2026 Best Value Family Practice Nurse/Nursing Schools in Illinois
[Family Practice Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/family-practice-nurse-nursing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for family practice nurse/nursing students.
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2026 Best Value Family Practice Nurse/Nursing Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in family practice nurse/nursing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Family Practice Nurse/Nursing Schools
Our analysis ranked Millikin University the best value for a degree in family practice nurse/nursing in Illinois. Set in the city of Decatur, Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $26,792. Typical student debt for family practice nurse/nursing graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, family practice nurse/nursing degree recipients from Millikin University generally make around $165,637. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 67%.
A rank of #2 makes Governors State University one of the best values for family practice nurse/nursing. Set in the suburb of University Park, Governors State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,004 in tuition and fees. Family Practice Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $27,342 in student loans. Soon after graduation, family practice nurse/nursing degree recipients from Governors State University generally make around $91,087. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 48% of applicants are accepted.
Saint Xavier University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in family practice nurse/nursing, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Saint Xavier University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,945. Typical student debt for family practice nurse/nursing graduates is $27,188. Family Practice Nurse/nursing graduates of Saint Xavier University earn a median of $95,130 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,188 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes University Of St Francis one of the best values for family practice nurse/nursing. Set in the suburb of Joliet, University Of St Francis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,110. Family Practice Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $30,700 in student loans. Soon after graduation, family practice nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of St Francis generally make around $94,166. That is a strong return on a $30,700 median debt. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in family practice nurse/nursing will find it at North Park University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Chicago, North Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,710. Typical student debt for family practice nurse/nursing graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, family practice nurse/nursing degree recipients from North Park University generally make around $89,721. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Lewis University landed the #6 spot for family practice nurse/nursing value this year. Set in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,200. Family Practice Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career family practice nurse/nursing graduates make about $90,066. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois State University placed #7 among the best values for family practice nurse/nursing. Set in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,410, with out-of-state students paying around $26,058. Family Practice Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $23,075 in student loans. Soon after graduation, family practice nurse/nursing degree recipients from Illinois State University generally make around $90,432. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Olivet Nazarene University came in at #8 for value in family practice nurse/nursing this year. Located in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,900. Family Practice Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career family practice nurse/nursing graduates make about $85,022. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Olivet Nazarene University admits about 56% of applicants.
Bradley University placed #9 among the best values for family practice nurse/nursing. Set in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $42,160 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the family practice nurse/nursing program here. Soon after graduation, family practice nurse/nursing degree recipients from Bradley University generally make around $95,389. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Bradley University admits about 77% of applicants.
Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois came in at #10 for value in family practice nurse/nursing this year. Located in the suburb of Addison, Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois is a very large private for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $21,536 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for family practice nurse/nursing graduates is $39,146. Early-career family practice nurse/nursing graduates make about $109,135. Set against $39,146 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value family practice nurse/nursing schools. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Typical student debt for family practice nurse/nursing graduates is $25,310. Family Practice Nurse/nursing graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $140,906 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value family practice nurse/nursing schools. Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the family practice nurse/nursing program here. Family Practice Nurse/nursing graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of $111,912 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
