Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP-AC) programs prepare advanced practice nurses to care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults with acute, complex, critical, and chronic illnesses.
Unlike Primary Care PNP programs, Acute Care pathways emphasize hospital-based and specialty practice settings, where students develop advanced skills in managing unstable or medically complex pediatric patients.
Is Acute Care PNP Right for You?
- Interested in hospital-based pediatric care
- Want to work in PICUs, emergency departments, or specialty inpatient services
- Enjoy caring for critically ill or medically complex children
Below is a comparison of Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner programs, including tuition, educational pathways, delivery format, and school details.
| School | Location | Est. Cost Per Credit | Pathway | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL | 594 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | Little Rock, AR | $525 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| Loma Linda University | Loma Linda, CA | $1,000 CPC | BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| University of California, San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $2,395 CPC | BSN-DNP | Hybrid |
| CU Anschutz | Aurora, CO | $801 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $2,071 CPC | CERTIFICATE, RN-MSN, BSN-MSN | Campus |
| University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | $531 CPC | BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA | $1,191 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Hybrid |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago, IL | $1,129 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP | Hybrid |
| Rush University | Chicago, IL | $1,493 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| University of Louisville | Louisville, KY | $750 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Online |
| University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY | $1,103 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| LSU Health New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | $913 CPC | BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Campus |
| Northeastern University | Boston, MA | $1,946 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN | Campus |
| University of Maryland | Baltimore, MD | $926 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Hybrid |
| Johns Hopkins | Baltimore, MD | $2,098 CPC | BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| Wayne State University | Detroit, MI | 1,136.03 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Hybrid |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | $803 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| University of Missouri-St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | $548 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| University of Mississippi Medical Center | Jackson, MS | $596.20 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| Duke University | Durham, NC | $2,345 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN | Mostly Online |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | Omaha, NE | 716 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN | Hybrid |
| Creighton University | Omaha, NE | $1,050 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| Rutgers University | Newark, NJ | $902 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP | Online |
| University of Nevada, Reno | Reno, NV | $718.25 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP | Online |
| NYU | New York, NY | $1,800 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP | Campus |
| Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY | $471 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP | Online |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH | $2,384 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN | Mostly Online |
| Wright State University | Dayton, OH | $680 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN | Mostly Online |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $2,387 CPC | BSN-MSN | Campus |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA | CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN | Mostly Online |
| Medical University of South Carolina | Charleston, SC | $835 CPC | BSN-MSN, MSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | $994 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| Vanderbilt University PNP Programs | Nashville, TN | $2,057 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| University of Tennessee Health Science Center | Memphis, TN | $694 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Mostly Online |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | Lubbock, TX | $280 CPC | BSN-MSN | Mostly Online |
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $581 CPC | BSN-DNP | Campus |
| University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX | $654 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN | Online |
| University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | 914 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-DNP | Hybrid |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | $1,062 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP | Campus |
| Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI | $1,450 CPC | CERTIFICATE, BSN-MSN, BSN-DNP | Campus |