Top Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs
Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) strive to improve healthcare through evidence-based practice at the individual patient and systems levels. Becoming a CNS requires at least a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and many CNSs earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
Finding the right nursing school can be challenging. So, nurse.org compiled a list of the top 10 in-person and online CNS programs of 2026. Continue reading to discover a clinical nurse specialist program that meets your needs and take the next steps to advancing your nursing career.
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
Chamberlain University is the #1 largest school of nursing with a community of more than 177,000 students, faculty, and alumni. The school offers MSN-NP programs online and has a long history of successfully delivering top quality education. Chamberlain's Commitment to Completion Grant helps RNs earn advanced degrees with savings up to $9,100.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide except CT, NY, RI
Whether you’re taking the first steps toward a nursing degree, seeking to advance as a nurse or want to hone your craft with specialized study, there’s a path for you at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Our programs were designed so that you can easily balance your lives at home and work with school - without sacrificing the rigor and cutting-edge curriculum of a quality nursing education.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
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.
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
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MSN - Psychiatric Mental Health NP
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MSN - Family NP
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MSN - Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
-
MSN - Health Informatics
-
MSN - Nursing Education
-
MSN - Public Health Nursing
-
MSN - Health Care Quality & Patient Safety
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MSN - Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems
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MBA & MSN - Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems
Nurse.org's Top Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs For 2026
Our ranking criteria are based on factors such as tuition, acceptance rate, student-to-faculty ratio, and accreditation and use the latest and most robust U.S. government data sets, specifically the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Scorecard.
| University | Tuition | Program Length | Accreditation |
| The University of Texas at Austin | $1,418 - $2,035 per credit | 3 years | CCNE |
| Saint John Fisher College | $1,193 per credit | 2 years | CCNE |
| University of Detroit Mercy | $978 per credit | 3 years | CCNE |
| Indiana University - Indianapolis | $650.25 - $1,697 per credit | 2 - 3 years | CCNE |
| University of Washington | $11,688 - $16,679 per quarter | 3 years | CCNE |
| University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | $1,131.52 - $1,895.96 per credit | 3 years | CCNE |
| Rush University | $1,436 per credit | 2 years | CCNE |
3 years
Hybrid
The Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AG-CNS) DNP at UT Austin prepares students to lead adult and older-adult care. The curriculum focuses on health restoration and promotion, case management, and clinical leadership. Graduates are eligible for ANCC CNS certification.
- Tuition Breakdown:
- Resident: $1,418 per credit hour
- Nonresident: $2,035 per credit hour
- Application Deadline: November 1st
- Contact Information:
- Phone Number: (512) 471-7913
- Email: nugrad@nursing.utexas.edu
- Degree Offered: DNP
2 years
St. John Fisher University’s Adult-Gerontology CNS (M.S.) is an on-campus program that trains nurses to improve adult and older-adult care at the bedside and across teams. Students take advanced clinical courses and complete four CNS practicums (about 125 hours each) to build real-world leadership skills. Graduates qualify for New York CNS licensure and national certification.
- Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
- Contact Information:
- Phone Number: (585) 385-8064
- Email: mshea@sjf.edu
- Degree Offered: MSN
3 years
Detroit Mercy’s Adult-Gerontology CNS (MSN) is an online program that pairs flexible coursework with local clinicals so you can train where you live. The plan of study builds CNS leadership across patient, nurse, and system levels, and grads report strong outcomes—98% first-time certification pass rate and 100% employment after graduation.
- Application Deadline:
- Fall: August 1st
- Winter: November 15th
- Summer: April 1st
- Contact Information:
- Phone Number: (313)-993-1828
- Email: gradnursing@udmercy.edu
- Degree Offered: DNP, Post-Graduate Certificate
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
Chamberlain University is the #1 largest school of nursing with a community of more than 177,000 students, faculty, and alumni. The school offers MSN-NP programs online and has a long history of successfully delivering top quality education. Chamberlain's Commitment to Completion Grant helps RNs earn advanced degrees with savings up to $9,100.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide except CT, NY, RI
Whether you’re taking the first steps toward a nursing degree, seeking to advance as a nurse or want to hone your craft with specialized study, there’s a path for you at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Our programs were designed so that you can easily balance your lives at home and work with school - without sacrificing the rigor and cutting-edge curriculum of a quality nursing education.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
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.
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
-
MSN - Psychiatric Mental Health NP
-
MSN - Family NP
-
MSN - Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
-
MSN - Health Informatics
-
MSN - Nursing Education
-
MSN - Public Health Nursing
-
MSN - Health Care Quality & Patient Safety
-
MSN - Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems
-
MBA & MSN - Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems
2 - 3 years
IU Indianapolis’s Adult-Gerontology CNS (MSN) blends online coursework with on-campus lab days and Indiana-based clinicals. The curriculum focuses on building advanced assessment and systems-level leadership. Most students finish in about three years part-time, with a two-year full-time option when space allows.
- Tuition Breakdown:
- Resident: $650.25 per credit
- Midwest Exchange Resident: $975.37 per credit
- Nonresident: $1,697 per credit
- Application Deadline:
- Fall: July 1st
- Spring: November 1st
- Summer: March 1st
- Contact Information:
- Phone Number: (317) 278-2806
- nursing@iu.edu
- Degree Offered: MSN
Popular Online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Programs
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.
Whether you’re taking the first steps toward a nursing degree, seeking to advance as a nurse or want to hone your craft with specialized study, there’s a path for you at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Our programs were designed so that you can easily balance your lives at home and work with school - without sacrificing the rigor and cutting-edge curriculum of a quality nursing education.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
The Berkley School of Nursing at Georgetown University is one of the world’s leading academic and research institutions, and the university has been delivering graduate nursing programs in a distance-learning environment since 2011. The university's online programs allow students to learn from wherever they are while they pursue an accredited, mission-driven nursing education that will allow them to deliver high-quality care.
CCNE
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding NY and WA.
Elevate your nursing journey with The Ohio State University’s renowned College of Nursing—where academic excellence meets flexible, evidence-based learning. Whether you're a practicing RN ready to earn your BSN through the online RN-to-BSN program, or aiming to pursue advanced practice and leadership through online MSN or DNP programs with specialty certification, Ohio State empowers you to lead and innovate across healthcare settings.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Ohio State for details.
3 years
The University of Washington offers two DNP CNS programs: Pediatrics and Women’s Health. This is one of only a couple of Women’s Health CNS programs in the country, Offered exclusively as full-time programs, students graduate in 9 semesters and are board eligible.
- Tuition Breakdown:
- Resident: $11,688 per quarter
- Nonresident: $16,679 per quarter
- Application Deadline:
- Priority: January 15th
- Space Available: May 1st
- Contact Information:
- Phone Number: (206) 543-8736
- Email: asknursing@uw.edu
- Degree Offered: DNP
3 years
UWM’s Adult-Gerontology CNS (DNP) blends classroom and online learning with guided clinical immersion to build systems-level leadership and advanced adult-gero care skills. Full-time students finish in about three years. The school also offers a 12-month CNS certificate (adult-gero or peds) for APRNs who want the CNS credential.
- Tuition Breakdown:
- Resident: $1,131.52 per credit
- Nonresident: $1,895.96 per credit
- Application Deadline:
- Fall: February 1st
- Spring: October 1st
- Contact Information:
- Phone Number: (414) 229-5047
- Email: uwmnurse@uwm.edu
- Degree Offered: DNP
CCNE
Rush University’s MSN—Clinical Nurse Leader (for RNs) is a fully online didactic program designed so students can keep working while you study. The program takes two years to complete, including local clinical experiences, and a capstone quality-improvement project students can complete at their workplaces.
- Application Deadline:
- Fall: June 6th
- Spring: November 2nd
- Summer: April 13th
- Contact Information:
- Phone Number: (312) 942-7100
- Email: con_admissions@rush.edu
- Degree Offered: MSN
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✔ Evaluated 1,100+ accredited nursing school programs using the latest U.S. government data sets. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Clinical Nurse Specialist Program FAQs
Additional Resources
- How to Become a Clinical Nurse Specialist
- CNS vs NP: What's the Difference?
- Highest Paying Nursing Jobs
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