State Career College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Nursing Programs in Waukegan, IL (2026)
Waukegan, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Waukegan has a population of about 88,919. Median household income is $70,578 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.0% 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 Waukegan
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Waukegan. Distances are calculated from Waukegan 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 Waukegan. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
College of Lake County
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Herzing University-Kenosha
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Gateway Technical College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Oakton 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 Waukegan
Waukegan 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.
Waukegan at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 88,919 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $70,578 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 21.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Nursing-related employment in Lake County | 16,809 workers, 103 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Waukegan-Area Cities With Nursing Programs
- Gurnee, IL – 3.4 mi away (30,957 pop)
- North Chicago, IL – 3.7 mi away (29,951 pop)
- Zion, IL – 6.3 mi away (24,029 pop)
- Libertyville, IL – 7.5 mi away (20,405 pop)
- Grayslake, IL – 8.5 mi away (20,831 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited nursing schools are near Waukegan, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Waukegan. The closest is State Career College in Gurnee, IL (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Oakton College (21.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Waukegan?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Waukegan 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 Gurnee instead of Waukegan?
Gurnee, IL is 3.4 miles from Waukegan 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 Waukegan an affordable place to study nursing?
Waukegan’s median household income of $70,578 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waukegan 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 Waukegan
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Waukegan:
- Criminal Justice programs in Waukegan, IL
- Business Administration programs in Waukegan, IL
- Computer Science programs in Waukegan, IL
- Psychology programs in Waukegan, IL
- Education programs in Waukegan, IL
- Engineering programs in Waukegan, IL
- Technology programs in Waukegan, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Waukegan, IL
- Healthcare programs in Waukegan, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Waukegan, IL
- Accounting programs in Waukegan, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Waukegan, IL
- Social Work programs in Waukegan, IL
- Counseling programs in Waukegan, IL
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.