Best RN Programs in Illinois for 2024

Lewis University is located in Romeoville, Illinois.  Their nursing department offers a few options for its nursing students: a pre-licensure program, which is a general BSN program, a pre-licensure accelerated program, which is designed for students already holding a bachelor's degree, and an RN to BSN program.

Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and was founded in 1857. The Mennonite College of Nursing has a BSN program that extends over 4 semesters of full-time studies in traditional nursing. They also offer an accelerated second degree program and an online RN to BSN program. They offer various graduate programs as well. Their facilities include an extensive simulation lab that looks just like a real hospital, complete with four patient rooms, crash carts, a patient call system, a medication dispensing system, and a nurses station.

The college has a vibrant student community, with a nurses association as well as a specific group for men in nursing, providing extra support for a minority demographic in the nursing field. Students enrolling in the traditional program can do so annually in the fall. The RN to BSN program has spring and fall start options, and the accelerated program begins in May, and ends fifteen months later.

Founded in 1897, Bradley University is a private university in Bradley Ave., Peoria. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It also has received numerous awards, among these are from U.S. News and World Report, and the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education. With an average class size of 17 students, it has 340+ full-time faculty members with a 1:12 faculty to student ratio. Its curriculum places emphasis on experiential and global learning opportunities, wherein all classes are taught by faculty, of which 79% possess doctorate or terminal degrees.

The Accelerated Nursing (ABSN 2nd Degree) is one of the programs offered by the Nursing Department under the College of Education and Health Sciences. This 15-month program allows individuals who have completed a non-nursing bachelor’s degree to obtain their BSN degree.

Students of this program will be mentored through one-on-one advising by faculty, and will also have the chance to network and establish professional connections through exposure to several organizations such as the Nurses Christian Fellowship, Theta Tau Honor Society, and the Bradley Nursing Student Association. In terms of experiences, Bradley University is also situated in a growing medical community, with three major hospitals in the city.

Prerequisites and required courses for this program are composed of 31 and 59 hours of coursework, respectively. Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN® exam), and pursue a career in the healthcare industry.

Saint Anthony College of Nursing is located in Rockford, IL. Their health sciences facility is located on the campus of Rock Valley College, which provides for an interdisciplinary campus and student experience. They offer a BSN program and an RN to BSN track. All programs are CCNE accredited. Saint Anthony’s additionally offers high school students the chance to reserve a seat in the BSN program beginning in the fall, two years after high school graduation. Students must take general education and pre-nursing requirements at other institutions before enrolling into the BSN program at Saint Anthony’s.

The RN to BSN program is 18 months long and offers classes during the evening and afternoon, making it possible for RNs to incorporate an academic curriculum into their schedules. The school is owned and operated by OSF HealthCare, and provides nursing education that deeply integrates Christian values and the example of Francis of Assisi. OSF HealthCare has a rich and extensive history for its efforts to care for those in need and saving lives.

The Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing offers undergraduate (BSN), master’s (MSN), and doctoral programs (DNP and PhD) in nursing. All programs are CCNE accredited and fairly competitive, with a 55% acceptance rate.

The BSN program is designed to prepare generalist nurses who can deliver quality and professional care. Students are expected to gain comprehensive knowledge from liberal arts, sciences, and nursing science as a solid basis for professional nursing practice. Graduates are additionally culturally competent, and are able to integrate levels of prevention, quality, and safety principles into their position within a healthcare team.

The MSN program equips students with advanced knowledge and skills to prepare them for leadership roles in inter professional healthcare delivery. This further education shifts its lens to scientific findings in nursing, healthcare, and biopsychosocial fields. Additionally, graduates will be well-prepared for effective leadership, with a strong fluency in ethical and critical decision-making, workplace relations, and systems.

The DNP program offers advanced practice nurses with the highest level of knowledge and skill to provide innovative leadership in the nursing profession. Graduates will have mastered an area of nursing practice and have advanced levels of ethical and moral judgment and decision-making.

The PhD in Nursing is designed to matriculate individuals who are able to initiate a beginning program of research that expands nursing and healthcare knowledge, in addition to a thorough understanding of social, cultural, political, economic, and ethical considerations.

Trinity College or Nursing and Health Sciences is located in Rock Island, Illinois.  This college is unique in that it is small and houses only health science degrees - nursing (associates of nursing, bachelor's of nursing, master's of nursing, bachelor of science in health science, associate of applied science in radiography, and associated of applied science in respiratory therapy).  They also offer the EDGE Program, which allows high school seniors early entry into their programs.

Trinity Christian College is a private Christian college located in Palos Heights, Illinois. The nursing school offers a four-year BSN program that comes with an integrated minor in science. Trinity’s nursing program is the only nursing school in the Chicago area with a 100% NCLEX pass rate in 2015 and 2016 and has continued to earn that perfect score each consecutive year.

The program prepares students academically and clinically for the patient’s physical, spiritual, and mental needs. The coursework incorporates knowledge from the humanities and the natural, social, and nursing sciences to cultivate a holistic understanding of nursing care. The program offers small class sizes and state-of-the-art facilities, providing a comprehensive and hands-on experience grounded in a Christian environment. Trinity Christian College’s nursing program has an excellent reputation in Illinois, attracting a strong, albeit small yet dedicated group of students. The college offers a robust program and is accessible to most interested students with an 88% acceptance rate.

University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois.  The Leach College of Nursing is offers undergraduate and graduate programs.  Undergraduate programs include a traditional BSN program and two RN to BSN programs.  They offer an RN to BSN program online and an RN to BSN program as a fast track program with Joliet Junior College.

MacMurray College is a private Christian institution located in Jacksonville, Illinois that offers a four-year, CCNE accredited BSN program, as well as an online RN to BSN program. MacMurray’s BSN program is a unique program that integrates a liberal arts core while preparing graduates for professional nursing practice, graduate education, and ongoing career development.

The program’s focus lies in the extensive development of students’ knowledge, values, and competencies that ensure they can provide safe, high quality nursing care for diverse populations in various settings. The coursework further equips students with the clinical reasoning, communication skills, understanding of healthcare policies and systems, and management technology necessary to be a strong member of a healthcare team.

To be admitted to the MacMurray’s nursing program, the applicant must met the following minimum requirements: 2.75/4.00 high school GPA, ACT composite of 20 or 1020 on the SAT, 2 semesters of chemistry with a grade C or better within the last 5 years. Students can enroll twice a year, in the fall or spring semester.

Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing is located in Quincy, Illinois.  They offer a basic-track BSN program and an RN to BSN program.  They also offer a variety of advanced degrees; unique to their program is the RN to MSN program, which allows the RN to bypass the BSN and obtain and an advanced degree.

Robert Morris University Illinois is located in Chicago, Illinois.  They are able to boast that their graduation rate is in the top 5 amongst private universities in Illinois.  Their department of nursing offers a BSN degree and an ASN degree.

Millikin University is located in Decatur, Illinois.  They offer a BSN program and an RN to BSN program.  They also offer a school nurse certification.  The school nurse certification is allows the BSN to become a K-12 nurse in the state of Illinois; this certificate can be obtained at only four universities in Illinois, with Millikin University being one of the four.

Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois.  They offer both a traditional BSN program and an RN to BSN program.  Incoming freshmen may apply for direct admission into the BSN program if they have an ACT score of 23 and a GPA of 3.2.

St. John's College of Nursing is located in Springfield, Illinois.  They offer a BSN program, an accelerated BSN program for those students already holding a bachelor's degree, and an RN to BSN program.  They also have an early admit option for high school seniors.

McHenry County College is located in Crystal Lake, Illinois.  Their nursing department offers an AAS degree and an LPN to AAS degree.  McHenry County College also offers an RN to BSN Partnership Program with Aurora University  - Woodstock Center.  If enrolled in this program, McHenry nursing students will have direct admission to Aurora's RN to BSN program.

Joliet Junior College is located in Joliet, Illinois.  The College of Nursing at Joliet Junior College offers a practical nursing program, a military corpsman to practical nurse program, an RN program and an LPN transition to RN program.  Their LPN to RN program is competitive and their admission requirements are more rigorous than other LPN to RN programs; for example, an exam that predicts success on the NCLEX-RN must be taken prior to admittance into the program.

Southeastern Illinois College was founded in 1960 and is located in Harrisburg, IL. They offer an ACEN accredited ADN program that gives students in-depth training in general nursing as well as in specialty sectors such as obstetrics and pediatrics. The nursing program is a two-semester program that begins each fall and accepts 30 students annually. Their program is designed so that students first complete the Practical Nursing program, after which students may practice as licensed practical nurses. Or they may choose to reapply and continue to earn their ADN agree. This strategy aims to concentrate ADN students who are serious and passionate about the field.

Students benefit from small class sizes, engaged peers, and faculty members who offer guidance in academics and career planning. Students are admitted based on their TEAS score, though other factors are weighed in as well. Southeastern Illinois College has an active nursing club that engages with the community through service and advocacy, aiming to increase the presence and voices of aspiring nurses as well as those of nursing professionals.

Southwestern Illinois College has locations in Belleville, Granite City and Red Bud, Illinois.  They offer an RN program.  They also have an LPN Articulation program.  This program allows LPNs to take prerequisite classes as required; if all classes are passed successfully in the allotted time frame, "escrowed" credits will be awarded.  If the LPN does not want to go through this process, they may opt to enroll in the general RN program.

John A. Logan College is located in Carterville, IL. They offer an ACEN accredited ADN program that only admits students who have completed a Practical Nursing program and have obtained their LPN license. The program does have two options for curriculum delivery, either traditionally or in a hybrid format. Do note that students can enroll in JALC’s PN program, but they cannot immediately transition into the ADN program. Students must work and gain experience for one year after licensure before applying to the ADN program.

John A. Logan College fosters a diverse and supportive student community. The nursing program is rooted in Maslow’s theory of needs, aiming to prepare students who can resolve those lower, physiological needs of their patients so that they can go back out into the world pursuing their desired paths. Students will be trained to provide competent, evidence-based care, and will be guided by a supportive group of faculty and peers.

Kaskaskia College offers an Associate Nursing Degree (ADN) Program, a Nurse Assistant Certificate (CNA), and a Practical Nursing Certificate (LPN). The ADN Program is ACEN accredited and boasts a 96% NCLEX-RN pass rate and 100% job placement. New students are admitted four times per year. This program focuses on students’ ability to provide nursing care in various settings including hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, physician’s offices, and community agencies. Kaskaskia’s Nursing Education Center has a simulation lab and convenient clinical sites.

Completion of the Nurse Assistant Certificate Program leads to the CNA credential. After completion of the seven-week program, students can provide basic care and assist patients with activities of daily living.

The Practical Nursing Certificate (LPN) program is three semesters long and admits new students twice a year. Graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN exam. This program prepares students to work in a variety of healthcare settings under the supervision of a Registered Nurse or Physician.

Oakton Community College is located in Des Plaines, Illinois.  There is also a campus in Skokie, Illinois.  They offer an RN program and an LPN to RN bridge program.  The RN program is offered twice yearly, whereas the bridge program is only offered once per year.  The LPN seeking entrance into their program must have a minimum of two years of nursing experience prior to admission.