Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice nurses who have attended a graduate-level NP program. Luckily, if you’re interested in becoming a nurse practitioner, you have several programs to choose from. The AANP reports that the US is home to roughly 400 NP programs.
We listed the top nurse practitioner programs in each state to help you find an NP program near you that suits your needs.
Every nurse practitioner has its own benefits and features, and the program that is best for one potential attendee may not be the right choice for another. In ranking our list of top programs in each state, we considered the following factors:
- Cost of attendance
- Program length
- Admission requirements
- Ranking according to U.S. News & World Report
- Additional accolades that the program has received
Jump to your state:
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
With so many programs nationwide, you may wonder how to narrow your choices to one school. However, choosing an NP program is more straightforward than it seems.
The first thing to consider is the population you want to work with, which will steer you toward an NP specialty. Some popular specialties include the following:
You’ll need to find a nurse practitioner program that offers your chosen specialty.
You may also consider whether you want online, hybrid, or in-person classes. Additionally, you should decide which degree you want. NP programs award Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees. A DNP is a terminal nursing degree and takes a year or two longer to complete than an MSN.
The perfect nurse practitioner program is a personal match for your specific needs to achieve your goals.
Aspiring nurse practitioners have hundreds of program options. You can select from over 400 schools and dozens of specialties and attend classes online, in-person, or in a hybrid format. We hope this list of nurse practitioner schools by state helped you find a program near you that suits your goals.
If you’d like to learn more about what it means to be a nurse practitioner, check out our guide to nurse practitioner degrees.
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How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner?
- Besides four years of undergraduate coursework and bedside experience, earning an NP degree may take 1-3 more years. So, the total training time to become an NP is around 5-8 years.
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Is becoming a nurse practitioner worth it?
- The value of becoming an NP is up to each individual. But, as an NP, you’ll earn much more money than an ADN or BSN nurse. You will also have more diverse career options available.
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What degree do you need to be a nurse practitioner?
- You need a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from an accredited NP program to become a nurse practitioner.
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What GPA do you need to get into a nurse practitioner program?
- Most programs require you to have at least a 3.0 GPA in your undergraduate classes. However, the GPA requirements for each nurse practitioner program may vary.