A website that offers information to those interested in becoming a registered nurse ranked Kishwaukee College’s Nursing Program among the top 20 in Illinois.
Registerednursing.org ranked Kishwaukee’s program at 14th out of 76 programs it rated in Illinois.
Bette Chilton is the college’s Dean of Health and Education Programs. Chilton says the school’s nursing program is relatively small – around 80 students. But than can be an asset.
“We have a smaller faculty and I think we can create learning environments that really help the students succeed,” she says.
The website ranks programs across the country based on several factors, including how well its students pass a license exam required to become a registered nurse. Students in Kishwaukee College’s program had a 96 percent pass rate in 2015. That’s well above the national average of 85 percent and 86 percent for the state of Illinois as a whole.
Chilton says the listing shows you can stay close to home to get a good education.
“What the ranking helps people understand is that just because we are a community college doesn’t mean we don’t have a place in the nursing education system,” she says.
Chilton says the program is also a good foundation for students looking to further their education as well as their career.
Chilton says the program has a good partnership with area providers like Kish Health System, and with Northern Illinois University. She says many of her students go on to NIU to get a four-year degree in nursing.
Other programs in the region also fared well in the state rankings. McHenry County, Waubonsee and Illinois Valley Community Colleges and Rockford University all made the top 20 in the Illinois rankings.
