Best Online Nursing Programs in Carol Stream, IL (2026)

Carol Stream, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $3,822 to $12,833 per year for indexed programs. Carol Stream has a population of about 39,427. Median household income is $105,395 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $265,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Carol Stream

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Carol Stream. Distances are calculated from Carol Stream 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 Carol Stream. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Chamberlain University-Illinois

Addison, IL 5.2 miles from Carol Stream BOC Score68.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL 6.1 miles from Carol Stream BOC Score47.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

Visit website

#3

Verve College

Oak Brook, IL 9.1 miles from Carol Stream
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

Visit website

#4

Ambria College of Nursing

Hoffman Estates, IL 11.7 miles from Carol Stream BOC Score90.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#5

William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, IL 11.8 miles from Carol Stream BOC Score59.2
Published tuition$3,822 - $12,833
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Nursing Wages Near Carol Stream

Carol Stream is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$100,490Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$96,998
Licensed Practical Nurse$78,070Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$75,357
Nurse Anesthetist$265,880Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$256,641
Nurse Midwife$115,500Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$111,486
Nurse Practitioner$131,740Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$127,162
Nursing Assistant$46,940Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$45,309

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.


Carol Stream at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population39,427Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$105,395Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+43.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in DuPage County38,364 workers, 131 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Carol Stream-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Carol Stream, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Carol Stream. The closest is Chamberlain University-Illinois in Addison, IL (5.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is William Rainey Harper College (11.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Carol Stream?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Carol Stream are: Nurse Anesthetist ($265,880), Nurse Practitioner ($131,740), Nurse Midwife ($115,500). 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 Glendale Heights instead of Carol Stream?

Glendale Heights, IL is 2.7 miles from Carol Stream and has its own set of local nursing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Carol Stream an affordable place to study nursing?

Carol Stream’s median household income of $105,395 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Carol Stream 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 Nursing Programs

Other Programs Available in Carol Stream

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

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.