42 Best Nursing schools in Illinois

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Illinois ranked based on their research performance in Nursing. A graph of 1.75M citations received by 60.3K academic papers made by 42 universities in Illinois was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Nursing

#19 in the United States

#23 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1530
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $22,095

2. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Nursing

#21 in the United States

#26 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 81%

3. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Nursing

#28 in the United States

#35 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $36,991

4. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Champaign

For Nursing

#56 in the United States

#64 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 64%

5. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Nursing

#106 in the United States

#122 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $37,511

6. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Nursing

#159 in the United States

#179 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $12,552
Enrollment: 15,649

7. Rush University

Chicago

For Nursing

#162 in the United States

#182 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,870
Male:Female: 22:78
Founded: 1972

8. DePaul University

Chicago

For Nursing

#189 in the United States

#212 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $32,151

9. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Nursing

#190 in the United States

#214 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 30:70

10. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Nursing

#215 in the United States

#240 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1020
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

11. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Nursing

#216 in the United States

#241 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1043
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $16,296

12. Illinois State University

Normal

For Nursing

#221 in the United States

#246 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

13. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Nursing

#250 in the United States

#280 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 1,940
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1912

14. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Nursing

#305 in the United States

#338 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Average SAT: 1045
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 98%

15. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Nursing

#317 in the United States

#352 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1315
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $28,702

16. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Nursing

#435 in the United States

#477 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $15,632
Enrollment: 7,643

17. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Nursing

#446 in the United States

#489 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 960
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $22,117

18. Bradley University

Peoria

For Nursing

#454 in the United States

#498 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1165
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $24,053

19. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Nursing

#474 in the United States

#520 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1010
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $11,773

20. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Nursing

#488 in the United States

#536 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $30,096

21. Governors State University

University Park

For Nursing

#531 in the United States

#582 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 945
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $11,987

22. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Nursing

#534 in the United States

#585 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $15,891
Enrollment: 2,317

23. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Nursing

#551 in the United States

#604 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $15,143
Enrollment: 5,756

24. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Nursing

#567 in the United States

#620 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1104
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

25. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Nursing

#601 in the United States

#654 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Net Price: $11,302
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $29,886

26. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Nursing

#644 in the United States

#699 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1340
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $29,961

27. Greenville University

Greenville

For Nursing

#646 in the United States

#701 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1009
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $20,718

28. Erikson Institute

Chicago

For Nursing

#648 in the United States

#703 in North America

Enrollment: 331
Male:Female: 2:98

29. Rockford University

Rockford

For Nursing

#679 in the United States

#735 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 963
Average ACT: 16
Net Price: $25,047

30. University of St Francis

Joliet

For Nursing

#696 in the United States

#752 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $18,560

31. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Nursing

#714 in the United States

#773 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1110
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $24,108

32. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Nursing

#758 in the United States

#818 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Net Price: $21,575
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $14,112

33. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Nursing

#786 in the United States

#847 in North America

Net Price: $20,319
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $12,832
Enrollment: 242

34. Illinois College of Optometry

Chicago

For Nursing

#810 in the United States

#875 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 481
Male:Female: 27:73
Founded: 1872

35. National Louis University

Chicago

For Nursing

#822 in the United States

#888 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Net Price: $14,769
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $9,641

36. Lewis University

Romeoville

For Nursing

#838 in the United States

#904 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $19,184

37. North Central College

Naperville

For Nursing

#840 in the United States

#906 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $25,285

38. Aurora University

Aurora

For Nursing

#844 in the United States

#911 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1089
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $19,350

39. National University of Health Sciences

Lombard

For Nursing

#883 in the United States

#952 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Enrollment: 498
Male:Female: 39:61
Founded: 1906

40. Dominican University

River Forest

For Nursing

#887 in the United States

#956 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1015
Average ACT: 19
Net Price: $18,162

41. Benedictine University

Lisle

For Nursing

#889 in the United States

#958 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $25,658
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $20,083

42. Adler University

Chicago

For Nursing

#914 in the United States

#983 in North America

Enrollment: 1,841
Male:Female: 18:82
Founded: 1952

Closest to Illinois states to learn Nursing

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	18	35
Missouri	19	34
Iowa	9	36
Kentucky	13	48
Wisconsin	17	16
Tennessee	23	30
Ohio	36	27
Michigan	19	3
Arkansas	9	85
West Virginia	4	82
Minnesota	23	13
Mississippi	6	149
Kansas	9	68
Alabama	16	33
Virginia	24	52
Georgia	25	14
North Carolina	24	9
Oklahoma	8	139
Nebraska	7	97
South Carolina	15	59
Pennsylvania	65	6
South Dakota	5	251
District of Columbia	8	43
Louisiana	16	84
Maryland	18	2
New York	92	8
New Jersey	20	39
North Dakota	3	188
Connecticut	17	7
Texas	57	44
Vermont	3	99
Colorado	14	22
Massachusetts	48	1
Rhode Island	6	24
Florida	28	31
New Hampshire	7	90
Maine	7	297
Montana	3	197
Utah	8	37
Arizona	6	46
Idaho	3	261
Nevada	4	130
Oregon	15	38
Washington	15	4
California	85	5
Puerto Rico	6	383
Hawaii	4	111