Best Nursing Schools Near Zion, IL (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Zion, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $4,788 to $16,242 per year for indexed programs. Zion has a population of about 24,466. Median household income is $62,574 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.1% 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 Zion

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nursing programs near Zion, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Zion city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 Zion. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago, IL 11.1 miles from Zion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Ambria College of Nursing

Hoffman Estates, IL 32.3 miles from Zion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,290
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 33.2 miles from Zion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

North Park University

Chicago, IL 34.3 miles from Zion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,572
Avg net price $16,948/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Chamberlain University-Illinois

Addison, IL 36.5 miles from Zion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,405
Avg net price $31,837/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 38.5 miles from Zion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 39.2 miles from Zion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,462
Avg net price $24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Rush University

Chicago, IL 41.5 miles from Zion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,194
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Nursing Wages Near Zion

Zion 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.

Zion at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,466 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,574 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.1% 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 Zion-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Zion, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Zion. The closest is State Career College in Gurnee, IL (6.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (11.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Zion?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Zion 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 Pleasant Prairie instead of Zion?

Pleasant Prairie, WI is 5.0 miles from Zion 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 Zion an affordable place to study nursing?

Zion’s median household income of $62,574 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Zion 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 Zion

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Nursing Schools in Illinois: Online Programs (2026)