2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Clinical Nurse Leader](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/clinical-nurse-leader/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value clinical nurse leader schools.
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2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in clinical nurse leader, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Schools
For return on investment in clinical nurse leader, no school beat Saginaw Valley State University this year. Located in the suburb of University Center, Saginaw Valley State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,930, while out-of-state students pay about $30,450. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates carry a median of $28,000 in student loans. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates of Saginaw Valley State University earn a median of $50,012 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Goshen College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical nurse leader, landing the #2 spot this year. Goshen College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Goshen. In-state tuition and fees average $38,890. Typical student debt for clinical nurse leader graduates is $27,000. Early-career clinical nurse leader graduates make about $71,791. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
A rank of #3 makes College Of Mount St Joseph one of the best values for clinical nurse leader. College Of Mount St Joseph is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Cincinnati. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,150. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates carry a median of $28,000 in student loans. Early-career clinical nurse leader graduates make about $69,964. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 59%.
Elmhurst College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical nurse leader, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Elmhurst, Elmhurst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,955. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the clinical nurse leader program here. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates of Elmhurst College earn a median of $51,232 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
Otterbein University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical nurse leader, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Westerville, Otterbein University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,548. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the clinical nurse leader program here. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Otterbein University generally make around $45,871. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Otterbein University admits about 84% of applicants.
Edgewood College earned the #6 position for value in clinical nurse leader this year. Located in the city of Madison, Edgewood College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $35,860. Typical student debt for clinical nurse leader graduates is $27,000. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates of Edgewood College earn a median of $56,578 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Edgewood College admits about 76% of applicants.
Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois placed #7 among the best values for clinical nurse leader. Located in the suburb of Addison, Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois is a very large private for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,536. Typical student debt for clinical nurse leader graduates is $39,146. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois generally make around $109,135. That is a strong return on a $39,146 median debt. Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois admits about 83% of applicants.
Xavier University landed the #8 spot for clinical nurse leader value this year. Xavier University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cincinnati. In-state tuition and fees average $49,425. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates of Xavier University earn a median of $78,516 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
