Best MSN Programs in Illinois for Working RNs (2026)

DePaul's MSN program, housed in the College of Science and Health, runs entirely online for academic coursework and lets you complete clinical requirements near where you live. The program is structured around five tracks: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGCNP), Nursing Leadership, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), and a dual FNP+PMHNP track for nurses who want to cover both primary and mental health care. That dual track is the standout option here. Plan on two to four years depending on your entry point; BSN-prepared RNs can apply directly. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with four enrollment terms per year, so you are not locked into a single fall start.

Tuition runs $44,601 per year. At the two-year minimum, total cost comes to roughly $89,200. The national BLS median for master's-prepared NPs is $123,860 versus $97,550 for a staff RN, a difference of $26,310 per year. At that spread, DePaul's full cost is recovered in about four years post-graduation. The program draws a wide applicant pool (76% admit rate) and posts a 68% graduation rate. DePaul carries a Hakia Score of 83.4, the top mark among Illinois MSN programs in this ranking, reflecting the breadth of NP tracks and flexible online delivery. The program is the right fit for Chicago-area nurses who want NP credentials and need to keep working during school.

Elmhurst University's MSN is an on-campus, cohort-based program at the Diane Tyrrell Department of Nursing and Public Health. It runs in intensive seven-week blocks, starts only in the fall, and finishes in two years. Three concentrations are offered: Nurse Administrator, Nurse Educator, and Clinical Nurse Leader. These are management and education tracks, not NP-licensure tracks, so this program is the right choice for BSN-prepared RNs who want to move into administration, staff development, quality and safety leadership, or academic teaching rather than direct advanced practice. Two clinical courses are built into the second year. Class sizes are intentionally small, which matters when you are trying to actually talk to faculty rather than email a help desk. The program also provides a clear on-ramp to Elmhurst's DNP for graduates who want to continue.

The school publishes a total estimated tuition cost of $30,360, which is the most transparent pricing in this Illinois group. At the $26,310 annual pay jump a master's-prepared nurse can expect versus a staff RN (BLS wage data), the full program cost is recovered in roughly 17 months. The program is CCNE-accredited, which matters for any post-graduation certification or licensure pathway. Elmhurst posts a 74% admit rate and a 70% graduation rate, the highest grad rate in this Illinois cohort. The Hakia Score of 79.5 reflects the strong value proposition and accreditation standing. If your goal is administration or education rather than clinical practice, Elmhurst's price and cohort structure make it the clearest path in Illinois.

The University of St. Francis MSN, offered through the Leach College of Nursing in Joliet, is a fully online program built for working nurses. Courses run in eight-week cycles and new cohorts open five times per year, so you are not forced into a once-a-year application window. Two concentrations are available: Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Both tracks prepare graduates to sit for national certification through AANP or ANCC, and the school publishes pass rates on its program page. Plan on 24 to 36 months to completion. The RN to MSN option is available for BSN-prepared nurses. An alumni discount of 20% applies to qualified USF graduates, which is worth noting if you already hold a degree from the institution.

Tuition is $830 per credit hour. Based on the listed annual tuition figure of $38,110, total program cost lands in that range depending on concentration and credit load. The program is CCNE-accredited, a non-negotiable for any NP who plans to pursue national certification after graduation. USF posts a 65% admit rate, which is the most selective among these four programs, and a 67% graduation rate. The Hakia Score of 78.7 reflects the fully online NP-track focus and accreditation standing. This program fits the RN who wants NP credentials, cannot relocate or attend in person, and needs flexibility to keep a full work schedule through the degree.

Illinois State University's MSN through Mennonite College of Nursing is a fully online, asynchronous program focused exclusively on Nursing Leadership and Management. This is not an NP-licensure track. The program prepares RNs for clinical leadership, administrative management, and health policy roles. Courses are taught by the same faculty as on-campus programs. Class sizes are small by design. Students can tailor clinical experiences to their specific career goals, which gives working nurses more flexibility in how they satisfy practicum requirements. Admission requires a BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program, a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 credit hours, and a current unencumbered RN license. The application deadline for fall is July 15.

In-state tuition is $11,215 per year. At two years, total in-state cost runs roughly $22,430. The $26,310 annual pay increase a master's-prepared nurse earns over a staff RN (BLS wage data) covers that entire cost in just over 12 months post-graduation. Out-of-state tuition is $22,863 per year, which changes the math considerably, so this program's value proposition is strongest for Illinois residents. ISU posts an 88% admit rate and a 65% graduation rate. The Hakia Score of 74.3 reflects the narrower track focus compared to multi-specialty programs. For an Illinois-licensed RN who wants leadership credentials at the lowest total cost in the state, ISU is the straightforward choice.

McKendree's online MSN runs entirely asynchronously, so there are no required campus visits and no residency weekends. Two tracks are available: Nursing Education (33 credits total) and Nursing Management/Administration (33 credits total). Both share a 12-credit core and require a scholarly project integrated into the final practicum. Most courses run eight weeks; a handful run 16. Students complete 150 practicum hours distributed across the program, arranged in coordination with MSN faculty around the student's existing work schedule. This is a terminal MSN, not a BSN-to-DNP pathway.

At $495 per credit hour for 33 credits, total tuition comes to roughly $16,335 before fees, making McKendree one of the lower-cost CCNE-accredited MSN options in Illinois. The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which matters for certification eligibility after graduation. Admission requires a BSN from a regionally accredited program, a minimum 3.0 GPA, an active unencumbered RN license, and three professional references. McKendree's overall graduation rate is 53% and admit rate is 72%, per IPEDS. Hakia Score: 71.5, ranking it 5th among Illinois MSN programs. This program fits working RNs who want to move into academic teaching or unit/department leadership without the scope-of-practice demands of an NP track.

Chamberlain offers 10 MSN specializations delivered online: four nurse practitioner tracks (Family, AGACNP, AGPCNP, and Psychiatric-Mental Health), four non-clinical tracks (Healthcare Policy, Nurse Educator, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, and Population Health), and two accelerated options including an RN-to-MSN pathway. The NP tracks pair online didactic coursework with preceptor-supervised practicum hours arranged near the student, plus required in-person immersion events for clinical assessment skills practice before the practicum begins. Chamberlain reports a minimum program length of 8 months for some tracks, though NP-focused programs run longer given clinical hour requirements. The faculty are 100% doctorally prepared per the program page.

Tuition is $20,213 per year per IPEDS data. Chamberlain is CCNE-accredited, per the program page, which is the baseline requirement for graduates who will sit for ANCC or AANPCP certification exams. The overall graduation rate is 42% and admit rate is 83%. Hakia Score: 71.4, placing it 6th in Illinois. A staff RN earning the BLS median of $97,550 who completes an NP track and moves into an advanced practice role can reach the national BLS median of $123,860 for NPs, a $26,310 annual gain. Chamberlain fits RNs who want the most specialization options in one program and need scheduling flexibility across a national employer network.

Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing (part of OSF HealthCare) runs six MSN tracks: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP, Family NP, Neonatal NP, Psychiatric-Mental Health NP, Nurse Educator, and a Fast-Tracked Pathway for RNs who hold a non-nursing baccalaureate degree. All programs deliver coursework online via a learning management system using both synchronous and asynchronous formats. The FNP, AGACNP, and PMHNP tracks require brief on-campus visits, specifically one campus meeting per practicum course. The NNP track carries an additional admission prerequisite: at least two years of full-time RN experience in a Level III or IV NICU within the five years before starting clinical courses, and a current Neonatal Resuscitation Program certificate. The NNP is a rare specialty offering among Illinois MSN programs. A Fast-Tracked pathway exists for RNs who completed a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing and want to enter at the MSN level without returning for a BSN.

Tuition is $20,430 per year per IPEDS. Admission requires a BSN from a CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA-accredited program, a minimum 2.8 GPA, and an active unencumbered RN license. Note: the program restricts enrollment from residents of roughly 25 states due to state distance education regulations; Illinois and most Midwest applicants qualify, but out-of-state RNs should confirm eligibility before applying. Hakia Score: 63.3, ranked 7th in Illinois. This program is the right call for NICU nurses pursuing an NNP and for RNs in Illinois who want an online NP program with an established hospital system behind it.

Saint Anthony College of Nursing in Rockford offers four MSN specializations: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP, Family NP, and Nurse Educator, plus a Psychiatric-Mental Health NP track described as a semi-online program with required in-person sessions. The NP tracks are designed for part-time completion and typically take four years. The Nurse Educator track is 32 credits, runs two to three years part-time, and includes a 500-hour practicum; it has no required scholarly project, which meaningfully reduces time-to-completion compared to research-heavy tracks. The AG-ACNP track includes a distinctive 100-hour clinical component in acute care diagnostics covering radiology, pharmacotherapeutics, nutritional support, and pulmonary critical care. Students considering the PMHNP track should confirm current hybrid vs. online delivery requirements directly, as the program page describes required in-person experiences.

Tuition is $26,368 per year per IPEDS, making this the highest-cost program in this Illinois group. At that rate, an RN who completes an NP track and moves to an advanced practice role capturing the BLS NP median of $123,860 versus the staff RN median of $97,550 gains $26,310 per year; the cost difference compared to lower-tuition programs in this ranking is worth calculating before enrolling. Hakia Score: 55.6, ranked 8th in Illinois. Saint Anthony fits RNs in the Rockford region who value the OSF HealthCare clinical network for practicum placement and want a smaller cohort environment (total enrollment: 263 students).

Blessing-Rieman's MSN is built specifically for the working BSN-prepared RN who cannot quit their job to go back to school. All didactic coursework is delivered online; practicum hours are completed at a site of your choosing, which removes the relocation problem. The program runs two years part-time and offers two tracks: nursing education (preparing you to teach in academic or clinical settings) and nursing administration (focused on leadership and management roles). Students interested in the administration track can also stack a dual MSN/MBA through Culver-Stockton College, which accepts MSN nurse administrator coursework in transfer toward the MBA. BRCN participates in NC-SARA, so the online program is available to nurses in most states without additional state authorization hurdles.

Tuition is $29,856 per year regardless of residency, putting total program cost in the range of roughly $59,700 over two years before fees. The national BLS median for master's-prepared nurses in advanced roles sits at $123,860 per year against $97,550 for a staff RN: a $26,310 annual gap. At that difference, the tuition investment pays back in under three years of post-graduation earnings. Blessing-Rieman is a small, private nonprofit nursing college with 193 enrolled students; its Hakia Score of 54.6 reflects its position among Illinois MSN programs. Admission requires a current unencumbered RN license and an official BSN transcript. This program is the right fit for staff nurses who want to move into education or administration without disrupting their current employment or geography.