Verve College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Best Online Nursing Programs in Downers Grove, IL (2026)
Downers Grove, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $4,920 to $14,880 per year for indexed programs. Downers Grove has a population of about 49,867. Median household income is $119,649 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 58.8% 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 Downers Grove
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Downers Grove. Distances are calculated from Downers Grove 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 Downers Grove. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
College of DuPage
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Chamberlain University-Illinois
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Moraine Valley Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Triton College
Published tuition$4,920 - $14,880
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois nursing page.
Nursing Wages Near Downers Grove
Downers Grove 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.
Downers Grove at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,867 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $119,649 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 58.8% | 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 County | 38,364 workers, 131 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Downers Grove-Area Cities With Nursing Programs
- Westmont, IL – 2.2 mi away (24,767 pop)
- Lisle, IL – 3.7 mi away (22,930 pop)
- Darien, IL – 3.9 mi away (22,085 pop)
- Woodridge, IL – 4.2 mi away (33,476 pop)
- Lombard, IL – 5.5 mi away (43,815 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited nursing schools are near Downers Grove, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Downers Grove. The closest is Verve College in Oak Brook, IL (3.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Triton College (12.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Downers Grove?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Downers Grove 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 Westmont instead of Downers Grove?
Westmont, IL is 2.2 miles from Downers Grove 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 Downers Grove an affordable place to study nursing?
Downers Grove’s median household income of $119,649 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Downers Grove 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
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Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Downers Grove:
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Related from Our Editorial Library
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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.