10 Best LPN-to-RN Programs in Illinois – (Online & Campus-Based)

Written By: Darby Faubion, RN, BSN, MBA

How will enrolling in one of the LPN-to-RN programs in Illinois enhance your nursing career? For starters, your earning capacity will rise by 40 percent: In the Land of Lincoln, registered nurses make $82,220 a year, while licensed practical nurses make $58,840 a year. RNs also enjoy excellent employment opportunities, and demand for their services is expected to rise by 5 percent in just one decade. Registered nurses in Illinois qualify for nursing positions that aren’t open to LPNs because the LPN scope of practice doesn’t include patient assessment. More information is available below in this guide to the 10 best LPN-to-RN programs in Illinois.

WHAT ARE THE BEST LPN-TO-RN PROGRAMS IN ILLINOIS (ONLINE AND CAMPUS-BASED)?

Based on our Ranking Methodology, the following are the 10 best campus-based and online LPN-to-RN programs in Illinois.

1. Ambria College of Nursing - Hoffman Estates

Program Details: If you are a licensed practical nurse ready to become a registered nurse, Ambria College of Nursing offers an LPN-to-RN program in Illinois that is definitely worth considering! The program admits students three times each year in the spring, summer, and fall semesters. At Ambria College, you will engage in campus-based learning, including theoretical instruction in the classroom and computer laboratory simulations. The school has state-of-the-art equipment and simulation labs and provides extensive hands-on clinical experiences, providing you with the support you need to prepare to advance from your current role as a licensed practical nurse and become a registered nurse. Class schedules vary and may be held in the mornings, evenings, or on some weekends to meet students' needs.

This LPN-to-RN program features a 77-credit curriculum, which includes general education and required core nursing courses. As an LPN with an active, unrestricted license, you can receive proficiency credit or course credit for prior coursework that you completed in your practical nursing program. Some of the classes you will study include Nursing Health Assessment, Psychiatric Nursing, Leadership & Management, and Pathophysiology.

The program also includes 900 hours of combined laboratory simulation and clinical practicum experiences. Your clinicals will include opportunities to provide care to diverse patient populations in various healthcare settings, including maternal/newborn patients, pediatric patients, psychiatric patients, and adult and gerontology patients. Clinicals are arranged by program faculty and are completed at affiliated clinical sites under the supervision of either clinical faculty or approved preceptors.

Why Choose This Program

• When it comes to choosing a program to further your education, flexibility is important. At Ambria College of Nursing, you have the option of day or evening classes and part-time or full-time enrollments. The ability to choose a schedule and pace that fits your current lifestyle and needs is one reason I believe this is one of the best options among the available LPN-to-RN programs in Illinois.
• At Ambria College, financial aid advisors will work with you to find every available resource to help pay for your degree program. From applying for federal grants and loans to working with the Workforce Investment Act Program, finding U.S. veterans and military family benefits, and other scholarships and grant opportunities, the school is dedicated to helping relieve some of the financial burden that comes with going back to school so that you can focus on your studies.

2. Rend Lake College - Ina

Program Details: If you are searching for an LPN-to-RN program in Illinois that you can complete in a short time, Rend Lake College has a great program. The program, often referred to as the Associate Degree Nursing Bridge Program, takes three semesters or one year to complete. You will attend classes and experience laboratory simulations on campus. Additionally, clinical courses have corresponding clinical practicums which are held off-campus at affiliate clinical sites, as designated by the program coordinator.

The LPN-to-RN program is a 66-credit pathway. With an active, unrestricted LPN license and after passing the LPN to ADN Bridge course, you will receive credit for 20 credit hours toward the degree and enter the second year of the traditional associate degree nursing program. You will take classes including Health Systems Concepts, Complex Health Concepts, Medications in Nursing, and Microbiology.

The program curriculum includes clinical courses with corresponding clinical practicums designed to give you diverse opportunities to provide patient care in various healthcare settings. You will complete a minimum of 225 hours of clinical practicum in settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, physicians’ offices, and community health facilities. Program faculty arrange clinical assignments and your clinicals will be supervised by faculty or program-approved preceptors.

Why Choose This Program

• As a nurse educator, I am a firm believer that lifelong learning should be every nurse’s priority. One thing I love about the LPN-to-RN program in Illinois at Rend Lake College is that graduates of the program can take advantage of articulation agreements with various four-year universities and continue their education to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A few schools that have articulation agreements with RLC include Chamberlain College of Nursing, Eastern Illinois University, McKendree University, and Illinois State University Mennonite College Nursing Pathway MOU.
• Graduates of the Rend Lake College LPN-to-RN program have outstanding NCLEX-RN pass rates. Graduate success on the NCLEX is a strong indicator of how well the program prepares students with the knowledge and skills needed to perform at the level of a registered nurse.
• Graduates also have excellent job placement rates, with most reporting being employed as RNs within six months of completing the program and passing the NCLEX-RN. Good job placement rates suggest local employers have a history of satisfaction when hiring graduates of the program to fill positions.

3. Lincoln Land Community College - Springfield

Program Details: Lincoln Land Community College offers an LPN to Associate Degree in Nursing Transition program for licensed practical nurses who wish to become registered nurses. This LPN-to-RN program in Illinois is available to practicing LPNs with at least one year of work experience, including at least 1,000 hours of patient care. Upon successful completion of the LPN to ADN transition course, you will be eligible to enter the second year of the ADN program. The program, which features a hybrid learning format, can be completed in 2.6 semesters.

To earn the Associate Degree in Nursing, you must complete 62 total credits, which includes prior learning credits you will receive for the first year of the program. Throughout the program, you will learn to care for patient populations across their lifespans, experiencing various degrees of health and wellness.

You will engage in clinical practicums that provide opportunities to address health alterations impacting patients, and you will use the nursing process to apply evidence-based, patient-centered care. You will practice hands-on skills with the guidance of seasoned professional faculty and preceptors who are dedicated to your success in the program.

Why Choose This Program

• At Lincoln Land Community College, you may be eligible for the PATH program grant. The PATH grant provides resources, including compensation, to help students cover the cost of education and training so they can gain employment in high-demand occupations within the healthcare industry. A financial aid advisor at the LLCC can guide you in the application process.
• Lincoln Land Community College has excellent relationships with community healthcare providers and healthcare employers. The school’s reputation for educating highly qualified nurses has been key in helping graduates find employment within a short time following graduation and obtaining their RN licenses.

4. Carl Sandburg College - Galesburg

Program Details: Carl Sandburg College is home to another featured LPN-to-RN program in Illinois. The program admits students once per year in the fall semester after completing a required transition course. The program is an LPN-to-RN Articulation pathway that can be completed in one year, resulting in an associate in applied science degree in nursing and eligibility to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.

This LPN-to-RN program features face-to-face learning in a traditional classroom format. However, you are required to have a computer with reliable internet access, as all courses use online resources to supplement classroom learning.

You will begin the program by taking an eight-week summer transition course. The LPN-RN Transition course is designed to complement the knowledge you acquired in your practical nursing program and prepare you to transition into the second year of the associate degree nursing program. Once it is verified that you have completed the required prerequisites and the LPN to RN Transition course, you will complete 31 additional semester hours. The curriculum includes courses like Biomedical Ethics, Professional Issues, and Community & Mental Health Nursing.

Why Choose This Program

• If you are like me and have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, you will appreciate the fact that Carl Sandburg College has cooperative agreements with several four-year universities. After completing the LPN-to-RN program, you can take advantage of these agreements and transition to one of those schools to earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A few schools that CSC has agreements with include the University of Arkansas Grantham, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and Chamberlain College of Nursing.
• Program outcomes for the LPN-to-RN program at Carl Sandburg College are awesome! The school reports excellent completion and NCLEX-RN pass rates, as well as outstanding job placement rates for graduates after obtaining their RN licenses!

5. Kankakee Community College - Kankakee

Program Details: Another school at the top of the list of schools providing excellent LPN-to-RN programs in Illinois is Kankakee Community College. The program offers spring and fall admission options and takes three semesters to complete, not including summers. Classes are held on campus and combined with laboratory learning experiences. Clinicals are held off-campus in various healthcare settings.

To earn the associate degree, you must accomplish a total of 63 credits. As a licensed practical nurse with an active, unrestricted license, you can earn up to nine advanced placement credits toward the KCC associate degree nursing program. The curriculum includes rich course content with classes, including Concepts of Clinical Pharmacology, Nursing-Adult & Child, and Anatomy & Physiology I & II.

Clinical courses each have a corresponding clinical practicum designed to provide you with opportunities to provide hands-on care to patients. You will provide care for patients of all ages based on healthcare deviations caused by injury, illness, surgical intervention, the maternity cycle, newborn and pediatric needs, mental health alterations, and age-related changes. Your care settings will include medical-surgical units, maternal/child settings, behavioral health facilities, long-term care facilities, and hospitals.

Why Choose This Program

• Everyone likes to feel appreciated for a job well done. Kankakee Community College believes it is important to recognize individuals who go above and beyond and is a proud partner of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students. As a nurse educator, I commend the school for acknowledging the efforts of students who show compassion to patients and their families by celebrating their contributions and recognizing them as DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Student Honorees.
• The LPN-to-RN program in Illinois offered at Kankakee Community College is led by experienced faculty who are dedicated to your success in the program and career. Additionally, the school has strong community connections with healthcare providers and facilities, which creates excellent clinical and job placement opportunities!

6. Southwestern Illinois College - Belleville

Program Details: At Southwestern Illinois College, you will find another of the best LPN-to-RN programs in Illinois. The program typically admits 16 students per year. Classes begin in the summer semester. Once general education and prerequisite requirements are met, it takes three semesters to complete the program. Students engage in in-person learning on campus in the classroom and simulation labs where theory and clinical skills are taught. Clinicals are conducted off-campus at designated clinical sites.

As a licensed practical nurse, you may receive up to 15 escrowed credits based on your practical nursing transcript review. Escrowed credits are awarded after you complete the first three courses of the nursing bridge program. The LPN-to-RN Bridge/Advanced Standing curriculum consists of 38.5 credits, which are earned through theoretical classes, laboratory intensives, and clinicals. Clinicals begin the first semester and continue for the duration of the program. All clinicals are arranged by the program director or clinical coordinator and are supervised by clinical faculty or approved preceptors.

The curriculum is formatted so that most theory classes have a corresponding lab or clinical practicum course. For example, you will take Behavioral Health Nursing, which has a Behavioral Health Nursing Lab course. You will also take classes, including Introductory Sociology, Medical Surgical Nursing, and Medical Surgical Synthesis.

Why Choose This Program

• Southwestern Illinois College believes education should be within everyone’s reach. The SWIC Foundation offers 300 scholarships to eligible students based on enrollment, GPA, and residency criteria. A financial aid advisor will work with you to see if you qualify for these or any other financial assistance opportunities.
• According to the SWIC Nursing Education Program Outcomes, graduates consistently exceed national averages on NCLEX pass rates and have good completion rates and excellent job placement rates.

7. Parkland College - Champaign

Program Details: The LPN-to-RN program in Illinois offered at Parkland College is an advanced placement program integrated into the school’s Associate Degree Nursing program. Admission is competitive with approximately six students admitted twice each year in the fall and spring semesters. It takes three semesters to complete the program.

The program is designed to allow licensed practical nurses to enter the program in upper-level nursing courses. Most classes for the program are held in a face-to-face format on campus. The only exceptions are one online class and one partially online class that are held in the final semester of the program. Clinicals are held in several settings in Champaign and surrounding communities and are complemented by simulations in the college’s state-of-the-art simulation laboratory.

The traditional ADN program is a 68-credit pathway. However, as an LPN, you will be awarded 17 proficiency credits and will have completed 11 credit hours of prerequisites before entry into the bridge program. Therefore, you will complete 40 credit hours in the LPN-to-RN program to earn the Associate Degree in Nursing. In addition to 12 general education credits, you will earn 28 nursing course credits in classes including Population Health Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, and Leadership in Nursing.

Why Choose This Program

• With only six students admitted to each LPN-to-RN bridge class, the program at Parkland College offers the promise of individualized attention from faculty and staff. As a former nursing and allied health educator, I cannot stress enough the impact that small classes and individual attention have on the learning atmosphere and success rates for students in these programs.
• Parkland College offers career readiness and job placement assistance to students in the LPN-to-RN program.

8. McHenry County College - Crystal Lake

Program Details: McHenry County College is home to another of our featured LPN-to-RN programs in Illinois. Candidates for this program must complete an LPN-to-ADN Transition course, which is offered in the fall semester, and the required prerequisites before beginning the ADN program. The Transition course features a blended learning format combining both campus-based and online learning. You may complete any prerequisites you need while enrolled in the Transition course. Once you complete the required prerequisites and Transition course, you will begin the LPN-to-RN pathway in the spring and can complete the program in just three semesters.

The 33-credit curriculum for this LPN-to-RN program in Illinois features classes, including Complex Issues in Healthcare, Concepts in Family Nursing, Concepts in Psychiatric Nursing, and Concepts in Nursing Practice. You will attend class on campus two days per week for theory and lab practice and spend additional days at assigned clinical sites. Clinical sites and schedules are determined based on need and availability, may include weekday and weekend assignments, and are arranged by program faculty.

Why Choose This Program

• If you have been considering going back to school but felt concerned about the cost of your degree, McHenry County College could have a solution for you! The Friends of MCC Foundation offers many academic and merit-based scholarships to MCC students to help offset college-related expenses.
• At McHenry County College, advisors will work with you from the time you are admitted to the program until you graduate to help ensure you have access to the resources and support you need to succeed in the program.

9. Heartland Community College - Normal

Program Details: The LPN-to-RN program in Illinois offered at Heartland Community College is an excellent opportunity for licensed practical nurses to take a step forward in their careers and become registered nurses in two to three semesters’ time. Limited seat availability means admission is competitive. Candidates are chosen based on criteria including residency, quality of their credentials, and academic history.

Upon acceptance to the Associate Degree Nursing program, you will be awarded proficiency credit for the first year of nursing classes, allowing you to enter the second year of the ADN program. The program begins in the summer semester with two courses: Community-Based Nursing and LPN to ADN Transition. In the following two semesters, you will take classes, including Leadership & Management in Nursing, Nursing Care Concepts: Mental Health, and Contemporary Nursing.

The program includes diverse opportunities to participate in faculty-supervised clinical experiences in hospitals, acute care facilities, and other healthcare settings. You will have opportunities to plan and deliver community health education projects and observe and participate in care in various specialty care settings.

Why Choose This Program

• At Heartland Community College, you will have an academic advisor who works with you from the time you are admitted to the program until you graduate. Your advisor will be your contact for help and guidance and to ensure you are on a path to success in the program.
• If you are highly motivated and willing to take on a full-time, rigorous program, Heartland Community College offers the option of participating in a dual enrollment program where you can complete the ADN program while enrolled in the online BSN program at Illinois State University.

10. Triton College - River Grove

Program Details: The LPN-to-RN program in Illinois offered at Triton College is designed to give licensed practical nurses an advanced pathway to becoming registered nurses. The program admits students in the spring and fall semesters each year. Upon completion, the program awards an associate in applied science in nursing.

The traditional AAS program is a 60-credit pathway, including 34 nursing credits. As an LPN, once you complete the pre-admission coursework, you will receive credit for the first semester of nursing coursework and can bridge into the second semester of the associate degree nursing program, allowing you to complete the LPN-to-RN program in four semesters.

As you progress through the program, you will study in classes such as Leadership & Role Transition Concepts, Pediatric Health Concepts, Mental Health Concepts, and Pharmacology & Drug Administration. Each clinical course has a corresponding clinical practicum that provides opportunities for you to engage in direct patient care in various healthcare settings. You will provide care to diverse patient populations across their lifespans, each affected by different levels of illness, disease, or injury. Clinicals are arranged by program faculty and supervised by clinical faculty or approved preceptors.

Why Choose This Program

• Triton College’s School of Nursing boasts experienced faculty who are educated at master’s and doctoral levels. Their dedication to personal and professional development is reflected in their commitment to students, the program, and the nursing profession. You will gain insight from their real-world experience to help guide you as you transition from being an LPN to your new career as a registered nurse.
• Graduates of the Triton College LPN-to-RN program consistently score better than state and national averages on the NCLEX exam among first time testers. This is a good indicator of how well students are prepared for transitioning to the RN role.


VIEW OUR RANKING METHODOLOGY

Darby Faubion Shares Advice With Students Contemplating LPN-To-RN Programs In The State Of Illinois

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I love nursing! One of the things I love about it is that there are endless possibilities to grow and learn. If you are a licensed practical nurse contemplating LPN-to-RN programs in Illinois, you won’t be disappointed! Illinois is considered one of the best states for nurses to work in the U.S. Additionally, the state anticipates more than 9,000 RN job opportunities annually over the next ten years, which is a strong indication that this is the perfect time to take a leap of faith and earn your degree and become a registered nurse.

With those thoughts in mind, I would encourage you to start researching now to find the right program for you. The best advice I can give you is to first seek out schools that offer accredited programs. Check out the school’s retention rates, NCLEX pass rates, and job placement rates. Look at social media pages and see what students (past and present) are saying about the programs. When you find a program that aligns with your values, apply, and don’t stop until you achieve your goals! You can do this!!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED

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