The Best Online Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Programs of 2023

Georgetown offers one of the best acute care nurse practitioner programs that emphasizes the Jesuit belief in treating the body, mind, and spirit. The acute care nurse practitioner program prepares students to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses certification exams. 

RNs prepare to provide direct care to patients with acute and chronic conditions by completing 40 credits in under two years. The three objective clinical intensives require in-person study to complete 600 hours, but the asynchronous and synchronous nursing coursework can be completed online. 

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Washington, D.C.
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $2,358 per credit for Washington, D.C. residents; $2,358 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: BSN degree or clinical nurse leader MSN; current RN license; two years of clinical experience in an intensive care unit or emergency department; U.S. citizen or permanent resident; 3.0 GPA; minimum "C" grade in statistics
• Minimum Time Commitment: 23 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2020/2021): 100% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $100,876 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard

At Vanderbilt, students can enroll in the acute care nurse practitioner program even if they do not yet have an RN license. Specialities include cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, critical care, endocrinology, nephrology, oncology, pulmonology, neurology and neurosurgery, transplantation, trauma, and rehabilitation.

The 40-credit program includes coursework in advanced health assessments and clinical reasoning, physiology and pathophysiology, and advanced pharmacotherapeutics. Online lectures take place remotely, but clinical experiences must happen in person. Some campus visits are required. 

Vanderbilt offers a full-time program learners can complete in one year over three semesters, or a part-time option that takes 2-3 years. 

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Nashville, Tennessee
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $1,883 per credit for Tennessee residents; $1,883 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: RN license or meet the requirements to earn licensure; BSN degree or an MSN degree; at least a "C" grade in statistics; statement of purpose; 3.0 GPA
• Minimum Time Commitment: 12 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2021): 95% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $93,249 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard

With 20 years of distance-learning experience, Duke University's online acute care nurse practitioner degree prepares learners to work in adult gerontology, particularly in underserved populations, by completing 728 clinical hours.

MSN students complete 48 credits, which include online lectures, clinical practicums, and intensives on campus. The curriculum comprises seven major courses, eight clinical courses, and three nurse practitioner courses. Acute care clinical courses train students to provide primary care to adolescents and adults patients, older adults, and acutely ill patients.

Duke offers a network of over 2,000 facilities and practices to help students find a clinical placement.

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Durham, North Carolina
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $1,984 per credit for North Carolina residents; $1,984 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: BSN degree from an accredited college; minimum 3.0 GPA; RN license; personal statement; a resume; three letters of recommendation; minimum "C" grade in statistics
• Minimum Time Commitment: 30 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2022): 87.84% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $97,071 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard

USF's 1973-founded College of Nursing offers a fully online acute care nurse practitioner degree with full-time or part-time options.

To earn an MSN, students must complete 48 credits. The core courses explore research and evidence-based practice, health promotion, organizational and systems leadership, health assessments, advanced physiology and pathophysiology, and pharmacotherapeutics.

After completing 540-720 clinical hours, learners can take the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses certification exams. 

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Tampa, Florida
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $347 per credit for Florida residents; $431 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: BSN degree or master's degree from an accredited international institute; RN license; three letters of recommendation; a resume; complete NursingCAS and USF Graduate Studies applications; one year of ICU or acute care nursing experience
• Minimum Time Commitment: 24 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2022): 84.51% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $97,850 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard

Stony Brook's online acute care nurse practitioner degree enrolls learners with a nursing degree or without. The nursing school requires a clinical practice portfolio for those without a bachelor's in nursing. 

The program requires 45 credits, including core requirements for organizational leadership, quality improvement, and healthcare policy and advocacy. Enrollees study pharmacology, health assessments, pathophysiology, and complete four clinical experiences. 

After completing the program, graduates can sit for national certification to become an adult gerontology-acute care nurse practitioner. 

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Stony Brook, New York
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $471 per credit for New York residents; $565 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: BSN degree or a clinical practice portfolio and $300 fee; minimum 3.0 GPA; personal essay; unofficial transcripts; one year of nursing experience; three letters of recommendation; RN license; a resume; completed undergraduate statistics and health assessments courses; BLS and ACLS certification
• Minimum Time Commitment: 24 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2021): 95.5% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $105,661 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard

Herzing's nursing school offers a flexible online acute care nurse practitioner program with multiple start dates and three program pathways. Learners with a BSN can earn an MSN with a specialty in adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner in 24 months. RNs with an associate in nursing degree can earn an MSN in 28 months, and MSN degree-holders can earn a postgraduate certificate in 20 months. 

The 48-credit MSN program requires the completion of 585 clinical hours. The core curriculum includes health policy management, theoretical foundations for nursing, technology and nursing informatics, organizational systems and behaviors, and research methods. Graduates can take the American Nurses Credentialing Center certification exam. 

With rolling admissions and six start dates, students can begin anytime and receive lifelong career support. 

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Brookfield, Wisconsin
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $695 per credit for Wisconsin residents; $695 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: RN license; BSN degree from an accredited college; minimum 3.0 GPA
• Minimum Time Commitment: 20 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2021): 96.88% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $94,408 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard

Students can earn an online acute care nurse practitioner degree at GW's part time while continuing to work. Most tracks in the MSN program allow for part-time studies, which take three years to complete. 

Courses concentrate on building an evidence-based practice, advanced physiology and pathophysiology, pharmacology, nursing leadership, health policy, and advanced health assessments. The program requires 48 credits and 600 clinical hours.

Enrollees can meet classmates through on-campus visits that include intensives in comprehensive critical care management, health assessment test outs and seminars, and suturing and chest tube insertion labs. New students start the program in the fall. 

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Washington, D.C.
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $1,395 per credit for Washington, D.C. residents; $1,395 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: BSN degree from a regionally accredited college; minimum 3.0 GPA; official transcripts; two letters of recommendation; a resume; statement of purpose; RN license; one year of critical care nursing experience 
• Minimum Time Commitment: 24 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2023): 94.2% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $101,254 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard

Founded in 1957, UofSC's online acute care nurse practitioner degree can be completed in eight semesters. 

Learners complete 48 credits and 672 clinical hours. The courses cover advanced pathophysiology, pharmacological management, research methods for nursing, health assessment and diagnostic reasoning, and management of acute care adult and gerontological health problems.

The college of nursing's 7,300-square-foot Center for Simulation and Experiential learning offers eight patient simulator rooms and four clinical exam rooms. UofSC accepts new students into this program every summer and fall. 

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Columbia, South Carolina
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $770 per credit for South Carolina residents; $1,438 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: BSN from an accredited college; minimum 3.0 GPA; one year of nursing experience; a personal statement; a resume; three personal references; RN license; BLS and ACLS certification
• Minimum Time Commitment: 24 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2022): 98.25% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $132,531 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard

With more than a 70 years of history in nursing education, DePaul offers an online acute care nurse practitioner degree students can pursue without an undergraduate nursing degree. The 2011-founded school of nursing admits students with a BSN degree, an associate in nursing degree, or a non-nursing bachelor's degree. 

The core requirements focus on biostatistics and epidemiology, pharmacology, and graduate research. The track curriculum covers primary care of adult and older adult populations, clinical management, advanced gerontological, and practicum experiences. Learners must complete a minimum of 600 clinical hours. 

Prospective students can enroll year round, with start dates in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. 

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Chicago, Illinois
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $765 per credit for Illinois residents; $765 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: RN license; BSN degree from an accredited program, an ADN, or non-nursing bachelor's degree; at least a "C" grade in statistics; 2.75 GPA
• Minimum Time Commitment: 24 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2021): 90% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $68,163 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard

Maryville, founded in 1872, offers a flexible online acute care nurse practitioner degree students can complete in as few as 32 months with clinical rotations available at local hospitals or practices.

The program requires 15 courses and 830 clinical hours over four semesters. To complete the core MSN requirements, enrollees study evidence-based practice in nursing, healthcare policy, professional role development, leadership and quality, pathophysiology, health assessments, and pharmacotherapeutics.

The six start dates allow students to begin immediately after enrollment. 

• Program: Master of science in nursing
• Campus: Saint Louis, Missouri
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $813 per credit for Missouri residents; $813 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: BSN degree; RN license; at least a "C" grade in statistics; statement of purpose; 3.0 GPA; personal statement
• Minimum Time Commitment: 32 months
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2022): 89.15% first-time pass rate
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $93,249 for master's graduates, according to College Scorecard