Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Lakeview College of Nursing

Lakeview's nursing program costs less upfront but delivers earnings that lag meaningfully behind other Illinois options. At $69,090 in the first year, graduates earn about $4,000 less than the state median—and the gap widens from there, with earnings actually declining 5% by year four while most nursing careers see growth. This puts Lakeview at the 40th percentile among Illinois nursing programs, well behind schools like Governors State ($80,391) and even regional competitors.

The $26,464 in median debt is reasonable, translating to a manageable 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's the program's saving grace: graduates aren't drowning in loans. However, nearly half of students receive Pell grants, suggesting many come from families where maximizing earning potential matters greatly. For those families, the earnings gap is consequential—over just four years, a Lakeview graduate earns roughly $40,000 less than a peer from Chamberlain or Governors State.

The value equation here depends heavily on alternatives. If Lakeview offers significantly lower tuition than other Illinois nursing programs or provides crucial geographic accessibility, the lower debt might justify the earnings tradeoff. But for families with options, it's worth calculating whether saving a few thousand on the front end is worth potentially leaving $10,000+ annually on the table throughout a nursing career. The RN market is fairly standardized—if this program can't match typical Illinois nursing salaries, that's a yellow flag worth understanding before enrolling.