Top Online MSN-Nurse Practitioner Programs (2023-2024)
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This comprehensive list of online master of science in nursing (MSN) programs with a nurse practitioner (NP) specialization is ranked by our AdvanceU score, which factors in cost, admissions flexibility, and program variety.
Typically, online MSN-NP programs require applicants to hold a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. However, some institutions offer MSN degree paths for registered nurses (RNs) prepared with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or in rare cases, a nursing diploma. This guide focuses on those programs that accept BSN-prepared RNs.
Certain schools allow RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s to enroll in the BSN-to-MSN track if they first complete a couple of “missing” required component courses. We have grouped such programs with programs that will accept ADN-prepared nurses. Those are all listed on our RN-to-MSN nurse practitioner page.
If a program accepts RNs prepared with a degree other than a BSN degree, we have attempted to indicate this in the program name.
Online MSN-NP programs require completing between 500 and 700 clinical hours to meet the practice requirements for NP licensure. All online programs listed here include a clinical preceptorship in which students complete their hours at an approved facility, typically located close to where they live and work. A few programs do restrict preceptorships to a specific location or geography. While that is more the exception than the rule, it is worth confirming the situation with any schools of interest.
To review preceptorship and other details about a school of interest, simply click on its name and check its detailed school profile, which goes into great detail on application requirements, cost, curriculum, and more.
All the online MSN-NP programs listed below are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). These two organizations are recognized by the US Department of Education and the nursing industry for upholding the nursing profession to the highest academic and professional standards.
Online MSN-NP Program Rankings (2023-2024)
This list of online MSN-NP programs draws from our database of 1,035 online nursing programs and represents what we believe to be a complete list of such programs accepting students at the outset of the 2023-2024 academic year. To qualify for inclusion in our rankings, an MSN-NP program must require fewer than ten campus visits.
At NPSchools.com, our mission is to ensure the accuracy of the data on our website. Should you find an error or missing program, please contact us.
MSN Nurse Practitioner Career and Salary Data
A master of science in nursing (MSN) with a nurse practitioner (NP) specialization allows students to become practicing nurse practitioners in a variety of settings. NP specializations include:
- Family nurse practitioner (FNP)
- Neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP)
- Pediatric acute care nurse practitioner (PNP-AC)
- Pediatric primary care nurse practitioner (PNP-PC)
- Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AG-ACNP)
- Adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner (AG-PCNP)
- Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP)
- Women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP)
MSN-prepared nurse practitioners earn a median annual wage of $121,610 (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023). Due to a shortage of family practice doctors, an aging population, and other causes, nurse practitioner positions are forecasted to rise by 45 percent between 2022 and 2032, an addition of 118,600 jobs nationwide (BLS 2023). By comparison, the average growth rate for all occupations is 3 percent.