The Best Virginia Nurse Practitioner Programs

Earning a degree from a Virginia nurse practitioner program is a major investment of time and money. You need to choose your program wisely. This guide to the best nurse practitioner programs in Virginia can help.

Explore more about nurse practitioner programs in Virginia, with information on admissions requirements, expected coursework, and program accreditation.

We use a data-driven methodology to rank the best nurse practitioner programs in Virginia, making it easier for you to find a program that works for you. Our methodology is based on metrics that we believe matter most to students, including academic quality, affordability, reputation, and program offerings.

Nurse practitioners are between registered nurses (RNs) and physicians in their length of training and practice authority. Nurse practitioner programs in Virginia, whether on campus or online, all require clinical hours and classroom work. If you attend a Virginia nurse practitioner program online, you can find clinical placement in your community, although most programs provide advice or assistance.

Nurse practitioner programs focus on a population or type of practice, such as family medicine or neonatal care. When a student graduates and passes the board examinations, they are licensed only to practice within that specialty.

Most Virginia nurse practitioner programs require a clear and unencumbered RN license and a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. If you have an associate degree in nursing (ADN), some nurse practitioner programs in Virginia offer an ADN-to-MSN bridge program. Some programs also accept students with a degree in another field, as long as the student has met certain prerequisite courses.

Accreditation is the most important factor for measuring a program’s potential value. To earn your board certification as a nurse practitioner, you must graduate from an accredited program. Accredited schools almost never accept transfer credits from unaccredited programs. While unaccredited programs may promise lower costs and faster graduation, they are an unnecessary risk of your time and money. Because of this, we only include accredited programs in our ranking.

Virginia is an NLC state, meaning that nurses licensed in any participating state can practice in Virginia, and Virginia nurses can practice in any NLC state. This means that if your RN is from a different NLC state, you will not have to go through the licensing process in Virginia to work in the state.

If you already have a BSN, most Virginia nurse practitioner programs take approximately two years to complete, depending on the specialty and the program. If you do not have a BSN, it will take about three years to complete.

To get a Virginia NP license, you must graduate from an accredited program and pass your board certification examination. You can then apply to the Virginia Board of Nursing for an NP license.

The average salary for an NP in Virginia is $112,320, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Salaries vary based on experience, certification, local demand, and cost of living.