Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Illinois, Ranked (2026)
All three PhD in nursing programs in Illinois are in Chicago. The University of Illinois Chicago is on campus, Loyola University Chicago is hybrid, and Rush University is online. If you live in Peoria or Carbondale, an Illinois nursing PhD means a move, a long commute, or Rush. That's a narrower set of options than a state this size suggests, and it means format usually decides where you apply before fit with a particular faculty member ever gets a vote.
Last updated
Programs ranked
3
Universities
3
Nursing faculty median
$79,150
Faculty jobs in IL
4,940
How We Ranked the Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Illinois
Campus and online programs are scored on separate models, because they compete on different
things, and this page lists both together with each one's score from its own model. Research
funding comes from NIH RePORTER, doctoral scale from federal IPEDS completions, and the
curriculum, funding and deadline figures from each school's own pages.
The full scoring model is here.
UIC and Loyola between them hold every federal nursing research dollar in Illinois, and UIC holds about 78 percent of it. It's also the state's only public PhD in nursing, which is the other half of the argument.
Where it wins. Classes meet Wednesdays and Thursdays only, so the on-campus obligation is two days a week rather than five. UIC also awards 12 of the 21 nursing doctorates Illinois produces in a year, more than Rush and Loyola combined.
What you give up. Ninety-six semester hours is more than double Loyola's post-master's load, and half of them have to be earned at UIC, so transfer credit only takes you so far. Post-master's entrants still face 65 hours.
Every published detail for UIC
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
On campus
School
UIC College of Nursing
Entry points
BSN-to-PhD, post-master's
Applications close
December 1 (applications accepted August through March 15; February 1 for international applicants)
A cohort of eight, and you're matched to a faculty research mentor at Rush University Medical Center before you're admitted rather than after. That's a different bet from the two bigger Chicago programs: you're buying one relationship, not a department.
Where it wins. It's the only fully online nursing PhD in Illinois, so the Chicago obligation is orientation plus a summer intensive in each of the next three years. Full-tuition scholarships are available to eligible new admits, and there's no GRE.
What you give up. At $1,493 a credit it's the most expensive per credit in the state, about $100,000 in list tuition across the 67 post-master's credits. Illinois's federal nursing research money sits at UIC and Loyola, not here.
Funding. Full-tuition scholarships are available for eligible, newly admitted students, plus pre- and post-enrollment scholarship awards and funding
Research. Health behavior research (e.g., physical activity/exercise, medication adherence), Aging, Parenting programs, Intimate partner violence, Metabolomics.
Every published detail for Rush University
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
Online
School
Rush University College of Nursing
Entry points
BSN-to-PhD, MSN-to-PhD
GRE
Not required
Minimum GPA
3
Applications close
April 1 final deadline (February 1 early decision)
Part-time study
Available
Dissertation
Required
On campus
An on-campus orientation at the start of the program, plus on-campus intensive learning sessions every summer for the next three years of study
Cheapest per credit of the two Chicago privates and the shortest coursework in the state at 46 credits post-master's, which works out around $43,000 less in list tuition than Rush's 67 credits.
Where it wins. Weekly classes are online in late afternoon and evening blocks with two in-person intensive days a semester, so it's the middle setting between UIC's two campus days a week and Rush's fully online delivery. Assistantships carry a stipend, tuition scholarship and health insurance.
What you give up. The clock is the longest in Illinois, six years from an MSN and up to eight from a BSN, against four to five at Rush. And at three nursing doctorates a year it's a very small program.
Funding. Graduate nursing tuition is $1,240 per credit hour; Loyola Graduate School assistantship awards typically include a stipend, a tuition scholarship and health insurance.
Research. Social context, stress, and epigenetic determinants of health, Prevention and self-management of chronic disease, Health disparities and vulnerable populations, Optimizing outcomes in education and practice.
Every published detail for Loyola University Chicago
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
Hybrid
School
Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing
Entry points
BSN-to-PhD, MSN-to-PhD
Applications close
April 1 (fall term)
Dissertation
Required
On campus
Two days of in-person intensive training sessions each fall and spring semester
On the timeline
Up to 6 years from an MSN; up to 8 years from a BSN
What Nursing Faculty and Nurse Researchers Earn in Illinois
Illinois has a large nursing faculty employment base, about 4,940 instructor jobs, which makes its median steadier than the figures that come out of thinly staffed states. That median is $79,150, a little under the national faculty median of $80,250. Registered nurses in Illinois earn $95,990 across roughly 138,910 jobs, so a faculty line pays about $16,840 less at the midpoint. The percentile spread is the sharper detail. Faculty pay reaches $103,220 at the ninetieth percentile, while Illinois RNs at that same percentile earn $118,190. Even at the top of the academic scale, the money doesn't catch bedside nursing in this state.
What's the Difference Between the UIC, Loyola, and Rush Nursing PhDs?
Sector and format separate them faster than anything else. The University of Illinois Chicago is the state's only public option and meets on campus. Loyola University Chicago is private and hybrid. Rush University is private and online. That's three price structures and three very different demands on your week, all inside one city.
None of the three comes with funding attached, which makes the public and private distinction matter more than it would if a stipend were covering tuition anyway. Ask each program what assistantships exist, how many students get one, and whether it renews past year one.
The workload is heavy in all three cases. The median Illinois program is 67 credits and about 4.5 years, and two of the three accept part-time students. Illinois schools drew roughly $9.1 million in NIH nursing research awards between FY2021 and FY2025, so it's fair to ask which faculty hold current grants and whether they're taking doctoral students this cycle.
Questions About Nursing PhD Programs in Illinois
How many PhD in nursing programs are there in Illinois?
3, at 3 universities. 2 are campus-based and 1 runs online.
Is there an online PhD in nursing in Illinois?
Rush University in Chicago runs its PhD in nursing online. The University of Illinois Chicago is on campus and Loyola University Chicago is hybrid, so Rush is the option if you can't get to a Chicago campus on a schedule.
How many nursing PhD programs are in Illinois?
Three, all of them in Chicago: the University of Illinois Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, and Rush University. One is public and two are private, and all three admit BSN-prepared nurses directly.
What do nursing professors earn in Illinois?
Postsecondary nursing instructors in Illinois earn a $79,150 median. The bottom 10% earn $47,690 and the top 10% clear $103,220, across 4,940 jobs in the state. The national median is $80,250.
Can you do a nursing PhD in Illinois without moving?
1 of the 3 programs in Illinois runs online. You can also apply to any of the online programs based in other states, since an online nursing PhD does not care where you live. They are all ranked here.