NurseSavvy ranking · Illinois · updated October 10, 2026

Best Nursing Schools in Illinois (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10

We ranked all 98 RN programs in Illinois that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in Illinois, and what graduates earn a year out.

Morton College comes out on top. Here are the top 10, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.

No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.

Rank it your way

Rank Illinois’s 98 RN programs on what matters to you

NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.

The top 10 nursing programs in Illinois

Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.

1
Morton College
CiceroAssociate Degree Program, RN (Code 43)· Public
83score
97% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 96.3% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
96.3% of 27
Students who finish
97% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$5,191/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$65,090 1 yr out
Start to license: 93 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
2
Carl Sandburg College
GalesburgAssociate Degree Program, RN (Code 43)· Public
81score
93% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 94.1% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
94.1% of 34
Students who finish
93% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$3,662/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$66,508 1 yr out
Start to license: 88 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
3
Bradley University
PeoriaBaccalaureate Program, RN (Code 37)· Private nonprofit
75score
100% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 93.2% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
93.2% of 74
Students who finish
100% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$22,719/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$73,143 1 yr out
Start to license: 93 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
4
McHenry County College
Crystal LakeAssociate Degree Program, RN (Code 43)· Public
75score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 29 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 29
Students who finish
76% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$7,042/yr net price
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
Start to license: 76 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
5
Kishwaukee College
MaltaAssociate Degree Program, RN (Code 43)· Public
70score
80% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 90% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
90% of 50
Students who finish
80% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$4,574/yr net price
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
Start to license: 72 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
6
Trinity Christian College
Palos HeightsBaccalaureate Program, RN (Code 37)· Private nonprofit
70score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 12 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 12
Students who finish
79% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$19,125/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$76,446 1 yr out
Start to license: 79 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
7
John A. Logan College
CartervilleAssociate Degree Program, RN (Code 43)· Public
70score
A 98.3% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 57 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
98.3% of 57
Students who finish
67% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$5,541/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$67,691 1 yr out
Start to license: 66 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
8
College of DuPage
Glen EllynAssociate Degree Program, RN (Code 43)· Public
69score
80% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 89.7% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
89.7% of 117
Students who finish
80% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$7,401/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$69,105 1 yr out
Start to license: 71 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
9
Mennonite Nursing at ISU C of N
NormalBaccalaureate Program, RN (Code 37)
68score
A 93.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 239 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
93.7% of 239
Students who finish
82% finish
Cost-to-pay value
Not publishedfill-in
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
Start to license: 76 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
10
Mennonite Nursing at ISU C of N
SpringfieldBaccalaureate Program, RN (Code 37)
68score
A 93.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 239 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
93.7% of 239
Students who finish
82% finish
Cost-to-pay value
Not publishedfill-in
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
Start to license: 76 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.

Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.

All 183 approved programs in Illinois Full rankings table

The Illinois leaders on each measure

Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.

Highest NCLEX pass rate: McHenry County College (Associate Degree Program, RN (Code 43)), 100% first-time.
Most students finish: Bradley University (Baccalaureate Program, RN (Code 37)), 100% on time.
Lowest average net price: Joliet Junior College, $1,672/yr.
Highest graduates’ pay: St. Xavier University, $78,285 one year out.
Top ADN vs top BSN: Morton College (#1 overall) and Bradley University (#3 overall).

How we ranked Illinois’s nursing schools

NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Illinois board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to Illinois’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.

A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best nursing school in Illinois?

Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Morton College (Associate Degree Program, RN (Code 43), Cicero) ranks #1 of 98 RN programs in Illinois with a score of 83 out of 100 and a 96.3% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.

How did NurseSavvy rank Illinois nursing schools?

Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the Illinois board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

What does “fill-in” mean on this list?

When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.

Can a school pay to rank higher?

No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.