Illinois has six active accelerated BSN options represented here, with nursing sequences of approximately 15–16 months. Compare campus programs in Normal, Edwardsville, Peoria and Chicago with National Louis’s Chicago-based hybrid pathway and Elmhurst’s online coursework with required in-person experiences.
Current tuition figures differ in billing basis and fee coverage. The comparisons below separate tuition from required fees; Saint Xavier publishes a combined tuition-and-fees package, while residency and term billing affect some other estimates. Loyola Chicago replaced its ABSN with a Master of Nursing beginning in fall 2026 and is discussed separately below.
Last Updated: October 14, 2026
Illinois ABSN Programs at a Glance
Estimate basis: Figures marked “Est.” are planning estimates at published rates, not guaranteed cohort prices. Profile articles explain billing assumptions, residency and fees. Amounts labelled “incl. fees” are not tuition-only totals.
| School | Est. Tuition | Duration | GPA | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Illinois State University Normal, IL | $30,110.30 | 15 months | 2.50 cumulative | Summer |
SIUE Edwardsville, IL | $21,352.50 | 16 months | 3.0 degree; 3.0 prerequisites | August |
Bradley University Peoria, IL | $45,000 | 15 months | 3.0 last 60 hours | May |
National Louis University Chicago, IL | $44,451 | Five quarters (~15 months) | 3.0 cumulative; petition route | Confirm cohort |
Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL / online coursework | $50,000 | 16 months | 3.0 cumulative; 2.8 science | Fall / Spring |
Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL | Published $50,900 incl. fees | 15 months | 3.0 recommended | May |
How to Compare Illinois ABSN Programs
Geography and public-university pricing: Illinois State serves the Bloomington-Normal area, while SIUE is near the St. Louis metro. SIUE’s published domestic rate applies to U.S. residents beyond Illinois; Illinois State’s estimate changes substantially for nonresidents. Required nursing and university fees make both full budgets higher than their tuition figures.
Online coursework or a Chicago hybrid: Elmhurst accepts residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin, with clinical placements arranged by the university and two campus residencies. National Louis combines online classes with Chicago labs, simulation and metropolitan clinical assignments; applicants must live within driving distance.
A fixed May cohort: Bradley and Saint Xavier follow four consecutive sessions beginning in May and ending in August of the following year. Bradley’s clinical network is centered around Peoria, while Saint Xavier’s campus and simulation facilities are in Chicago.
Graduate-course options: Eligible SIUE students may replace six undergraduate nursing credits with graduate coursework toward Nurse Educator, Healthcare and Nursing Administration or Family Nurse Practitioner pathways. Eligibility, the 66-credit undergraduate plan and graduate billing require individual review.
Program Format and Attendance
Campus-based study: Illinois State, SIUE, Bradley and Saint Xavier combine full-time campus instruction with skills, simulation and assigned clinical experiences. Consecutive terms include summer nursing coursework; these are intensive second-degree routes.
Chicago hybrid attendance: National Louis uses asynchronous online work plus scheduled synchronous sessions. Labs and simulation are on Michigan Avenue, and clinical attendance may fall on weekdays, weekends, days or evenings; online classes do not remove commuting requirements.
Online coursework with hands-on requirements: Elmhurst requires two Elmhurst campus residencies and in-person clinical placements. Its placement team seeks sites near the student’s community when possible, but a preferred facility or commute is not guaranteed; clinical days can last 12 hours.
Travel and employment planning: Illinois State places students within a 90-minute radius of Bloomington-Normal, whereas SIUE describes a 90-mile radius from campus. Students fund clinical transportation and should compare actual cohort schedules with employment and family commitments before enrolling.
Admissions and Prerequisite Differences
All six pathways are intended for applicants with a prior bachelor’s degree. GPA measures differ, and Saint Xavier’s recommendation should not be read as a mandatory minimum. Meeting minimum eligibility does not guarantee admission.
| School | GPA benchmark | Key admission detail |
|---|---|---|
2.50 cumulative | Nine prerequisites; C or better in Anatomy and Physiology I or Microbiology must appear on the application transcript | |
3.0 degree-granting institution; 3.0 prerequisites | Bachelor’s completed by preceding spring; science coursework within seven years | |
3.0 last 60 college hours | Non-nursing bachelor’s; required preparation completed before May entry | |
3.0 cumulative undergraduate | 2.75–2.99 may petition for High Potential Admission; approval is not automatic | |
3.0 cumulative; 2.8 science prerequisites | C or better in each prerequisite; residency in one of five eligible states | |
3.0 cumulative recommended | B or better in science prerequisites; C or better in other prerequisites; interview and application materials |
Prerequisites are school-specific: Anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, statistics and psychology recur across the reviewed lists, but they are not one interchangeable checklist. Illinois State adds medical terminology; Bradley lists organic chemistry, pathophysiology and abnormal psychology; SIUE requires ethics and its human growth/nutrition preparation.
Transfer and science recency: National Louis generally applies a five-year science limit, extended to seven years for courses within a conferred degree. Saint Xavier applies a five-year limit to biological sciences. Approved equivalents and individual transfer evaluations determine whether previously completed coursework satisfies each requirement.
National Louis’s ethics requirement: PHI 205 is a separate five-quarter-hour requirement taken after clinical coursework begins and cannot transfer into the nursing program. Nutrition must be completed before professional-sequence entry; preliminary pre-nursing admission does not establish full nursing admission.
Application preparation: Illinois State recommends CNA certification but does not require it. Saint Xavier requests an essential-abilities form, two professional recommendations, a résumé, a 300–500-word statement and an interview. Use the linked profiles for complete prerequisite lists and application instructions.
Start Dates and Application Deadlines
| School | Start | Final deadline or closure rule |
|---|---|---|
Summer, once annually | Until enrollment target is met, at the college’s discretion | |
August | Until the option fills; later applications depend on space | |
May | April 1 university summer-entry deadline; confirm nursing-cohort requirements | |
Confirm available ABSN-H cohort | Rolling university admission; confirm nursing cohort cutoff | |
Fall and Spring | Rolling admission within the entering cohort | |
May | No fixed application deadline published |
Illinois State’s next cycle: Summer 2027 applications opened August 1, 2026, and the current page identifies December admission-status notifications. Continued review after the initial selection depends on the college’s enrollment target rather than a guaranteed late application window.
SIUE’s priority and completion dates: Applications become available August 1, with March 31 a priority date rather than the final closing date. Completed-degree and prerequisite documentation is due May 31 before fall enrollment unless an exception is approved.
University deadlines versus nursing entry: Bradley’s April 1 date is the university’s domestic transfer/second-degree summer-entry deadline; confirm any earlier ABSN cohort requirements. National Louis’s nursing handbook requires admission requirements to be complete at least 30 days before the academic term starts.
Upcoming cohort dates: Elmhurst lists February 1, 2027 as a spring start, not an application deadline. Saint Xavier lists May 10, 2027 for its next cohort and encourages applying in the preceding fall; that encouragement is not a final deadline.
Tuition and Costs
Tuition comparisons use the reviewed 2026–27 schedules or current program prices. Calculated figures apply today’s rates to verified credits; future academic-year charges may change. Prerequisites, transfer deficiencies and living expenses are outside these figures.
| School | Tuition basis | Required fees and other educational charges |
|---|---|---|
$30,110.30 resident: 62 nursing credits × $485.65 | Approximately $7,391.02 mandatory student fees; $1,182 ATI assessment charges listed on the program cost sheet | |
$21,352.50 domestic: 65 credits × $328.50 | $8,120 general/nursing fees across the first three terms; final Fall 2027 fees not yet determined in the cohort schedule | |
$45,000 published ABSN tuition | Approximately $2,950 nursing surcharge for 59 credits; applicable university fees are additional | |
$44,451 credit-rate budget reference: 99 quarter hours × $449 | $3,577 ATI fee in the linked 2025–26 nursing-fee schedule; current full-time student fee $275 per term, plus applicable U-Pass/compliance charges | |
$50,000 published ABSN tuition | $849 NCLEX preparation separately; other equipment, health-clearance and travel costs additional | |
Published $50,900 incl. fees | $50,900 published combined tuition-and-fees package for Fall 2026–Summer 2027 |
Illinois State residency: The corresponding nonresident tuition estimate is $60,219.98 before fees. Resident tuition plus the calculated mandatory student fees is $37,501.32, before ATI and other expenses; the older program cost sheet uses Summer 2026 rates, while the tuition estimate uses the newer 2026–27 schedule.
SIUE fees and insurance: The $8,120 fee illustration covers only the first three terms, so it is not the full-program fee total. The schedule lists $1,291.50 health insurance in fall and spring for applicable full-time on-campus students, with an approved comparable-coverage waiver available; the graduate-course option changes credits and billing.
National Louis term billing: The $44,451 calculation uses the 94-quarter-hour major plus five-quarter-hour PHI 205 and is not a published cohort package. The current schedule also lists $6,242 per term for eligible domestic transfer students taking 14–18 quarter hours, with per-credit charges above 18; actual tuition may be lower under that rate or approved transfer reductions.
Compare tuition and fees consistently: Saint Xavier’s $50,900 package includes tuition and fees and cannot be treated as a tuition-only figure. Elmhurst’s $50,849 sum includes $50,000 tuition plus $849 NCLEX preparation, before other expenses. Bradley’s $505 university-fee total applies to a semester meeting the published enrollment thresholds; confirm summer-session billing.
Personal budget and aid: Add books, uniforms, supplies, screening, BLS/CPR, insurance, campus-residency travel, clinical transportation, housing and meals. Review second-degree aid eligibility and school scholarships separately from sticker prices; general undergraduate award statistics do not establish an ABSN student’s net cost.
Clinical Training, Accreditation and NCLEX Outcomes
Early clinical learning in Chicago: National Louis describes more than 720 clinical hours beginning in the first quarter, across adult, child, obstetric/gynecologic, behavioral and population health, followed by an immersion experience. Skills and simulation accompany assigned metropolitan placements.
Coordinated Elmhurst placements: Elmhurst publishes at least 450 clinical hours and provides placement-coordination services without an extra service charge. Students still complete clinical clearance and travel to assigned sites; two campus residencies are additional required attendance.
Campus practice and simulation: Illinois State combines clinical courses with high-fidelity simulation and virtual reality. Saint Xavier integrates skills and clinical learning through its Simulation and Integrated Learning Center; laboratory, simulation and combined contact-hour figures should not automatically be counted as direct clinical hours.
Peoria and Edwardsville experiences: Bradley describes major hospitals, a Level 1 trauma center, a St. Jude-affiliated children’s hospital and community/rural resources. SIUE integrates specialty clinical courses, transition-to-practice study and a scholarly senior assignment; a scholarly project and clinical practicum are distinct requirements.
Programmatic accreditation: Illinois State, SIUE, Bradley, Elmhurst and Saint Xavier identify CCNE accreditation. National Louis’s current accreditation-status listing identifies its BS Nursing as seeking initial CCNE accreditation in 2026; Illinois approval and institutional Higher Learning Commission accreditation are separate from that pending programmatic status.
Read outcome labels carefully: Elmhurst reports an 86% NCLEX pass rate for its online ABSN in 2023. That published figure is not labeled here as first-time, and it is not a like-for-like comparison with school-wide BSN figures from other years. Ask for the same reporting year, credential, cohort and first-time/repeat measure before comparing results; outcomes do not predict an individual student’s result.
Loyola Chicago’s Program Transition
ABSN replaced by a graduate pathway: Loyola Chicago announced that its Master of Nursing replaces the ABSN beginning in fall 2026. The current in-person Maywood pathway comprises 66 credits over four semesters, approximately 16 months, and awards a graduate nursing degree rather than a second bachelor’s degree.
Applicants considering Loyola should use its current MN admissions and tuition information. The retained legacy profile explains the transition; the active ABSN tables and synchronized summaries on this page contain the six second-bachelor’s programs reviewed above.
Illinois ABSN Program Summaries
Bradley University ABSN Program
Peoria | $45,000 | 15 Months
Bradley’s full-time ABSN in Peoria begins each May and runs 15 months through a 59-credit nursing sequence. The minimum GPA is 3.0 in the last 60 college credit hours, with nine prerequisite subjects completed before entry. Published 2026–27 program tuition is $45,000 before required fees and other costs; practica span hospital and community settings... read more.
Elmhurst University ABSN Program
Elmhurst / online coursework | $50,000 | 16 Months
Elmhurst’s 16-month ABSN delivers coursework online for residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin. Students complete 60 semester hours, university-arranged in-person clinical placements and two campus residencies. Published tuition is $50,000, with $849 NCLEX preparation and other expenses separate.
Illinois State University ABSN Program
Normal | $30,110.30 | 15 Months
Illinois State’s campus-based ABSN in Normal starts in summer and runs 15 months. The current downloadable plan lists 62 nursing credits, with clinical placements within a 90-minute radius and high-fidelity simulation and virtual reality. Estimated resident tuition is $30,110.30 before required fees and other costs; minimum cumulative GPA is 2.50... read more.
National Louis University ABSN Program
Chicago | $44,451 | 15 Months
National Louis’s five-quarter hybrid ABSN combines online classes with required Chicago-area labs, simulation and clinical placements beginning in the first quarter. The usual cumulative GPA benchmark is 3.0, with a separate High Potential petition route. Its $44,451 credit-rate tuition budget estimate precedes fees, transfer reductions and applicable full-time term billing adjustments; the university lists CCNE initial accreditation as pending... read more.
Saint Xavier University ABSN Program
Chicago | $50,900 incl. fees | 15 Months
Saint Xavier’s on-campus ABSN begins each May and runs 15 months through four consecutive sessions and 60 nursing credits. A 3.0 cumulative GPA is recommended; science prerequisites require B or better. The published $50,900 package combines tuition and fees, with no separately stated tuition-only amount. Published tuition and fees: $50,900 incl. fees. See the profile for assumptions and additional expenses... read more.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ABSN Program
Edwardsville | $21,352.50 | 16 Months
SIUE’s campus-based, fall-start ABSN runs approximately 16 months and follows a 65-credit nursing sequence. Applicants need a 3.0 degree-granting GPA and 3.0 prerequisite GPA; eligible students can pursue graduate-course substitutions. Estimated domestic tuition is $21,352.50 before required fees, insurance and other costs... read more.