The Best RN-to-BSN Programs in Illinois for 2026

University of Illinois Chicago runs three separate BSN pathways, and the third is built specifically for nurses who already hold an RN license. UIC's RN-to-BSN track is fully online and, per the program page, is recognized for its level of student engagement, a different design from the on-campus tracks built for high school grads and transfer students. The page routes applicants straight to an enrollment advisor rather than posting a fixed credit count, so confirm exactly how your ADN or diploma credits transfer during that advising step.

At $12,789 a year in-state ($28,849 out-of-state), UIC undercuts the state's private options, and its 62% graduation rate is among the strongest of any Illinois RN-to-BSN feeder school. That combination puts UIC's Hakia Score at 82.9, the highest in this ranking. It suits a working RN who wants a public-university credential without leaving a day job, especially with hospitals increasingly preferring or requiring a BSN for advancement in registered nursing leadership and nurse practitioner tracks.

McKendree University's online RN-to-BSN degree runs in 8-week terms, and the school states many students finish in as few as three semesters. Two practicum experiences, one in community health and one in leadership, can be completed in your own local area rather than on McKendree's Lebanon, Illinois campus, so the program stays online end to end for a working RN.

Tuition runs $425 per credit hour, plus roughly $190 for a background check, drug screen, and immunization verification. The baccalaureate program is CCNE-accredited, and McKendree backs it with the Diana Joyce Doros Scholarship, $5,000 divided across the program for RN-to-BSN and MSN students. With a 53% graduation rate and a Hakia Score of 76.1, second in Illinois, it fits a nurse who wants a short, fast-paced online schedule and is comfortable paying per credit hour rather than a flat annual sticker price.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale's RN to BSN Degree Completion track is built for registered nurses who hold an associate's degree, and it is delivered online so coursework fits around shift work. The degree includes a minor in health care management at no extra cost, the same minor built into SIU's traditional four-year BSN track, so an RN-to-BSN graduate leaves with credentials in both nursing and health care administration.

In-state and out-of-state tuition are the same flat $9,638 a year, tied for the lowest cost on this list. SIU's nursing program is CCNE-accredited, and its 62% graduation rate matches UIC for the best in the state. That value profile earns SIU a Hakia Score of 74, third in Illinois. It fits an RN who wants the lowest possible cost plus a built-in management credential, useful groundwork for a charge-nurse or unit-leadership role.

Chamberlain University's Addison campus, 22 miles from downtown Chicago, runs a hybrid BSN format that blends in-person and online coursework with day, evening, and weekend class options. That flexibility is built for a working RN who cannot clear a full daytime schedule, and Chamberlain notes it produces the largest number of BSN graduates of any program in the country.

Tuition is $20,213 a year, and the nursing program is CCNE-accredited. Chamberlain's overall graduation rate is 42%, lower than the other schools in this ranking, so weigh that against the schedule flexibility. It shares SIU's Hakia Score of 73.6, placing it fourth in this ranking of Illinois RN-to-BSN programs. Chamberlain fits an RN who needs night or weekend classes close to Chicago more than the lowest price or the highest completion rate.

Governors State runs its RN to BSN completion program 100% online, with instructor-led courses built around evidence-based care and health across the lifespan. Full-time RNs need 35 credit hours to finish the bachelor's and can complete the program in as little as three semesters. Coursework focuses on leadership and practice, and the university says students can discuss direct entry into its MSN programs with an advisor after finishing the BSN.

Total tuition and fees for those 35 credit hours run $19,908 ($13,724 in BSN course tuition plus $6,184 in fees), but Governors State says the Will County HEROES Grant and the AIM HIGH Scholarship can bring that down to $4,908 out of pocket for eligible students, and RNs who qualify for Pell or Illinois MAP Grants can land at zero. That is well under the university's published in-state tuition rate of $8,232. The BSN program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Governors State posts the highest Hakia Score of the three programs here, a 73.4, which fits a working RN who wants the fastest and cheapest route to a bachelor's without leaving a full-time nursing job. The BSN itself won't automatically bump the $97,550 national median RN wage; the real payoff is meeting hospital hiring preferences and Magnet-system requirements.

Lakeview College of Nursing runs a dedicated RN to BSN track alongside its pre-licensure and LPN-to-BSN pathways, all built around the same human-centered curriculum and clinical rotations. It is a small school, just 66 total students, so an RN finishing a bachelor's here sits in a far smaller cohort than at Governors State (4,397 students) or Benedictine (2,917 students).

Lakeview's program page does not publish a specific credit-transfer count or time-to-complete figure for the RN-to-BSN track the way Governors State and Benedictine do, so confirm those details directly with admissions before enrolling. Tuition is $16,830 a year, the same rate for in-state and out-of-state students. Lakeview earns a Hakia Score of 72.8 in this ranking, the lowest of the three, in part because its RN-to-BSN page discloses less program-specific detail than its competitors. It fits a working RN near Danville, Illinois who wants a small private nonprofit college and does not mind calling admissions to fill in the gaps on transfer credit and format.

Benedictine's RN to BSN track is built for licensed RNs with an associate degree, using a competency-based curriculum the school says nurses can finish in 14 months. The nursing-specific coursework totals 31 credit hours across nine courses, covering professional practice, nursing research, informatics, population health, and leadership. Benedictine only requires 34 total credit hours in residence to graduate, a reduced bar built specifically for accelerated completion programs instead of the university's normal 55-hour residency rule, and once you're admitted, no more than 12 additional credit hours can transfer in from another regionally accredited school. You have three years from your first nursing class to finish.

You'll still need 120 total credit hours to graduate, with a cumulative Benedictine GPA of at least 2.000. Tuition runs $31,126 a year, several times Governors State's rate, so this fits an RN who wants a faster clock or a direct bridge into Benedictine's MSN: two of the BSN courses, Informatics for Professional Nursing Practice and Nursing's Role in Population Health, waive the equivalent graduate course if you score a B or better. The university's overall graduation rate is 50%, more than double Governors State's 22%, and Benedictine earns a Hakia Score of 68.6 in this ranking.