Nursing Schools in Chicago, IL: 2026 BSN Admissions Guide

Chicago has one of the deepest nursing school benches in the Midwest. Our database tracks six BSN programs inside the city limits, spanning a public research flagship, two direct-entry private universities on the North Side, and three programs with classic two-step competitive admission. Whether you are a high school senior chasing direct admission or a transfer student rebuilding a GPA, there is a realistic path here.

The numbers below are published minimums on file as of July 2026. Treat them as floors, not targets: competitive applicants usually land above them, and schools revise cutoffs every cycle, so always check the school's page for current numbers. You can browse every program on our Chicago hub and the wider Illinois hub, or check your odds free against the real requirements.

Public options in Chicago

University of Illinois Chicago

UIC is the city's public flagship for nursing, and its College of Nursing publishes clear cutoffs: a 2.75 cumulative GPA and a 2.50 natural science GPA, with 57 prerequisite credit hours all completed at a C or higher. There is no entrance exam, which makes UIC a strong pick if standardized tests are not your strength. The priority application deadline is January 15, and at least two of the four science prerequisites must be done by then. Science courses must be completed within seven years of enrollment.

Chicago State University

Chicago State, a public university on the South Side, uses a two-phase model: you enter as a pre-professional student, then apply competitively to the professional sequence. Published requirements are a 2.75 cumulative GPA and a 2.75 science GPA, prerequisites at a C or better, ATI TEAS results from within the past year (no minimum score is published), and a 400-word personal essay. The fall application deadline is April 1.

Private options in Chicago

Loyola University Chicago

The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing at Loyola Chicago runs a four-year direct-entry BSN: freshmen are admitted straight into nursing through the university application, with no separate prerequisite gauntlet and no entrance exam listed on the official program page. The only published GPA threshold, a 2.5, applies to transfer entry rather than freshman admission. External transfers apply by July 1 with rolling review.

DePaul University

DePaul also offers direct admission for high-achieving high school graduates, and the bar is explicit: an unweighted high school GPA of 3.5 or above with grades of B or higher in high school biology and chemistry. Testing is optional. This track is separate from DePaul's graduate-entry MENP program, so college students looking to switch into nursing should read the fine print carefully.

Saint Xavier University

Saint Xavier on the Southwest Side publishes a 2.75 cumulative GPA, a 2.5 science GPA, and an ATI TEAS at the Proficient level (58.7 percent or higher), counting only your first three attempts. Supporting sciences include anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, statistics, and nutrition. Priority deadlines are April 1 for summer and fall starts and October 1 for spring.

North Park University

North Park, on the city's North Side, asks for a 2.75 cumulative GPA and a 2.75 science GPA with a C or better in each prerequisite, plus a TEAS at the Proficient level taken within one year of applying (no exact percentage is published). Direct-entry freshmen face a much higher bar: an unweighted high school GPA of 3.75 or above. The fall 2026 application deadline was February 15, 2026, so plan a full cycle ahead.

How admissions work in Chicago

A few patterns stand out across the city:

1. The 2.75 GPA line is the local standard. UIC, Saint Xavier, North Park, and Chicago State all publish 2.75 cumulative floors, a friendlier baseline than the 3.0 that dominates many other metros.
2. Direct admission is a Chicago strength. Loyola and DePaul both admit freshmen straight into nursing, and North Park offers a direct-entry lane for students with a 3.75 high school GPA. If you are still in high school, applying direct can spare you a competitive second application later.
3. The TEAS is the exam of record, but it is often soft. Saint Xavier publishes a hard 58.7 percent Proficient cutoff, while North Park and Chicago State require the TEAS without a published minimum, and UIC, Loyola, and DePaul skip an entrance exam entirely.
4. Deadlines land early in the year. UIC's January 15 priority date and North Park's mid-February deadline mean fall applicants should have prerequisites largely wrapped by the preceding December.

For statewide strategy, see how to get into nursing school in Illinois, our list of the easiest nursing schools to get into in Illinois, and what GPA you need for nursing school.

See where you stand in Chicago

Every requirement above is already loaded into our free tool. Enter your GPA, science grades, and any exam scores, and the chance calculator will show your fit for every Chicago BSN program in seconds, no account required.

*This guide is for planning only, not official admissions advice; always confirm requirements with each school.*