16 Schools • 3 Online • 8 Mostly Online • 5 Hybrid
Sixteen Illinois schools prepare family nurse practitioners across roughly 38 tracks, spanning BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP doctorates, master’s degrees with both BSN and associate-degree entry, post-graduate certificates, and one dual FNP/PMHNP track. Delivery ranges from fully online through mostly online to hybrid programs with weekly campus attendance. Published program costs run from $15K to $108K, and completion times from 13 months to about six years.
Several schools, including UIC at three campuses, arrange clinical placements rather than handing students a preceptor search; several publish no clinical hour total at all; and a number restrict enrollment to specific states or require an Illinois RN license.
Compare each school’s online format, campus commitment, cost, and degree options below.
Compare Illinois FNP Programs
| School | Online Format | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Best For |
| Aurora University | Mostly Online | Weekend Zoom intensives | $900 CPC | DNP | Illinois-licensed nurses who want placements arranged for them |
| Bradley University Peoria | Mostly Online | One 2-day bootcamp | $1,158 CPC | MSN, DNP, Certificate | Nurses entering without a BSN |
| DePaul University | Online | None stated | $852/quarter hour | MSN, DNP, Certificate, Dual FNP/PMHNP | Nurses who need a start date within the next quarter |
| Governors State University University Park | Hybrid | Meeting cadence not published | $421 CPC | MSN, Certificate | Cost-focused nurses who can line up their own preceptors |
| Illinois State University Normal | Hybrid | Weekly campus day; clinical days rise to two per week | $562.91 CPC | MSN, DNP, Certificate | Central Illinois nurses who want faculty-arranged placement |
| Loyola University Chicago | Hybrid | On-site courses and immersions at the Maywood campus | $1,295 | DNP, Certificate | Nurses targeting emergency or urgent care practice |
| North Central College Naperville | Mostly Online | 2 to 3 immersions in | $861 CPC | MSN, Certificate | Nurses who need the full price fixed before enrolling |
| North Park University | Mostly Online | One 3-day skills immersion in | $925 + $16/credit comprehensive fee | MSN, Certificate | Illinois-licensed nurses who want high clinical volume |
| Northern Illinois University Chicago | Mostly Online | DNP: one immersion day per semester | $792.18 | MSN, DNP | Nurses undecided between a master’s and a doctorate |
| Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais | Online | None stated | $725 CPC | MSN, Certificate | Nurses spreading a degree across three years of full-time work |
| Rush University Chicago | Mostly Online | 17 to 18 campus days total, four per clinical term | $1,493 + $429/semester DNP administrative fee | DNP | Chicago-area nurses who want placement inside an academic medical center |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing Rockford | Hybrid | Weeknight classes in Rockford classrooms | $1,014 | MSN, DNP, Certificate | Rockford-area nurses who want very small sections |
| Saint Xavier University Chicago | Mostly Online | Campus skills days in years 2 and 3 | $799 CPC | MSN, Certificate | Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin nurses who want hands-on skills training |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Mostly Online | Immersions generally once per academic year | $700 + $114.80/credit general fees | DNP | Out-of-state nurses seeking public-university pricing |
| University of St. Francis Joliet | Online | None stated | $830 MSN, $810 certificate | MSN, Certificate | Nurses in the seven states St. Francis has cleared for licensure |
| University of Illinois Chicago Chicago | Hybrid | FNP courses on campus every 3–4 weeks | $1,129 CPC | DNP, Certificate | Nurses near Chicago, Rockford, or Urbana who want placements arranged |
How We Classify Program Formats
To make comparing schools easier, we classify every program based on the actual student experience, not the school’s marketing language.
- Online: No required campus attendance. Clinical rotations completed locally are not considered campus requirements.
- Mostly Online: Coursework is primarily online, but students must attend one or more required campus visits, such as orientations, skills labs, or intensives.
- Hybrid: Online coursework combined with recurring scheduled on-campus classes or labs throughout the program.
- Campus: Most coursework is completed in person.
Our classifications are based on published attendance requirements and may differ from how a university markets its program.
What’s the Best FNP Program for You?
Best Overall Value
Illinois State University charges a fee-inclusive $562.91 per credit to residents, producing the cheapest master’s in the state alongside faculty-supported placement, provided you can reach Normal weekly.
Strongest DNP
Rush University combines 1,008 practicum hours that reconcile exactly against its course list, placement inside its own academic medical center, and a cohort capped at 42.
Best for Emergency Practice
Loyola University Chicago is the only Illinois program that adds a separate 525-hour emergency department block on top of 525 primary care hours.
Best Fully Online Program
Olivet Nazarene University delivers 750 clinical hours with no stated campus requirement at $725 per credit.
Lowest Per-Credit Rate
Governors State University charges $421 per credit to all U.S. residents, with a 24-credit certificate near $14.9K. Students initiate their own placements, and the catalog lists the MSN’s ACEN status as Good Cause.
Best Placement Support Outside Chicago
University of Illinois Chicago arranges every FNP site and preceptor near its Chicago, Rockford, or Urbana campus, at $1,129 per credit for residents and non-residents alike.
Best Price Certainty
North Central College locks the per-credit rate to your start year and publishes the complete direct cost of the MSN, fees included, as a single figure.
Best for Nurses Without a BSN
Bradley University admits associate-degree, diploma, and non-nursing bachelor’s holders into the same four-course practicum sequence its BSN-entry students complete.
Illinois DNP FNP Programs
Ten Illinois schools award a doctoral FNP credential, and at five of them it is the only route to the role: Aurora, Loyola, Rush, SIUE, and UIC offer no master’s-level FNP at all. MSN-prepared nurses can enter the doctorate at Aurora, DePaul, Loyola, Rush, and Saint Anthony, and UIC runs a post-master’s DNP for certified FNPs. Published costs range from $44K in-state to $108K. Clinical hour disclosure is the section’s weakest point.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Aurora University | DNP-FNP (BSN or MSN entry) | $70K all-in | 3 years | Hours vary by individual |
| Bradley University | BSN-DNP | $82K | 3.3 years | 1,000 |
| DePaul University | BSN-DNP | $85K | 3–4 years | Hours vary by individual |
| DePaul University | Dual FNP/PMHNP DNP | $90K | Not stated | Hours vary by individual |
| Illinois State University | BSN-DNP | $44K | 4–5 years | 1,020 |
| Loyola University Chicago | DNP FNP | $94K | Not stated | Hours vary by individual |
| Loyola University Chicago | DNP FNP with Emergency Specialty | $103K–$108K | 4–5 years | 1,050 |
| Northern Illinois University | BSN-DNP | $58K | Not stated | 1,000 |
| Rush University | BSN-DNP | $106K | 2.5–3.5 years | 1,008 |
| Rush University | MSN-DNP | $93K | 2.5–3.5 years | 1,008 |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing | BSN-DNP | Credit total not published | About 6 years | 1,000 |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing | Post-master’s DNP | Credit total not published | About 4 years | 1,000 |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | BSN-DNP | $56K | 3 years | Over 1,000 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | BSN-DNP | $85K | 4–5 years (part-time) | About 765 FNP (derived) |
- Lowest doctoral cost: Illinois State University — $44K for residents, though out-of-state entry nearly doubles it to $81K.
- Highest verified clinical volume: Loyola University Chicago — 1,050 hours, half in a dedicated emergency department block.
- Cleanest hour accounting: Rush University — every practicum credit converts at exactly 84 clock hours, so the published total reconciles.
Illinois MSN FNP Programs
Eleven schools award a master’s-level FNP credential, and they diverge sharply on clinical volume: DePaul requires 500 hours, exactly the national certification floor, Governors State’s catalog lists 540, and North Park requires 765. Bradley admits associate-degree and diploma nurses directly, and DePaul admits associate-degree nurses who already hold a bachelor’s in another field. Published tuition runs from $25K in-state to $58K, with Governors State near $28K for all U.S. residents.
| School | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Bradley University (BSN entry) | $58K | 8 semesters | 700 hrs |
| Bradley University (RN/ADN entry) | $67K | 10 semesters | 700-800 hrs |
| DePaul University | $58K | 2–3 years | 500 hrs |
| Governors State University | $28K–$29K | Under 2 years (stated generally) | 540 hrs |
| Illinois State University | $25K | 2–3 years | 660 hrs |
| North Central College | $40K | 9 semesters | 525 hrs |
| North Park University | $46K | 32 months | 765 |
| Northern Illinois University | $40K | Not stated | Not clearly stated |
| Olivet Nazarene University | $38K | 36 months | 750 |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing | Credit total not published | 4 years | 750 |
| Saint Xavier University | $38K | 3 years | 600 hrs |
| University of St. Francis | $38K | 2–3 years | Not clearly stated |
- Lowest master’s cost: Illinois State University — $25K for residents, paid for with weekly campus attendance in Normal.
- Most clinical hours: North Park University — 765, published course by course at a uniform 85 hours per practicum credit.
- Thinnest clinical margin: DePaul University — 500 hours leaves no buffer above the certification floor if a rotation falls through.
- Entry without a BSN: Bradley University — associate degree, hospital diploma, or a bachelor’s in another field all open the master’s.
Illinois Post-Graduate Certificate FNP Programs
Twelve schools offer a post-graduate FNP certificate, and none of them trims the clinical requirement to reward a prior master’s. UIC’s certificate is the only one that requires a DNP. North Park, Olivet, and Illinois State each ask certificate students for the same hours their degree students complete. Three schools price the credential by gap analysis rather than a fixed credit count, so cost cannot be known until after admission. Fixed-price options run about $15K to $41K.
| School | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Bradley University | $41K | 16–24 months | 700 hrs |
| DePaul University | $37K | About 60 weeks | Varies by gap analysis |
| Governors State University | About $14.9K | 4 semesters (derived) | 540 hrs |
| Illinois State University | $15K | About 5 terms, | 660 hrs |
| Loyola University Chicago | Individualized | Varies by plan of study | Varies by gap analysis |
| North Central College | $20K–$30K | Varies by gap analysis | Varies by gap analysis |
| North Park University | $38K | 20–32 months | 765 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | $20K | 13 months | 750 |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing | Individualized by gap analysis | About 2 years, derived | 750 |
| Saint Xavier University | Individualized by gap analysis | Not stated | Not clearly stated |
| University of St. Francis | $23K | About 2.3 years, derived | Varies by gap analysis |
- Lowest certificate cost: Governors State University — about $14.9K for all U.S. residents, with Illinois State close behind at $15K for residents.
- Fastest completion: Olivet Nazarene University — 13 months, which compresses the same 750 hours the master’s spreads over three years.
- Deepest specialty coursework: University of St. Francis — 29 certificate credits of FNP content against 25 inside its own master’s.
FAQ
How many FNP programs are there in Illinois?
Sixteen schools offer FNP preparation across roughly 38 tracks. Bradley, DePaul, and Saint Anthony each run four pathways; Aurora and SIUE each run one.
Which Illinois FNP programs are fully online?
DePaul, Olivet Nazarene, and University of St. Francis state no campus attendance for any FNP track. Aurora and NIU require synchronous sessions, but those are delivered remotely rather than on campus.
Which Illinois FNP program has the lowest tuition?
Illinois State’s MSN at $25K is the cheapest master’s for residents, though it requires weekly campus attendance in Normal. Governors State’s certificate, about $14.9K at $421 per credit, edges out Illinois State’s $15K certificate. Nonresidents pay $27K and $46K for the same tracks. Olivet’s $20K certificate is the lowest-priced fully online option.
Which Illinois schools offer a DNP FNP?
Aurora, Bradley, DePaul, Illinois State, Loyola, NIU, Rush, Saint Anthony, SIUE, and UIC. At Aurora, Loyola, Rush, SIUE, and UIC the doctorate is the only route to the FNP role, since none offers a master’s-level track.
Which Illinois FNP programs require campus visits?
Illinois State meets weekly in Normal, Saint Anthony holds weeknight classes in Rockford, UIC’s FNP courses meet on campus every three to four weeks, and Governors State is hybrid with an unpublished cadence. Saint Xavier requires campus skills days in years 2 and 3. Finite obligations apply at Bradley (one two-day October bootcamp), North Park (one 3-day immersion), North Central (2 to 3 immersions), Rush (17 to 18 days), NIU (one day per semester during DNP project terms), Aurora (weekend intensives), and SIUE, where the program page describes annual immersions but the DNP FAQ describes face-to-face courses on campus ⚠.
Can I complete clinical hours near home?
It depends heavily on the school. Illinois State requires all hours in Illinois and places only within about an hour of Normal, Rush restricts sites to the Chicago area with travel up to 100 miles, Saint Anthony typically stays within 20 miles of Rockford, Loyola places through Chicago-area partnerships, and UIC places students near its Chicago, Rockford, or Urbana campus. Bradley, DePaul, North Central, North Park, Olivet, and St. Francis complete practicums locally, but at all six the preceptor search is largely the student’s responsibility.
Can I enroll from outside Illinois?
Often not without conditions. Aurora, Illinois State, and North Park require an Illinois RN license as an admission condition, and NIU requires one held or applied for before coursework begins. DePaul is closed to practicums in nine states ⚠, Rush cannot enroll Louisiana, Tennessee, or New York residents in its online APRN tracks ⚠, St. Francis has confirmed licensure alignment in seven states only ⚠, and SIUE states clinical arrangements cannot be made everywhere ⚠. Saint Xavier accepts only nurses who live and work in Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin, and UIC requires DNP students to live within commuting distance of a campus. Confirm your own board’s requirements in writing before applying.