Top Master’s in Nursing (MSN) Programs for 2025
Choosing to earn your Master of Science in Nursing is an exciting decision, but finding the right program can be challenging. To make your search easier, we’ve ranked the top MSN programs for 2025.
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
Earn a valuable nursing credential at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Expand your expertise and prepare to take on leadership and independent practice opportunities. Complete your courses online, on your schedule.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
Earn your nursing degree from one of the largest nursing education providers in the U.S. Walden University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s APRN certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get enhanced practicum support with our Practicum Pledge.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
Top 10 Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs for 2025
Our ranking criteria is based on factors such as tuition, acceptance rate, student-to-faculty ratio, and accreditation and uses the latest and most robust U.S. government data sets, specifically the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Scorecard.
|
School |
Tuition |
Program Length |
Accreditation |
|
University of Pennsylvania |
$6,640 per CU |
15 months to 4 years |
CCNE |
|
Columbia University |
$150,471 (total program cost) |
15 months |
CCNE |
|
Villanova University |
$1,050 per credit hour |
2 to 3 years |
CCNE |
|
Duke University |
$2,166 per credit hour |
2 to 4 years |
CCNE |
|
New York University |
$2,185 per credit hour |
16 months to 4 years |
CCNE |
|
Yale University |
$49,998 per year |
2 years |
CCNE |
|
Emory University |
$2,082 per credit hour |
2 to 3 years |
CCNE |
|
University of California - Irvine |
$33,231 - $45,476 per year |
2 to 3 years |
CCNE |
|
Northeastern University |
$1,000 per credit hour |
2 to 3 years |
CCNE |
|
University of California - Davis |
$129,766 (total program cost) |
18 months |
CCNE |
Penn offers a variety of MSN programs including acute and primary care nurse practitioner programs in multiple specialties, leadership and administration, and midwifery.
Graduating with an MSN degree from this Ivy League can open the door to many job opportunities including at some of the top hospitals in the country.
- Application Deadline: Varies depending on program
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (215) 989-4271
- Email Address: admissions@nursing.upenn.edu
The Masters Direct Entry Program at Columbia is a full-time accelerated nursing program for non-nurse college graduates interested in becoming nurses and earning an advanced degree.
Throughout the program, students complete a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours in a variety of clinical settings. In addition to the typical clinical experience, MDE students also get a six-week integration experience in which students work one-on-one with an RN in New York or participate in one of many global integration sites.
- Application Deadline: November 1st
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (212) 342-3920
- Email Address: son-ocas@cumc.columbia.edu
Villanova has four MSN-NP tracks: adult-gerontology, family, pediatric, psychiatric-mental health and nursing education. Graduates of the NP-MSN programs have the option to continue in the post-master’s DNP program. The seven core courses of each program are offered 100% online but clinical courses must be completed in person. Villanova does secure MSN student clinical placements which is a major highlight of the programs.
- Application Deadline:
- Summer: April 1st
- Fall: July 1st
- Spring: November 1st
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (610) 519-4500
- Email Address: nursing.recruitment@villanova.edu
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
Earn a valuable nursing credential at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Expand your expertise and prepare to take on leadership and independent practice opportunities. Complete your courses online, on your schedule.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
Earn your nursing degree from one of the largest nursing education providers in the U.S. Walden University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s APRN certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get enhanced practicum support with our Practicum Pledge.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
Duke University offers eight MSN clinical concentrations and three nonclinical MSN concentrations. One unique aspect of Duke is the clinical partnerships at over 2,000 locations nationwide. In addition to the main concentrations, Duke offers multiple specialty certifications including cardiology, endocrinology, HIV, oncology, orthopedics, and veterans health care.
- Application Deadline: December 1st
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (919) 684-3786
- Email Address: SONAdmissions@dm.duke.edu
16 months to 4 years
NYU offers a variety of MSN offerings including six NP specializations, nursing education, and nurse-midwifery. Most tracks offer three start dates allowing for increased flexibility and allowing more students to enroll in the programs.
- Application Deadline:
- Early: March 1st
- Final: June 15th
- Contact Info: (212) 998-5300
2 years
MSN programs at Yale include six core courses and individual clinical specialty requirements. Yale offers MSN students some unique concentrations and tracks including gender and sexuality health justice concentration, oncology concentration, as well as global health track.
- Application Deadline: March 1st
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (203) 785-6437
- Email Address: ysn.admissions@yale.edu
Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing offers eight NP specializations as well as a Master in Cardiovascular Perfusion Science program. Programs are offered full-time as well as part-time specifically designed for working nurses.
- Application Deadline: Varies depending on program
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (404) 727-7980
- Email Address: nursingquestions@emory.edu
The Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) is a two-year, full-time master’s degree program. The MEPH program is for non-nursing bachelor’s degree students, who are interested in pursuing an accelerated graduate-level program.
- Tuition:
- Resident: $33,230.97 per year
- Non-Resident: $45,475.97 per year
- Application Deadline: November 30th
- Contact Info: (949) 824-1514
Northeastern University’s School of Nursing offers seven nurse practitioner concentrations that focus strongly on clinical experiences. Students complete clinicals at some of the top hospitals in the Boston area.
- Application Deadline: August 1st and November 15th
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (617) 373-2708
- Email Address: bouvegrad@northeastern.edu
UC Davis's Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) program is led by a team of 55 professionals from a variety of disciplines including nursing, health informatics, pharmacy, and sociology. The program is completed over six consecutive semesters including summer.
- Application Deadline: November 1st
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (916) 734-2145
- Email Address: hs-SONAdmissions@ucdavis.edu
What to Expect in an MSN Program
MSN programs are advanced nursing degrees that focus on advanced patient care, leadership and administration, and nursing education. Programs are fast-paced and heavily focused on overseeing patient care, educating future nurses, and working in leadership. Students can expect to complete didactic courses either online or in-person, depending on the program, and then in-person clinicals.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements vary depending on the program but most MSN programs require the following,
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing or bachelor’s degree in another discipline from an accredited university
- Registered Nursing license
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- CV/Resume
- GRE, if applicable
- Interview
- Relevant clinical experience
Classes & Coursework
The classes required in an MSN program vary depending on the specializations. For example, PNP students will take courses focused on the care of pediatric patients while CNM programs focus on the care of pregnant and postpartum women.
Generally, courses will include,
- Advanced Pharmacology
- Advanced Pathophysiology
- Advanced Health Assessment
- Leadership and Administration
- Ethics
- Research
All MSN programs, regardless of the specialization, will require in-person clinicals at an approved clinical site with a preceptor.
How to Choose an MSN Program
Choosing an MSN program requires thoughtful consideration because it is a significant investment in time and cost. There are countless programs but not all universities offer all specializations. First, decide what type of MSN program you are interested in to help narrow down possible choices. Then look into other factors.
Factors to consider
There are many factors to consider when choosing a BSN program. The most important is national accreditation. There are two nursing school accrediting bodies,
- The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
- The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Accreditation ensures that all MSN nursing programs focus on the same standards and criteria across all nursing programs.
After choosing programs that are nationally accredited, other factors to consider include,
- Tuition (Private vs. in-state)
- Online vs. in-person
- Attrition rate
- NCLEX pass rate
- Student-to-faculty ratio
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
Earn a valuable nursing credential at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Expand your expertise and prepare to take on leadership and independent practice opportunities. Complete your courses online, on your schedule.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
Earn your nursing degree from one of the largest nursing education providers in the U.S. Walden University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s APRN certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get enhanced practicum support with our Practicum Pledge.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
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