City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Nursing Programs in Chicago, IL (2026)
Chicago, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $4,920 to $14,880 per year for indexed programs. Chicago has a population of about 2,707,648. Median household income is $75,134 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.3% 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 Chicago
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Chicago. Distances are calculated from Chicago 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 Chicago. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Morton College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
MDT College of Health Sciences
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Triton College
Published tuition$4,920 - $14,880
Online programsYes
Moraine Valley Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois nursing page.
Nursing Wages Near Chicago
Chicago 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | $100,490 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $96,998 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $78,070 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $75,357 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | $265,880 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $256,641 |
| Nurse Midwife | $115,500 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $111,486 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $131,740 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $127,162 |
| Nursing Assistant | $46,940 | Chicago-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.
Chicago at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,707,648 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $75,134 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 43.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Nursing-related employment in Cook County | 166,621 workers, 764 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Chicago-Area Cities With Nursing Programs
- Cicero, IL – 3.8 mi away (82,992 pop)
- Berwyn, IL – 5.4 mi away (55,748 pop)
- Oak Park, IL – 6.4 mi away (51,774 pop)
- Burbank, IL – 7.7 mi away (28,886 pop)
- Maywood, IL – 8.6 mi away (23,756 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited nursing schools are near Chicago, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Chicago. The closest is City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College in Chicago, IL (2.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Moraine Valley Community College (12.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Chicago?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Chicago 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 Cicero instead of Chicago?
Cicero, IL is 3.8 miles from Chicago 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 Chicago an affordable place to study nursing?
Chicago’s median household income of $75,134 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chicago 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
- Nursing accreditation: what to look for
- Nursing concentrations and specializations
- Is a Nursing degree worth it?
- Main Nursing degree guide
- Online Nursing programs in Illinois
- Nursing programs by state
Other Programs Available in Chicago
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Chicago:
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Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
- Best Online Colleges Ranking
- Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students
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.