Dominican University, Illinois

Dominican University, in River Forest, Illinois, is a private, four-year Catholic university with nursing programs designed for students who want a close academic setting near Chicago. Its BSN pathway is typically campus-based and combines classroom study, skills lab work, and supervised clinical experiences in hospitals and community settings. The program prepares students for the NCLEX-RN.

Students develop core competencies in health assessment, pharmacology, evidence-based practice, health promotion, leadership, ethics, and patient-centered care. The curriculum emphasizes professional communication and service while helping students connect theory to practice through clinical learning. Compared with larger nearby nursing programs, Dominican offers a smaller-school environment and individualized support, along with access to a major metropolitan clinical network.