Best Registered Nurse programs in Illinois, ranked by enrollment
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients.
84 schools in Illinois run programs that feed this job, graduating 19,623 people a year. The job pays a median of $95,990 in Illinois across about 138,910 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Illinois that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
15 programs in Illinois that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Illinois (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Illinois page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nursemain feeder CIP 51.3801In Illinois → | 14,792 | 75.4% | 82 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 2 | Family Practice Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3805In Illinois → | 1,954 | 10.0% | 10 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 3 | Nursing Practicemain feeder CIP 51.3818In Illinois → | 1,123 | 5.7% | 16 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 4 | Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3810In Illinois → | 781 | 4.0% | 6 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 5 | Nursing Sciencemain feeder CIP 51.3808In Illinois → | 396 | 2.0% | 10 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 6 | Adult Health Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3803In Illinois → | 284 | 1.4% | 5 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 7 | Nursing Administrationmain feeder CIP 51.3802In Illinois → | 173 | 0.9% | 10 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 8 | CIP 51.3899In Illinois → | 90 | 0.5% | 3 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 9 | Clinical Nurse Leadermain feeder CIP 51.3820In Illinois → | 13 | 0.1% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 10 | CIP 51.3812In Illinois → | 7 | 0.0% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 11 | Critical Care Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3814In Illinois → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 12 | Emergency Room/Trauma Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3816In Illinois → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 13 | Women's Health Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3822In Illinois → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 14 | Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3811In Illinois → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 15 | Clinical Nurse Specialistmain feeder CIP 51.3813In Illinois → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
Top 25 schools in Illinois
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 68 of the 84 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chamberlain University - Illinois Addison, IL Private for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 12,128 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $83,188 | 42% | $29,024 | 83% |
| 2 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 582 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $75,045 | 62% | — | 77% |
| 3 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 439 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $71,161 | 57% | — | 97% |
| 4 | Rush University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 384 | Nursing Practice | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Illinois State University Normal, IL Public · 6 feeder programs | 379 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $72,709 | 65% | — | 88% |
| 6 | Rasmussen University - Illinois Rockford, IL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 364 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $68,119 | 43% | $19,427 | — |
| 7 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 304 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $76,869 | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 8 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 269 | Nursing Administration | $76,766 | 67% | $17,632 | 71% |
| 9 | Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 207 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $73,820 | 70% | $20,794 | 74% |
| 10 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 196 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $75,557 | 49% | — | 70% |
| 11 | DePaul University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 195 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | — | 68% | $28,141 | 76% |
| 12 | Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing Peoria, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 192 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $67,776 | — | — | — |
| 13 | Aurora University Aurora, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 182 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $72,520 | 60% | $18,431 | 81% |
| 14 | City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 158 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $70,086 | 18% | — | — |
| 15 | Bradley University Peoria, IL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 151 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $73,143 | 76% | $21,768 | 77% |
| 16 | Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 151 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $78,285 | 57% | $12,935 | 84% |
| 17 | University of St Francis Joliet, IL Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 136 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $75,811 | 67% | $15,591 | 65% |
| 18 | Lincoln Land Community College Springfield, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 129 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $66,279 | 48% | — | — |
| 19 | College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 120 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $69,105 | 25% | — | — |
| 20 | Joliet Junior College Joliet, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 117 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $71,988 | 21% | — | — |
| 21 | North Park University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 111 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $73,846 | 58% | $18,494 | 69% |
| 22 | McKendree University Lebanon, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 102 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $73,156 | 53% | $23,994 | 72% |
| 23 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 95 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $67,670 | 61% | $20,903 | 56% |
| 24 | Kaskaskia College Centralia, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 91 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $63,081 | 49% | — | — |
| 25 | Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 86 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $65,290 | 36% | — | — |
All 84 schools in Illinois
Every school in Illinois with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain University - Illinois | Addison | Private for-profit | 12,128 | 7 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public | 582 | 3 |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville | Public | 439 | 3 |
| Rush University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 384 | 2 |
| Illinois State University | Normal | Public | 379 | 6 |
| Rasmussen University - Illinois | Rockford | Private for-profit | 364 | 1 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 304 | 10 |
| Lewis University | Romeoville | Private not-for-profit | 269 | 7 |
| Elmhurst University | Elmhurst | Private not-for-profit | 207 | 1 |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public | 196 | 3 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 195 | 4 |
| Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | Peoria | Private not-for-profit | 192 | 2 |
| Aurora University | Aurora | Private not-for-profit | 182 | 1 |
| City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College | Chicago | Public | 158 | 1 |
| Bradley University | Peoria | Private not-for-profit | 151 | 6 |
What registered nurses earn in Illinois
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $97,550. Illinois pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Illinois
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Registered Nurses page.
How to become a Registered Nurse
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Illinois
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 21 majors mapped to Registered Nurses21 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.3801Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
- 51.3802Nursing Administration
- 51.3803Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3805Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3806Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3808Nursing Science
- 51.3809Pediatric Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3810Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3811Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3812Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3813Clinical Nurse Specialist
- 51.3814Critical Care Nursing
- 51.3815Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
- 51.3816Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing
- 51.3818Nursing Practice
- 51.3819Palliative Care Nursing
- 51.3820Clinical Nurse Leader
- 51.3821Geriatric Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3822Women's Health Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3824Forensic Nursing
- 51.3899Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing registered nurses programs in Illinois.
What degree do you need to become a Registered Nurse?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, which awarded 14,792 degrees in Illinois in 2024-25, 75.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Registered Nurse?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 15 programs to this occupation. The largest are Registered Nursing. Together they graduate about 19,623 people a year in Illinois.
How much do registered nurses earn in Illinois?+
The median is $95,990 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 1.6% below the U.S. median of $97,550. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for registered nurses growing?+
BLS projects a +4.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 189,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Illinois?+
84 institutions in Illinois reported graduates from at least one of the 15 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do registered nurses work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Staff Nurse, Charge Nurse, APN (Advanced Practice Nurse), CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist), Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1141.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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