With over 89 accredited nursing schools in Illinois it’s no wonder the state’s health sector is vibrant and developed. If you are seeking to get started in the field of nursing, then Illinois a fine option for starting your career.
You can be trained in one of the accredited schools in Illinois and become a licensed practical nurse, registered nurse; advanced practice registered nurse or a certified nursing assistant. All these levels of the nursing are highly critical in the health sector that is highly rewarding.
Illinois is the fifth most populous state in the US. It is a major transport hub and being the most populous state in the Midwest region; the states need for licensed nurses is always high.
According to estimates from the United States Census Bureau, the population of Illinois was 12,859,995 on July 1, 2015. This figure represents a 0.23 percent increase since the 2010 United States Census. The land of Lincoln is full of many options for prospective nursing students comprising of agricultural fairs, pro athletic teams, and hosting the tallest building in the United States. The state seeks to improve services by putting in place an effective nursing plan and a center for nursing to regulate nursing manpower.
Nurse educators have access to scholarships and a student loan repayment plan for nursing students and provide more grants to nursing programs. You can get your degree in nursing with the many courses offered like Administration, Anatomy, Clinical Nurse, Informatics, Nurse Practitioner (NP), Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Physiology, RN-BSN, Registered Nurse (RN), and Women’s Health. These courses are offered in various accredited nursing schools within Illinois including Aurora University, Bradley University, and black hawk college, Capital area career center school of practical nursing, Chicago University and College of DuPage.
Featured Programs
Northern Illinois University College of Nursing
As a Higher Learning Commission accredited college, this honors-earning school received special recognition for their education of male nurses and offers excellent undergraduate programs like the Bachelors of Science in Nursing and an accelerated Nursing RN to BSN Program, as well as an array of graduate degrees such as a Masters in Nursing, a Post-Masters Nursing Education certificate and a Doctor of Nursing Practice program.
The campus, located in DeKalb, Illinois, has state of the art Nursing Laboratories that prepare students for hands-on work in a hospital setting, even before starting clinicals. This includes the incredible human-patient simulation lab, which creates realistic situations that range from trauma to pediatric, providing a well-rounded and extensive education in both the science and the tactical areas of Nursing.
This college provides access to dozens of state scholarship opportunities like the Illinois Department of Public Health scholarship, awarding over 130,000 dollars to nursing students each year, funding education and research opportunities for everyone.
1425 W Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL 60115 Phone: (815) 753-1000 NIU.edu
University of Illinois at Chicago
According to the University’s website, this school is consistently in the top ten nursing colleges most funded by the National Institutes of Health and is the largest in the area. Located in the heart of Chicago, this Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredited University partners with inner-city hospitals, offering an excellent trauma and emergency medicine training.
It also provides a teaching staff that is active in research programs, allowing for students to immerse themselves in the science behind health and medicine while working directly with Nationally and Internationally acclaimed instructors. Six members of the NIU Nursing Education staff have been designated American Academy of Nursing living legends, bringing personal experience and real-life perspective into the classrooms.
UIC College of Nursing also offers the elite Doctoral Scholar program which finances students to study medicine while traveling to the campuses of the “Big Ten” Universities, an unprecedented educational experience. Beginning Fall of 2017, UIC has added a degree in rural nursing to its catalog, a rare and unique learning opportunity specific to Midwest schools.
1200 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607 Phone: 312-996-7000 UIC.edu
Ambria College of Nursing
Accredited by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, this private school specifically focuses on educating future nurses, offering no other programs or courses. “Ambria College of Nursing is the only private nursing school in Illinois that offers a seamless ladder nursing program which consists of LPN , LPN to RN, and RN to BSN.” (ambria.edu)
This allows students to learn in an atmosphere where their peers share similar goals, providing support and focus unparalleled by regular campuses. The flexible course schedules accommodate program attendees of every walk of life, offering classes during the day, night and even on the weekends. This private accredited school provides just as many scholarship opportunities as a public college and also offers private scholarship funding from donors. Ambria College has a 100% pass rate for Practical Nurses and a 90% pass rate for Registered Nurses.
5210 Trillium Blvd. Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 Phone: 847-397-0300 Ambria.edu
Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing
Awarded a spot as a Top 100 Public University, ISU’s nursing program is a popular choice for students around the Normal, Illinois area. Offering everything from traditional and accelerated RN programs to Nursing PhD’s for student’s who want to push their education to its highest potential, CONE-accredited ISU has the potential to educate some of the best nurses in the area.
Attendees are among the most successful in the state with graduates achieving a 94% pass rate on the national nursing licensure exam. (Nursing.illinoisstate.edu) This campus offers financial aid and a plethora of private and public scholarship opportunities, such as the Johnson & Johnson Nursing Scholarship.
Alumni of the school play a large role in mentoring, as well as providing funding and research ventures for the program. This campus has some very unique curriculum opportunities available to nursing students, including the trans-cultural experience which allows studying medicine abroad in areas like Brazil, Russia and England.
Exceptional program attendees can join the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, which provides excellent career connections and recommendations. ISU’s rich educational opportunities aid in forming both intelligent and well equipped nurses, as well as culturally aware and compassionate medical professionals.
Campus Box 5810 Normal, IL 61790-5810 Phone: (309) 438-7400 Illinoisstate.edu
Board of Nursing Approved Schools in Illinois
Aurora University School of Nursing Location: Aurora, Illinois Programs: BSN School Founded In: 1893 Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.aurora.eduBlessing Rieman College of Nursing Location: Quincy, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.brcn.eduBradley University School of Nursing Location: Peoria, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.bradley.eduChicago State University College of Nursing Location: Chicago, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.csu.eduDePaul University School of Nursing Location: Chicago, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.depaul.eduElmhurst College Deicke Center for Nursing Education Location: Elmhurst, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.elmhurst.eduGovernors State University School of Nursing Location: University Park, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.govst.eduIllinois State University Mennonite College of Nursing Location: Normal, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.ilstu.eduIllinois Wesleyan University School of Nursing Location: Bloomington, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.iwu.eduLakeview College of Nursing Location: Danville, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.lakeviewcol.eduLewis University School of Nursing Location: Romeoville, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.lewisu.eduLoyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing Location: Chicago, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN, PhD Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.luc.eduMacMurray College School of Nursing Location: Jacksonville, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.mac.eduMcKendree College School of Nursing Location: Lebanon, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.mckendree.eduMillikin University School of Nursing Location: Decatur, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.millikin.eduNorth Park University School of Nursing Location: Chicago, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.northpark.eduNorthern Illinois University School of Nursing Location: DeKalb, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.niu.eduOlivet Nazarene University School of Nursing Location: Bourbonnais, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.olivet.eduQuincy University Blessing Rieman College of Nursing Location: Quincy, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.quincy.eduRockford College School of Nursing Location: Rockford, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.rockford.eduRush University Medical Center School of Nursing Location: Chicago, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN, PhD Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.rush.eduSaint Anthony College of Nursing Location: Rockford, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.sacn.eduSaint Francis Medical Center School of Nursing Location: Peoria, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.sfmccon.eduSaint John’s College School of Nursing Location: Springfield, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.st-johns.org/Saint Xavier University School of Nursing Location: Chicago, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.sxu.eduSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing Location: Edwardsville, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.siue.eduTrinity Christian College School of Nursing Location: Palos Heights, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.trnty.eduUniversity of Illinois Chicago School of Nursing Location: Chicago, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN, PhD Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.uic.eduUniversity of Saint Francis Saint Joseph College of Nursing and Allied Health Location: Joliet, Illinois Programs: BSN, MSN Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Website: http://www.stfrancis.eduWest Suburban College of Nursing Location: Oak Park, Illinois Programs: BSN Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Website: http://www.wscn.edu