems anchor the clinical rotations, with full-time faculty mentorship. Institution-wide median earnings are about $66,900 and typical debt around $27,000; the 76% graduation rate is schoolwide. CCNE accredited
CCNE accredited
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| #7 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL | ~$19,000/yr (est.) | ||
Illinois State's Mennonite College of Nursing has educated nurses for more than a century through traditional, accelerated, and fully online RN-to-BSN paths. Simulation labs at two locations use high-fidelity manikins and VR, and the traditional BSN admits once per year. Former students report median earnings near $62,100 and typical debt around $20,500; the 65% graduation rate is institution-wide.
Rolling admissionsFully online option
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| #8 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL | ~$23,000/yr (est.) | ||
DePaul University's campus-based BSN and first-in-Illinois Master's Entry to Nursing Practice both leverage Chicago's dense clinical network. The BSN reports a 97% NCLEX pass rate with small classes and high-fidelity simulation. Federal data shows median earnings near $68,800 and typical debt around $23,200; the 68% institution-wide graduation rate reflects all DePaul graduates. CCNE accredited
CCNE accredited
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| #9 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL | ~$36,000/yr (est.) | ||
Loyola University Chicago offers a guaranteed direct-entry four-year BSN with seven clinical rotations and a Clinical Role Transition capstone. The 2024 cohort posted a 96.36% first-time NCLEX pass rate. Former students show median earnings near $71,500 and typical debt around $24,200; the 73% graduation rate is institution-wide. CCNE accredited
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| #10 | Sauk Valley Community College | Dixon, IL | ~$8,000/yr (est.) | ||
Sauk Valley Community College's ACEN-accredited ADN is a compact two-year, 64-credit campus pathway with total tuition around $10,240. Students complete clinicals in hospitals, long-term care, and community settings, and the program is approved by Illinois' nursing regulator. Former students report median earnings near $40,500 and typical debt around $8,300; institution-wide graduation data is around 49%, though this is not nursing-specific. ACEN accredited
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Choosing a nursing program often comes down to a single tension: balancing affordability against long-term career returns. Our ranking embraces that tension, offering a straightforward comparison of Illinois schools based on the metrics that matter most: actual costs, student success, and earnings after graduation.
We source data directly from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard and IPEDS, focusing on five measures that reflect value for nursing students:
Accreditation by the CCNE or ACEN is a non-negotiable baseline. Every school on this list holds active programmatic accreditation, so you can skip the verification step and focus on fit.
We don’t fold in NCLEX pass rates as a ranking factor because those are covered separately in the next section. Likewise, graduation rates reflect the entire institution, not just nursing students, and program-level earnings aren’t available for every school. This ranking is a starting point, not a final verdict. For a deeper dive into weights and data limitations, visit our full methodology page.
What NCLEX-RN pass rate should you expect from an Illinois nursing school?
When you invest years into a BSN program, the bottom line is board readiness. The first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is the single best public indicator of how well a school prepares its graduates for licensure and entry-level practice. A high pass rate signals a coherent curriculum, effective clinical training, and strong student support, three things every aspiring nurse should demand.
Nursing boards in every state treat the NCLEX as the final gatekeeper. A program’s first-time pass rate directly reflects how well its coursework and clinical placements align with the test blueprint. When rates dip, it often points to outdated teaching methods, insufficient simulation hours, or a student body that isn’t receiving targeted remediation. Conversely, programs that consistently top the Illinois average graduate nurses who walk into the testing center with confidence.
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) sets a minimum first-time pass rate of 75% for approved programs. Schools that fall below this threshold must submit improvement plans and risk losing their approval if they don’t recover. For students, that’s a clear red flag: a program on probation or in remediation may struggle to provide the stable, high-quality education you need.
In 2024, 6,910 first-time RN candidates tested in Illinois, earning an aggregate pass rate of 87%. That figure includes graduates from BSN, ADN, and diploma programs. Nationally, the 2024 first-time pass rate among all U.S. candidates (186,760 test-takers) was 91%. The gap between Illinois’s 87% and the national 91% suggests that the state’s nursing programs, on average, have room to strengthen their exam preparation.
For BSN programs specifically, the most recent national benchmark from 2023 shows an 82% first-time pass rate. Because BSN graduates are trained to manage complex patient scenarios and often take the NCLEX shortly after a rigorous capstone course, their pass rates typically run higher than the all-program aggregate. In Illinois, many BSN programs exceed the state’s 87% average, though official school-level data for 2024 is still being compiled.
While individual school pass rates are published periodically by the IDFPR, historical trends show that Illinois’s flagship public universities and selective private colleges frequently post first-time rates above 90%. These programs invest in low student-to-faculty ratios, simulation labs, and NCLEX predictor exams that flag students needing extra help early.
On the other end, a handful of programs fall below the 75% minimum, triggering state oversight. The IDFPR’s 2024 list of low-pass-rate programs highlights schools that must correct course quickly. If you’re evaluating a program that has hovered near that line, dig into its remediation policies, faculty turnover, and clinical placement stability before committing.
Beyond licensure, a strong pass rate protects your time and money. Failing the NCLEX means a 45-day waiting period to retest, lost wages from a delayed job start, and the emotional toll of repeating study. Employers in Illinois’s competitive metro markets, from Chicago to Peoria, also look at where you trained. A resume listing a program known for high pass rates can give you an edge during a hiring process where clinical reasoning is the name of the game.
The NCLEX isn’t the whole story of a nursing education, but it’s the clearest snapshot of whether a school consistently delivers on its promise to produce practice-ready nurses. Use these numbers as a launchpad to ask harder questions about faculty support, clinical hours, and graduate outcomes.
BSN programs in Illinois range widely in price. The table ranks them by net price, the average amount students pay after grants and scholarships, to give a clearer picture of real out-of-pocket costs. Saint Xavier University has the lowest net price at about $10,970, while Loyola University Chicago averages $36,079. Net price is an institution-wide figure, not a guaranteed individual quote; your personal aid package will vary.
| School | Type | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Xavier University | Private | $38,945 | $38,945 | $10,970 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Public | $15,949 | $32,009 | $10,974 |
| University of St Francis | Private | $38,110 | $38,110 | $13,006 |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | Public | $13,334 | $13,334 | $13,297 |
| Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | Public | $12,092 | $12,092 | $14,889 |
| Lewis University | Private | $39,200 | $39,200 | $17,028 |
| Aurora University | Private | $29,170 | $29,170 | $18,838 |
| Bradley University | Private | $42,160 | $42,160 | $22,719 |
| Elmhurst University | Private | $42,955 | $42,955 | $24,185 |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | Private | $57,704 | $57,704 | $28,199 |
| DePaul University | Private | $45,405 | $45,405 | $30,902 |
| Chamberlain University-Illinois | Private | $21,536 | $21,536 | $31,837 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Private | $53,710 | $53,710 | $36,079 |
When choosing a nursing program in Illinois, you’ll encounter two main accreditation bodies: the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Both are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and meet the Illinois Board of Nursing’s requirements for licensure, so neither is 'better' from a regulatory standpoint. The differences lie in which programs they accredit and how employers and graduate schools view each. Always confirm a program’s current accreditation status directly with CCNE or ACEN before enrolling.
Baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs only BSN, MSN, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificates Up to 10 years (5 years for new programs) Yes, meets IDFPR requirements No statewide preference; both are widely accepted Accepted by most graduate nursing programs
All levels of nursing education, from practical nursing through doctoral degrees LPN/LVN, diploma, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, and doctoral programs Up to 8 years, with a site visit required within 2 years of candidacy Yes, meets IDFPR requirements No statewide preference; both are widely accepted Accepted by most graduate nursing programs
Most entry-level nursing students follow the traditional BSN path, which takes about four years of full-time study. This track is designed for students without a prior college degree and combines general education courses with nursing theory and clinical rotations. Among the top schools in Illinois, the majority offer this on-campus format, providing direct exposure to simulation labs and hospital-based training from the first or second year.
If you already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field, an accelerated BSN (ABSN) can get you to the NCLEX in roughly 12 to 18 months. Programs cram the core nursing curriculum into a fast-paced schedule:
All accelerated programs require a prior bachelor’s and often specific science prerequisites. Admission is competitive, with typical GPA minimums around 3.0.
Working registered nurses with an associate degree can build on their license through an RN-to-BSN program. These are built for flexibility, most are offered online or in hybrid formats with part-time, evening, and accelerated options. Because students are already licensed RNs, the curriculum focuses on leadership, community health, and evidence-based practice rather than clinical fundamentals. Many Illinois universities deliver RN-to-BSN tracks that let you complete coursework while working full time.
Among Illinois nursing schools, fully online prelicensure BSN programs are rare because state licensing boards mandate in-person clinical hours. Instead, you will see a mix of on-campus and hybrid arrangements. For example, the University of Illinois Chicago’s BSN uses a hybrid model, while most other ranked programs are campus-based. Fully online delivery is most common in RN-to-BSN and some graduate programs, but even there, clinical placements must be arranged at approved local sites. When evaluating any online or hybrid program, confirm how clinical rotations are coordinated and whether you have a say in the placement location.
Program-level earnings for the first few years after graduation are not yet reported, but median earnings 10 years after entering school reveal a clear range of outcomes. Chamberlain University graduates lead with $92,405, while the other top programs cluster between $63,926 and $71,530. For context, the national median annual wage for registered nurses was $93,600 in May 2024, and the Illinois mean wage reached $86,410, indicating that most programs' long-term earnings align closely with or exceed the statewide average. At these schools, median total debt after graduation ranges from $16,704 to $27,000, which translates into estimated monthly 10-year payments of roughly $175 to $280, a manageable fraction of the earnings shown.
Clinical training is no longer an afterthought in nursing education: it's the backbone of licensure readiness and early career traction. In Illinois, the strength of a school's hospital partnerships can directly shape the quality of your hands-on experience and your job prospects on graduation day.
Illinois nursing students train inside some of the country's most respected health systems. These affiliations matter because they provide the required clinical hours for RN licensure and often serve as a direct pipeline to employment. Key partners across the state include Northwestern Medicine, Advocate Aurora, Rush, OSF HealthCare, HSHS, Carle Health, UI Health, and Loyola Medicine. Specific recent examples show how deliberate these pairings are: Chamberlain University Chicago students complete rotations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital,1 Concordia University Chicago partners with RUSH Oak Park Hospital,2 and UIC's Urbana regional campus affiliates with Carle Foundation Hospital.3
Where you study often determines which hospitals you'll train in.
Not all clinical placements work the same way. During admissions, get clear answers to these questions:
Two gatekeepers stand between you and an RN license: the Illinois Board of Nursing and the nursing school admissions office. The state mandates the same licensure steps for everyone, but admission standards vary widely from program to program.
Illinois RN licensure is managed through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). You must graduate from a board-approved nursing program, pass the NCLEX-RN, and complete a criminal background check before your application is processed.2
The fees break down as follows:1 - Application fee: $50 - NCLEX exam fee: $200 (paid separately to Pearson VUE) - Temporary permit fee: $25 (for work while awaiting exam results) - Renewal fee: $80 (every two years, due by May 31 of even-numbered years) - Late renewal fee: $50 - Reinstatement fee: $130 (if license has lapsed) - Endorsement fee: $50 (for out-of-state nurses)
Illinois requires 20 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle.3 Mandatory topics include sexual harassment prevention, implicit bias awareness, and Alzheimer's/dementia care.3 Nurses renewing for the first time are exempt from CE requirements.1
Most BSN programs in Illinois set a minimum cumulative GPA between 2.75 and 3.0, though competitive schools often expect higher. Prerequisite coursework typically includes anatomy, physiology, microbiology, statistics, and chemistry. Entrance exams such as the TEAS or HESI are common, with required scores varying by school.
Acceptance rates can differ sharply: some high-demand programs admit fewer than 30% of applicants, while others maintain more open enrollment pathways. Researching each program's published profile is the best way to gauge your chances.
The 2 Nurse Practice Act defines the scope of RN practice and establishes the legal framework for licensure, discipline, and continuing education. Recent legislative sessions have focused on advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) authority and other workforce topics, but the RN licensure rules have remained largely stable. Staying informed through the IDFPR website helps you catch any changes that could affect your eligibility or practice.
Choosing a nursing program in Illinois raises many questions about cost, quality, and career preparation. Below are answers to common inquiries, each linked to the relevant in-depth section of this guide.
This directory groups additional nursing programs by region so you can browse options by location. Each entry lists the school, city, program format, and reported net price. Use it alongside the main ranking to compare programs across Illinois.
