Saint Anthony College of Nursing

About Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Saint Anthony College of Nursing is an independent, nonprofit, degree-granting institution associated with OSF HealthCare. Its origins date to 1915, when Saint Anthony’s Nurses Training School opened in Rockford with five students. The school became Saint Anthony College of Nursing in 1990. Its identity remains connected to the Catholic and Franciscan heritage of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, with service, human dignity, compassion, and care reflected in the institution’s stated mission and educational approach. The college is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which has approved it to award baccalaureate and graduate degrees. Its baccalaureate, master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and postgraduate advanced-practice nursing certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Illinois also approves its prelicensure BSN programs. These distinctions matter because institutional accreditation, nursing-program accreditation, and state approval perform different roles in academic quality assurance and professional preparation. This is a highly specialized college, not a broad liberal-arts or research university. Its current public materials focus on nursing education from upper-division undergraduate study through advanced clinical and leadership preparation. It operates at the Health Sciences Center, 3301 North Mulford Road, and the Guilford Square campus, 698 Featherstone Road, both in Rockford. Students considering Saint Anthony should therefore evaluate it primarily on program fit, transfer-credit planning, clinical preparation, professional licensure goals, and the practicalities of attending a small, health-care-oriented institution.

Admission depends on the program. For the traditional BSN, Saint Anthony admits students as juniors after prerequisite study elsewhere. Applicants must submit an application and fee plus official transcripts from every college attended. Before committee review, transcripts must show completion of at least 32 of the 64 required prerequisite credits and at least one acceptable course in anatomy and physiology, microbiology, or chemistry. Applicants must complete the TEAS and earn an adjusted individual score of at least 58.7 percent. The published minimum cumulative GPA is 2.5, with at least 2.7 in nursing-science courses. A passing TOEFL score is required when English is not the applicant’s primary language, though the page reviewed does not publish the required score. The current BSN page lists preferred deadlines of September 15 for the following spring and February 15 for the following fall. Final-consideration deadlines are December 1 for spring and July 1 for fall. Applicants should verify these dates for their intended 2026–27 entry term before relying on them. Transfer planning is central. An AA or AS may satisfy the general-education core, but applicants must still complete specified nursing prerequisites; an Associate of Applied Science does not satisfy that core. No grade below C transfers. Graduate admission is separate and varies by pathway. Published DNP requirements include a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA, résumé, unencumbered RN or advanced-practice license, goals statement, three professional recommendations, and health and screening documentation.

Academic study at Saint Anthony College of Nursing is concentrated in nursing. The traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing is an upper-division pathway: entrants are admitted as juniors after completing general education and pre-nursing requirements at another accredited college or university. The nursing portion typically takes two years. Its curriculum is intended to prepare graduates for the registered-nurse licensure examination and practice in settings such as hospitals, schools, government agencies, and ambulatory care. A post-licensure RN-to-BSN tuition category is also published. At graduate level, the college offers the Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice. Current MSN options described by the college include Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner preparation. The Nurse Educator curriculum comprises 32 credits and a 500-hour practicum, while the psychiatric mental-health option is described as semi-online with required in-person experiences. Graduate programs are generally structured as part-time study for working adults. Published DNP options include adult-gerontology acute and primary care, family nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health, clinical leadership, and leadership in macro/micro health-care systems. Availability, entry point, and duration vary by pathway; some admit BSN-prepared nurses, while others require a master’s degree. The college’s accreditation page confirms baccalaureate, master’s, and DNP accreditation, but applicants should consult the current curriculum and state-authorization information for their specific specialty before enrolling, particularly when preparing for licensure outside Illinois.

Key Highlights

• Established as a nursing school in Rockford in 1915 and renamed as a college in 1990
• Independent nonprofit institution offering baccalaureate and graduate degrees
• Institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
• Nursing degrees accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Operates at two locations in Rockford, Illinois

Student Life & Environment

Student life is organized around a small, professionally focused nursing environment rather than a conventional residential university campus. The college’s main instructional space occupies the third and fourth floors of the Health Sciences Center on the Rock Valley College campus, with additional classes at Guilford Square. Official admitted-student information identifies free parking and food and drink options in Rock Valley College facilities. Prospective students should confirm which location will host their courses, labs, and other required activities each term. Academic support is available through an Academic Support Center, with both in-person and virtual appointments. The Learning Resource Center provides physical materials, OSF HealthCare online resources, interlibrary loans, and four reservable group-study rooms seating four to six people. Students also have access to college and OSF technology-support contacts. These services are especially relevant in an intensive nursing curriculum that combines classroom, laboratory, and clinical requirements. The reviewed current pages do not document institution-operated housing, a dining plan, varsity athletics, or a broad roster of active clubs. Students should not assume that these features are available simply because the principal location sits on another college’s campus. The practical experience appears oriented toward commuting, study, simulation, clinical education, and professional development; applicants seeking residential life should ask admissions directly about housing options and access to Rock Valley College amenities.

Location & Surroundings

Saint Anthony College of Nursing operates at two addresses in Rockford, a northern Illinois city northwest of Chicago. The Health Sciences Center is at 3301 North Mulford Road, Rockford, Illinois 61114, on the Rock Valley College campus. The Guilford Square location is at 698 Featherstone Road, Rockford, Illinois 61107. College materials say both locations provide classroom and laboratory space, and admitted-student information notes that classes may be held at either site. The arrangement gives students access to a collegiate setting at the Health Sciences Center while keeping the institution closely oriented toward health-professions education. Because nursing programs can involve classes, simulations, and clinical experiences at different places, applicants should assess transportation needs rather than planning around a single building. Free parking is published for students, but the reviewed official materials do not establish comprehensive public-transit arrangements or college housing. Rockford may suit students already based in northern Illinois or southern Wisconsin, particularly transfer students and working nurses. Before committing, students should confirm their assigned instructional location and the locations, schedules, and transportation expectations associated with clinical placements.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The official tuition page accessed in August 2026 publishes charges by credit rather than a single annual price: $824 per credit for the undergraduate BSN, $544 per credit for post-licensure RN-to-BSN study, and $1,014 per graduate credit. These figures differ from the database’s stored annual tuition value of $27,811 and should not be treated as a replacement annual total. Actual cost depends on credit load and pathway. Published additional charges include a $75 application fee, semester technology fees, undergraduate simulation or laboratory expenses where applicable, testing resources, screening costs, books, and graduation fees. Tuition and fees are explicitly subject to change. Newly admitted undergraduate and graduate students generally pay a $200 nonrefundable deposit that is credited toward tuition, subject to listed employee-benefit exceptions. The college participates in federal and Illinois financial-aid programs and directs students to complete the FAFSA. Its aid page documents institutional scholarships, federal grants and loans, Illinois MAP grants for eligible residents, veterans’ benefits, and employer tuition-reimbursement arrangements. Students should use the net-price calculator and obtain a program-specific estimate rather than multiplying a headline rate without accounting for prerequisites and fees. Career preparation is degree-specific. The prelicensure BSN is designed for registered-nurse licensure and work across health-care settings. Graduate pathways prepare nurses for advanced-practice, educator, mental-health, or leadership roles; some tracks describe eligibility for relevant national certification examinations and subsequent state licensure. The college does not require graduates to work for OSF HealthCare. Applicants planning licensed practice should verify current certification eligibility and authorization rules in the state where they intend to work.