Best Online Healthcare Programs in Rockford, IL (2026)

Rockford, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering healthcare programs, with tuition ranging from $16,699 to $25,508 per year for indexed programs. Rockford has a population of about 147,649. Median household income is $53,328 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rockford, IL metro area, the top-earning healthcare-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $121,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Healthcare Schools to Rockford

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer healthcare programs near Rockford. Distances are calculated from Rockford city center.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Rockford. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Rasmussen University-Illinois

Rockford, IL 1.7 miles from Rockford BOC Score45.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College

Rockford, IL 1.9 miles from Rockford BOC Score44.8
Published tuition$16,699 - $25,508
Online programsYes

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#3

Rock Valley College

Rockford, IL 4.9 miles from Rockford BOC Score49.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#4

First Class Cosmetology School

Beloit, WI 16.6 miles from Rockford BOC Score52.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Kishwaukee College

Malta, IL 24.1 miles from Rockford BOC Score66.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois healthcare page.


Healthcare Wages Near Rockford

Rockford is part of the Rockford, IL metro area (BLS area code 40420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical and Health Services Manager$121,920Rockford, IL$132,234
Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar$62,780IL statewide$68,091
Medical Records Specialist$49,770Rockford, IL$53,980
Medical Secretary or Administrative Assistant$46,010Rockford, IL$49,902
Healthcare Social Worker$63,070Rockford, IL$68,406
Epidemiologist$102,720IL statewide$111,410

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Rockford at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population147,649Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,328Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Healthcare-related employment in Winnebago County23,841 workers, 544 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Rockford-Area Cities With Healthcare Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited healthcare schools are near Rockford, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering healthcare programs near Rockford. The closest is Rasmussen University-Illinois in Rockford, IL (1.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kishwaukee College (24.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying healthcare roles near Rockford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying healthcare-related roles near Rockford are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($121,920), Epidemiologist ($102,720), Healthcare Social Worker ($63,070). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Loves Park instead of Rockford?

Loves Park, IL is 6.3 miles from Rockford and has its own set of local healthcare programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Rockford an affordable place to study healthcare?

Rockford’s median household income of $53,328 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockford while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Healthcare Programs

Other Programs Available in Rockford

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Rockford:

Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.