Illinois is expected to have a deficit of 15,000 nurses by 2050 and 6,200 physicians by 2030. With 12.58 million Illinois residents to tend to, nurse practitioners are in the perfect position to deliver primary and acute care services to various populations in the state.
Nurses who reside in Illinois (and other states, thanks to online learning) may take on the challenging career of being an advanced practice nurse by enrolling in any of these schools’ NP programs.
Program Overview:
Bradley’s Department of Nursing is driven by the mission of preparing baccalaureate and advanced practice nurses through dynamic learning, student-faculty collaboration, and mentoring. With a campus in Peoria, students can take advantage of its proximity to two hospital systems, public institutions, and nursing homes in the area.
- ADN to MSN: AGACNP
- ADN to MSN: AGPCNP
- ADN to MSN: FNP
- ADN to MSN: PMHNP
- BSN to MSN: AGACNP
- BSN to MSN: AGPCNP
- BSN to MSN: FNP
- BSN to MSN: PMHNP
- BSN to DNP: AGACNP
- BSN to DNP: AGPCNP
- BSN to DNP: FNP
- BSN to DNP: PMHNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGACNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGPCNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to PMHNP
Program Overview:
Headquartered in Addison, Illinois, Chamberlain University is regarded as the nation’s largest nursing school. Founded in 1889, its programs were based on the Deaconness model followed by Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The school takes pride in its Chamberlain care service, which is its way of preparing nurses for succeeding in today’s complex healthcare environment.
Program Overview:
For 65 years, the DePaul University School of Nursing has been producing nurses who are known for being excellent healthcare providers. This is made possible by the school’s small class sizes, hands-on education approach, cutting-edge facilities, new simulation labs, and access to 75 clinical sites. To date, the university offers four undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.
Program Overview:
Located in University Park, Illinois, GSU is a 750-acre public institution founded in July 1969. Under its College of Health and Human Services is the Department of Nursing, which is bound by a mission to create nurse leaders who champion local and national health reforms. With a faculty comprised of established nursing leaders, advanced practice nurses, researchers, and educators, the department offers a comprehensive educational experience for undergraduates and grad students alike.
Program Overview:
Illinois State’s Mennonite College of Nursing was founded in 1919 as the Mennonite Sanitarium Training School. What started as a diploma-awarding institution has now become a future-oriented nursing school that offers undergraduate, masters, doctoral, and certificate programs. The college takes pride in its 10,000-square-foot nursing simulation lab, transcultural nursing programs, and its online PhD program, which is the only one in Downstate Illinois.
Program Overview:
For 40 years, Lewis University has produced excellent nurses who work in hospitals, nursing homes, and care facilities in Chicago and nearby areas. With the help of its expert faculty members, Lewis nursing students can gain the knowledge and skills they need through the college’s modern simulation hospital rooms, acute care labs, and extensive healthcare network partnerships. Its pass rates for FNPs and AGNPs range from 94% to 100%.
- BSN to MSN: AGACNP
- BSN to MSN: AGPCNP
- BSN to MSN: FNP
- BSN to MSN: PMHNP
- BSN to DNP: AGACNP
- BSN to DNP: AGPCNP
- BSN to DNP: FNP
- BSN to DNP: PMHNP
- MSN to DNP: AGACNP
- MSN to DNP: AGPCNP
- MSN to DNP: FNP
- MSN to DNP: PMHNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGACNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to AGPCNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to FNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN to PMHNP
Program Overview:
Founded in 1935, Loyola’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing was the first to establish a collegiate nursing program in Illinois. It then launched its MSN program in 1964 and DNP program in 2008. As a Jesuit institution, the school is driven to provide a transformative nursing education steeped in the Catholic tradition. With commitment to excellence being its core value, the school has consistently ranked as one of the best nursing schools in the nation.
- BSN to DNP: AGACNP
- BSN to DNP: AGPCNP
- BSN to DNP: AGPCNP (with Oncology specialty)
- BSN to DNP: FNP
- BSN to DNP: FNP (with Emergency specialty)
- BSN to DNP: PMHNP
- BSN to DNP: PMHNP (with Substance Use and Addictions specialty)
- BSN to DNP: WHNP
- MSN to DNP: AGACNP
- MSN to DNP: AGPCNP
- MSN to DNP: AGPCNP (with Oncology specialty)
- MSN to DNP: FNP
- MSN to DNP: FNP (with Emergency specialty)
- MSN to DNP: PMHNP
- MSN to DNP: PMHNP (with Substance Use and Addictions specialty)
- MSN to DNP: WHNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN/DNP to AGACNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN/DNP to AGPCNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN/DNP to FNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate MSN/DNP to WHNP
Program Overview:
Millikin’s top-ranked School of Nursing molds nurses through one-on-one instruction, sophisticated nursing environments, and experiential training. It recently opened its state-of-the-art Health Sciences Center, which is home to the Campbell Family Nursing Simulation Center and Health Assessment Laboratory. According to the US News & World Report, its MSN program is 129th nationally while its DNP program is number 135.
Program Overview:
North Central College is a Methodist-affiliated school that offers nursing programs through its School of Education and Health Sciences. Based in Naperville, Illinois, the college has been recognized in the past as one of the Best Colleges and one of the Best Colleges for Veterans by the US News & World Report.
Program Overview:
Located in Chicago, North Park University is a private Christian university established in 1891. Its School of Nursing and Health Sciences offers various undergraduate and graduate programs that integrate dynamic teaching with clinical best practices. Nursingprocess.org has named its NP program as the top 5 and its direct entry MSN as the top 9 in Chicago. The rankings were based on affordability, enrollment/graduation rates, and student-to-faculty ratio.
Program Overview:
Established in 1959, NIU’s College of Nursing is fueled by its mission of preparing nursing leaders who promote patient-centered care in a bid to improve health outcomes for all. With a faculty comprised of educators who utilize evidence-based learning and scientists who encourage research, the college is continuously working towards its vision of becoming a regional center for excellence in nursing education. NIU’s online MSN program has been ranked 62nd nationally by the US News & World Report.
Program Overview:
ONU’s School of Nursing has been recognized as one of the best nursing schools in the country. It has been ranked as a College of Distinction by Best Colleges, and a Best Value School and Regional University (Midwest) by the US News & World Report. Recently, the university has garnered a 100% pass rate for the American Nurses Credentialing Center FNP certification exam.
Program Overview:
Driven by a passion for creating a more educated workforce, the RFUMS College of Nursing offers programs that provide students with vast nursing knowledge and experience. Its graduate degrees are taught by experienced nursing professionals who excel in the fields of education, research, and nursing practice.
Program Overview:
The College of Nursing’s FNP, AGACNP, AGPCNP, and PMHNP programs are ranked in the top 3 of the US News & World Report. After all, it is an established leader in healthcare education with its personalized admissions process, various instruction options, and skilled faculty. It also boasts of an inclusive setting where students take part in co-curricular and community learning opportunities.
- BSN to DNP: AGACNP
- BSN to DNP: AGPCNP
- BSN to DNP: FNP
- BSN to DNP: NNP
- BSN to DNP: PMHNP
- BSN to DNP: PNP Acute Care
- BSN to DNP: PNP Primary Care
- MSN to DNP: AGACNP
- MSN to DNP: AGPCNP
- MSN to DNP: FNP
- MSN to DNP: NNP
- MSN to DNP: PMHNP
- MSN to DNP: PNP Acute Care
- MSN to DNP: PNP Primary Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to AGACNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to NNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to PNP Acute Care
Program Overview:
Ranked the number 1 nursing school in Illinois by RNcareers.org, Saint Anthony College of Nursing was founded in 1990. Operated by OSF Healthcare, it went from a diploma school to an institution that grants an MSN degree (starting in 2006) and a DNP degree (starting in 2008). Its certification exam pass rates for its MSN and DNP students have ranged from 83% to 100% from 2018-2022.
Program Overview:
Founded in 1846 by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Xavier University is Chicago’s first Catholic university and the first Mercy higher learning institution in the world. Its School of Nursing is currently ranked the third-best online graduate nursing program by the US News & World Report. Additionally, its FNP examinees have garnered a 100% pass rate in the national certification exam boards for the last five years.
Program Overview:
The SIUE School of Nursing was founded to educate nurses who are more than just care providers, but scholars and leaders as well. This is made possible by the help of its expert faculty, who are experts in both education and research. The school is home to a sophisticated Simulated Learning Center for Health Sciences, which has seven patients that simulate real-life responses to various situations. In 2020, its DNP-FNP program garnered a 100% first-time certification pass rate.
Program Overview:
Founded in 1951, UIC’s School of Nursing offered the first BSN at a public university. Since then, the college has consistently made innovations in Nursing education. The US News & World Report has ranked its MSN program as the 19th best nationally while its DNP program is touted as the 14th best in the country. It is currently home to the Schwartz Lab, one of the biggest and best-equipped simulation labs in the country.
- BSN to DNP: AGACNP
- BSN to DNP: AGPCNP
- BSN to DNP: FNP
- BSN to DNP: NNP
- BSN to DNP: PNP Acute Care
- BSN to DNP: PNP Primary Care
- BSN to DNP: PMHNP
- BSN to DNP: WHNP
- BSN to DNP: Nurse-Midwifery/WHNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to AGACNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to AGPCNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to FNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to NNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to PNP Acute Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to PNP Primary Care
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to PMHNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to WHNP
- Post-Graduate Certificate DNP to Nurse-Midwifery/WHNP
Program Overview:
The USF-Leach College of Nursing offers baccalaureate and graduate degree programs accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Throughout the years, its FNP students have garnered pass rates of 80% to 100%, while its PMHNP examinees have pass rates ranging from 83% to 95%. The scoring average of USF students in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification test is 576, which is above the national average.
