Best Online Nursing Programs and Degrees in 2025

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), called LVNs in California and Texas, perform entry-level nursing duties in nursing care facilities, hospitals, physicians’ offices, and home healthcare services. Online LPN/LVN diploma programs offer one of the quickest routes into nursing.

Typical coursework includes fundamentals of nursing, human anatomy, medications, and disease processes. Students learn skills like checking patients’ vital signs, inserting intravenous lines, administering first aid, and managing patient data.

Alternatively, certified nursing assistant (CNA) programs offer a chance to build basic skills in a short timeframe and prepare you to pursue CNA jobs.

Online ADN programs provide the fastest path to becoming a registered nurse (RN). Students can earn their ADNs in two years and graduates can take the NCLEX-RN exam for their licenses.

ADN coursework covers health assessment, microbiology, and immunology. Students may also complete classes in surgical, pediatric, or neonatal nursing. RNs collaborate with teams of medical professionals to provide patient care, and the ADN curriculum emphasizes safety, ethical and legal practice, and care management. Distance learners complete about 500 hours of onsite clinical rotations.

Four-year online bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs prepare graduates to take the NCLEX-RN exam and can lead to increased job opportunities, responsibilities, and wages compared to ADN programs. BSN holders can also more easily pursue advanced nursing specializations and leadership positions.

Online BSN students train to become RNs who manage and implement patient treatment plans, supervise nursing teams, and educate patients and families regarding care. BSN courses cover anatomy, community nursing, informatics, leadership, pharmacology, and research and statistics. Clinical and lab hours take place onsite.

Prospective students with ADNs or an RN license may qualify to attend accelerated or bridge BSN programs.

Online accelerated BSN (ABSN) programs enable students with a non-nursing bachelor’s or graduate degree to earn a nursing degree in two years or less.

Core courses emphasize treating diverse populations across lifespans, building an evidence-based practice, and biomedical ethics. Nursing students also complete in-person clinical hours needed to prepare for the NCLEX exam.

Online master of science in nursing (MSN) degrees offer an entryway to specialized nursing careers. These careers typically provide greater autonomy and higher salaries than RN roles. For instance, nurse practitioners (NPs) can prescribe medications in every state.

Nurse practitioner online programs train advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) — a role that offers greater flexibility to work in specific populations. APRNs also work as certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists. Nursing programs also offer MSN degree specializations for nurse educators and nurse administrators.

Degree-holders without a nursing background can pursue a fast-track path to an MSN by enrolling in an online direct-entry MSN program. This program’s curriculum emphasizes health policy and advocacy, theory, and clinical practice to prepare graduates in as little as 15-24 months.

MSN students study specialty areas of nursing, such as family healthcare, nursing education, or nursing leadership. Typically, the first 12 months or four semesters of this program follow a BSN curriculum, then students sit for the NCLEX-RN at the end of the first year and move on to the MSN portion.

Earning an online master of public health (MPH) degree prepares students for careers as health educators, public health nurses, and biostatisticians. Colleges also offer dual MSN/MPH programs to train clinical nurses to take leadership positions in public health.

An MPH prepares graduates for certifications such as the certified health education specialist credential or infection prevention and control certification. Full-time students complete an online MPH degree in two years or 12-18 months for accelerated programs.

Nurse practitioner online programs offer concentrations that focus on a specific patient population. Common concentrations include family nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and women’s health nurse practitioner.

The curriculum focuses on information technology and data management, advanced pharmacology, and health politics and policy. Degree seekers with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and an RN license can typically satisfy their program requirements in two years.

Designed for nurses who want to provide care for pregnant individuals, online nurse-midwife programs prepare students for advanced practice nursing care. These programs include courses in postpartum care, advanced health assessment, and fetal evaluation.

In addition to the required courses, nurse midwife students must complete clinical hour requirements to prepare them with hands-on experience. Graduates can pursue American Midwifery Board Certification, Neonatal Resuscitation Program Certification, and Electronic Fetal Monitoring Certification.

Online gerontology programs let RNs continue working while they strengthen their clinical skills to work with older adults. By studying research methods in gerontology, health and aging, social services, and theories of aging, degree-seekers build skills to help the aging population.

Programs often conclude with a capstone project that integrates theory and research. These programs may prepare graduates to take credentialing exams administered by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Nurses with a BSN degree can complete an online FNP program to become certified family nurse practitioners. With courses that focus on adult care, care of the child and family, and women’s healthcare, FNP nursing students can become APRN clinicians who provide family-centered nursing care to patients across the lifespan.

The curriculum teaches students how to deliver general care to infants, adolescents, adults, and older people at hospitals, community clinics, and university healthcare facilities.

An online MSN with a concentration in diabetes nursing program equips nurses with the skills and experience to care for patients living with diabetes.

Degree-seekers learn about advanced management of pediatric diabetes, clinical practice in diabetes care and management, and advanced clinical management of adult diabetes.

Online neonatal NP programs build the nursing skills and knowledge necessary to work with newborn babies. Students learn about neonatal disease practice, pediatric care, and health informatics.

These NP programs prepare learners for certification in areas such as women’s healthcare, neonatal care, or family nursing. Neonatal nurse practitioner programs typically require 1-2 years of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) RN experience before admission.

An online MSN in nursing education prepares degree-seekers to pursue roles at hospitals, postsecondary schools, and medical centers. Nurse educators teach and train nurses and help develop nursing program curricula.

Students learn about curriculum development, evaluation strategies and methods, and approaches to instruction. Some institutions offer accelerated online options, allowing learners to complete their degree between 16-18 months.

Students can pursue an online nursing leadership degree to become a nurse leader. Nursing leadership master’s programs prepare degree-seekers for careers as nurse managers, nurse executives, directors of health education programs, and directors of community health centers.

The curriculum explores nursing leadership theory and practice, healthcare policy, evidence-based practice, population-based public health nursing interventions, and health disparities.

Combining technology and healthcare concepts, online MSN in health informatics programs focus on clinical nursing skills and emerging technology. During their coursework, learners explore data management in healthcare, nursing informatics leadership, and nursing research methodologies.

Graduates can pursue informatics nursing certification or the certified professional in healthcare information and management systems credential.

Online MSN in acute care programs build expertise in advanced practice care of adults across the lifespan, advanced health assessment and diagnostic reasoning, and advanced pharmacology.

Graduates can pursue certifications as clinical nurse specialists, adult-gerontology acute care NPs, and acute care NPs. These programs typically require two years of RN experience in acute care settings.

Nursing students can consider online dual degree programs to increase their earning potential and expand their career opportunities. Dual degrees combine nursing coursework with coursework in another field, such as business or administration.

Popular dual degree options in nursing include an MSN/master of business administration (MBA), MSN/master of healthcare administration (MHA), MSN/master of public administration, and MSN/MPH.

Pursuing an MSN/MHA dual degree prepares learners for careers as healthcare administrators and managers.

Learners who enroll in MSN/MHA programs may pursue leadership roles in nursing in less time than if they earned these degrees separately. While students in either MSN or MHA programs complete courses in leadership, dual degree programs let students maximize credits to satisfy the requirements for each degree and shorten their completion timeline.

Online MSN/MBA dual degree programs allow nurses to earn their nursing and business administration degrees at the same time. Students focus on advanced nursing and business topics, preparing them for careers as healthcare executives.

MSN/MBA courses focus on topics such as health informatics, advanced health assessment, health economics, and healthcare management.

Earning an MSN/MPH dual degree prepares learners for careers in nursing and public health. Students interested in supplementing their clinical education can focus on foundational public health knowledge and advanced patient care techniques.

MSN/MPH students can pursue specializations in epidemiology, health services leadership and management, and global health.

Online doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degrees culminate in the highest level of clinical and nonclinical education for nursing by awarding the terminal doctoral degree. Like the MSN, DNP-holders can be APRNs or other nursing specialties. Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are required to hold a doctorate by 2025.

The average DNP program spans 3-6 years and teaches advanced nursing practice, evidence-based practice, informatics, interprofessional collaboration, and organizational leadership. Hands-on experiences may include clinical rotations, internships, lab simulations, and residencies.

Nursing students with transfer credits from a variety of educational backgrounds may qualify for admission to online nursing bridge programs. Bridge programs leverage applicants’ previous experiences and knowledge to reduce completion time.

Online bridge programs offer flexibility and can save students money and time. Distance learners can complete clinical hours at their workplaces. Course delivery typically consists of pre-recorded, asynchronous lectures or synchronous (live) online classes scheduled around working hours.

Paramedics interested in becoming a nurse can enroll in online paramedic-to-RN bridge programs. Each bridge program has unique admission requirements, curriculum components, accreditation, course topics, and program length.

The curriculum explores pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, and lifespan and human development.

Full-time students typically complete their bridge program within 1.5-2 years.

LPN-to-BSN bridge programs and LPN-to-RN programs prepare licensed practical nurses to practice as registered nurses after graduation. Students target different patient populations and develop diagnostic skills and competencies.

Graduates can complete their NCLEX-RN exam to begin practicing professionally across a variety of healthcare settings, including long-term care facilities, government agencies, and health clinics.

One of the most popular bridge programs for nursing students, the RN-to-BSN option allows RN applicants with ADNs to earn their bachelor’s degree in nursing at an accelerated pace. Enrollees can build on the education from their associate program and job experience.

Upon earning their BSN, graduates work in hospitals, schools, and long-term care facilities. Full-time students can complete their requirements in as little as 12 months.

RN-to-MSN bridge programs, much like ADN-to-MSN degrees, fast track nurses in 30-36 months to an advanced degree by combining curricula geared for bachelor’s and master’s students. The pathway to earn a BSN and an MSN separately typically takes 72-84 months.

After completing undergraduate courses in health assessments, research, pharmacology, and ethics, students gain a specialty in clinical nurse leadership, adult-gerontology, or family health nursing.

Graduates can sit for NP certification exams in their nursing focus.

RNs pursuing academic, leadership, and research positions can enroll in an online RN-to-DNP bridge program to take courses in evidence-based practice, informatics for leadership in health and healthcare, and nursing policy. In addition to their advanced coursework, learners complete clinical practice hours.

These programs can take students between 3-6 years to complete, depending on their educational background and program requirements.

Students who hold a BSN and plan to pursue a DNP can consider enrolling in an online BSN-to-DNP program to quicken program completion. Doctoral programs typically require between 65-90 credits of coursework, taking learners between 3-6 years to finish.

BSN-to-DNP students can often choose an emphasis area including women’s health, psychiatric mental health, and neonatal nurse practitioner. In addition to their required coursework, doctoral students may need to complete a research project, dissertation, or thesis. Curriculum requirements are designed to meet state licensing criteria.