CHICAGO METRO

Best Nursing Programs in Chicago (2026)

Rush, Northwestern, Advocate — lakefront systems.

RN wage

$94.6k

Mean · BLS MSA

Jobs

+1.3%

Payroll YoY

Campuses

12

Metro-scoped

Explore programs

Partner matches

Sponsored · Disclosure

Local signal

Chips only · no pamphlets

Lakefront systems

Advocate ChristAdvocateAdvocate MasonicLurie Children’sBEDS PlusCook CountyGlenbrook HospitalHines VA

$96.5k median

BLS OEWSMay 2024

100.6k RNs

+1.3% CES

School-sourced

Metro-scopedNo invented

Pick a campus

NCLEX when published

12 catalog nursing-school campuses map to this metro (CBSA 16980) — cities include Addison, Chicago, Crystal Lake, Des Plaines, Hoffman Estates, Matteson, River Grove, South Holland, Sugar Grove. This is a metro-scoped list, not a Illinois statewide dump.

Sources & methodology

BLS wages and jobs

Metro mean and median wages are BLS OEWS May 2024 (SOC 29-1141), the same survey as the national RN mean of $98,430. This is the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN MSA, not Illinois as a whole.

Employment May 2024: 100,620 RNs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Mean wage May 2024: $94,580. CES CES supersector 65 Education and Health Services payrolls changed 1.3% over June 2025–June 2026 (series SMU17169806500000001).

Hospital partners in Chicago

Names below are copied from school clinical-partnership sources. No hospital is invented. Multi-state chain lists that are not metro-scoped are omitted.

  • Advocate Christ Medical Center
  • Advocate Health
  • Advocate Masonic
  • Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital
  • Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
  • BEDS Plus
  • Cook County Health
  • Glenbrook Hospital
  • Hines VA
  • Holy Cross Hospital
  • Loyola Community Nursing Center
  • Loyola Medicine
  • Lurie Children’s Hospital
  • Mt. Sinai Hospital
  • Near North Health
  • NorthShore University HealthSystem
  • Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation
  • Northwestern Medicine
  • Northwestern Memorial Hospital
  • Proviso East High School School-Based Health Center
  • Rush Oak Park Hospital
  • Rush University Medical Center
  • Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
  • Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
  • Swedish Covenant Hospital
  • Swedish Hospital
  • UChicago Medicine
  • University of Chicago
  • West Suburban Medical Center

School partnership sources

Named systems are copied from school clinical-partnership sources for this CBSA. A school name without a link has no live profile page in our catalog.

NCLEX chips

Campus cities are sourced campus geography for CBSA 16980. NCLEX chips are the newest display-eligible first-time rate from state-board rows (cohort ≥ 10), scoped to the school’s home state — a dash means none published, not 0%. A year with a quarter range is that board’s partial window, not a full exam year. Each rate links to that school’s NCLEX history when a live school NCLEX page exists. Degree labels overlay live program rows for these school slugs when the database is available; otherwise they read ADN, BSN, or LPN from the same board program name.

How to choose a nursing program in Chicago

Steps to compare metro-campus nursing schools in Chicago, IL against statewide online options, NCLEX, cost, and Illinois licensure.

  1. Decide campus vs statewide-eligible

    Use this page for the 12 physical campuses in the Chicago metro. Online and hybrid programs that accept IL residents are on /nursing-programs-in/illinois — they are not “in” the city.

  2. Compare local campuses and published NCLEX

    Read the metro campus list (city + NCLEX when published). A dash means unpublished, not zero. Full board series with cohort sizes: /nclex-pass-rates/illinois.

  3. Check clinical hospital partners

    Named hospital systems on this page come from school sources for this CBSA only. Confirm current placement sites with the school before you enroll.

  4. Match cost and speed on statewide spokes

    Cheapest and fastest lists stay on /affordable-nursing-programs/illinois and /fastest-nursing-programs/illinois so this city URL does not clone those rankings.

  5. Confirm licensure for the state you will live in

    Illinois is not an NLC compact state; graduates need Illinois licensure (or endorsement) to practice there. Board details: /nursing-license-requirements/illinois.

Frequently asked questions
Are there nursing programs in Chicago?
Yes. This catalog lists 12 nursing-school campuses in the Chicago metro (CBSA 16980). Open a school page for program mix. Statewide directories live on Illinois hub pages — this URL is metro-only.
What are the best nursing programs in Chicago?
“Best” here means metro campuses with sourced local signals: BLS OEWS wages/employment, CES health-care job growth, and named hospital partners from school pages — not a statewide ranking clone. Compare NCLEX and tuition on the Illinois NCLEX and affordable-program spokes linked from this page.
Are there nursing schools in Chicago?
Yes. 12 catalog nursing schools have a primary campus mapped to the Chicago metro. “Nursing schools in Chicago” and “nursing programs in Chicago” are the same metro inventory on this URL.
What do registered nurses earn in the Chicago metro?
BLS OEWS reports 100,620 RNs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at a mean annual wage of $94,580 (employment May 2024, wage May 2024). Sources: https://www.bls.gov/oes/2024/may/occ_area_emp_chart/occ_area_emp_chart.htm and https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.
Is health-care employment growing in Chicago?
BLS CES CES supersector 65 Education and Health Services payrolls grew 1.3% over June 2025–June 2026 (series SMU17169806500000001, not seasonally adjusted). Source: https://www.bls.gov/ces/
Which hospitals partner with nursing schools in Chicago?
Named hospitals on this page come from school clinical-partnership sources (not invented): Advocate Christ Medical Center (Rush University (Chicago, IL)); Advocate Health (Chamberlain University (Addison, IL)); Advocate Masonic (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital (Rush University (Chicago, IL)); Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (Chamberlain University (Addison, IL)); BEDS Plus (Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, IL)); Cook County Health (Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, IL)); Glenbrook Hospital (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Hines VA (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Holy Cross Hospital (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Loyola Community Nursing Center (Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, IL)); Loyola Medicine (Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, IL)); Lurie Children’s Hospital (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Mt. Sinai Hospital (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Near North Health (Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, IL)); NorthShore University HealthSystem (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Northwestern Medicine (Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, IL)); Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chamberlain University (Addison, IL)); Proviso East High School School-Based Health Center (Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, IL)); Rush Oak Park Hospital (Rush University (Chicago, IL)); Rush University Medical Center (Rush University (Chicago, IL)); Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (Rush University (Chicago, IL)); Swedish Covenant Hospital (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); Swedish Hospital (Rush University (Chicago, IL)); UChicago Medicine (Rush University (Chicago, IL)); University of Chicago (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)); West Suburban Medical Center (Depaul University (Chicago, IL)).
How is this different from Illinois nursing program pages?
This URL is the Chicago metro hub. Illinois affordable programs are at /affordable-nursing-programs/illinois and NCLEX pass rates at /nclex-pass-rates/illinois. Titles and H1s stay city-specific so this page does not cannibalize those statewide templates.
What is the cheapest nursing school in Chicago?
This metro hub does not invent a cheapest-school ranking. Tuition tables live on the Illinois affordable-programs spoke (/affordable-nursing-programs/illinois), which is the canonical cost URL. Use that list, then match campuses back to the metro table here.
Are there accelerated BSN or ABSN programs in Chicago?
Second-degree / accelerated BSN inventory is maintained on the Illinois ABSN spoke (/accelerated-bsn-programs/illinois), not as a thin city clone. Campuses in this metro that offer a BSN still appear in the campus list; confirm ABSN vs traditional BSN on the school page.
Which nursing schools near Chicago have the highest NCLEX pass rates?
Campus NCLEX cells are the newest display-eligible first-time rate from state-board rows (cohort ≥ 10), scoped to the school’s home state — never the denormalized school column. A year with a quarter range is a partial board window, not a full exam year. Do not treat a blank cell as 0%, and do not average mixed years. Full series and cohort sizes live on /nclex-pass-rates/illinois and each school’s NCLEX page.
Are there LPN to RN programs in Chicago?
LPN-to-RN bridge programs serving Illinois residents are listed at /lpn-to-rn/illinois. Some metro campuses in the table also offer ADN or LPN tracks — open the school page rather than assuming every campus is a BSN.
Can I complete an online nursing program from Chicago?
Yes. Accredited online and hybrid programs that accept IL residents are a separate statewide eligibility list — not the 12 physical campuses in this metro. Start at /online-nursing-programs/illinois or /nursing-programs-in/illinois.
Is Illinois a Nurse Licensure Compact state?
Illinois is not an NLC compact state; graduates need Illinois licensure (or endorsement) to practice there.
Are there nursing schools in Chicagoland?
Yes. This hub lists 12 nursing-school campuses in the Chicago metro (CBSA 16980), the same inventory used for “nursing schools in Chicago.” Statewide Illinois directories live on separate URLs — this page is metro-only.
Are there nursing schools in Chicago Metro?
Yes. This hub lists 12 nursing-school campuses in the Chicago metro (CBSA 16980), the same inventory used for “nursing schools in Chicago.” Statewide Illinois directories live on separate URLs — this page is metro-only.
Are there nursing schools in Naperville?
Naperville sits in the Chicago, IL metro (CBSA 16980). Campuses whose primary city is Naperville appear in the campus list on this page when they are in the catalog. This URL is the metro hub — not a thin Naperville-only doorway page.
Are there nursing schools in Elgin?
Elgin sits in the Chicago, IL metro (CBSA 16980). Campuses whose primary city is Elgin appear in the campus list on this page when they are in the catalog. This URL is the metro hub — not a thin Elgin-only doorway page.
Statewide pages and other metros

Illinois statewide pages (not this metro list)

Tuition rankings and NCLEX tables stay on their own state URLs so this city page does not cannibalize those hubs.

Studying online from Chicago?

219+ accredited online and hybrid nursing programs accept IL residents — including options not based in the metro. That statewide eligibility list is separate from the 12 campuses in the list above. See every program available in IL →

Related Illinois program pages (high-intent pathways)

Outcomes and licensure

Other metro nursing hubs

Each hub is a Census CBSA campus list with BLS MSA wages — not a statewide dump with the city name swapped in.

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