Saint Anthony College of Nursing

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.