- 4 Schools with Mostly Online formats
Tennessee has four in-state schools with Pediatric Nurse Practitioner tracks. All four prepare primary care PNPs, three add pediatric acute care, and two offer a dual concentration. Pathways include MSN, BSN-to-DNP, MSN-to-DNP, and post-graduate certificates. Delivery is Mostly Online statewide, with one fully online certificate. Estimated tuition spans roughly $7K to $130K, and completion ranges from about one year to four.
Four differences drive most decisions:
- UTHSC arranges every clinical placement but limits BSN-entry applicants to three states;
- Vanderbilt is the only master’s-level option and the most expensive by a wide margin;
- UT Knoxville is the only school offering acute care preparation with no experience gate;
- Tennessee Tech prepares primary care only.
Compare each school’s population focus, online format, campus commitment, cost, and degree options below.
Tennessee PNP Program Comparison
| School | Population Focus | Online Format | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Best For |
| Tennessee Tech University Cookeville | Primary Care | Varies by Track | 2–3 intensives per year (DNP) | $755 DNP; $817 certificate | BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Certificate | Only fully online PNP pathway in the state |
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Primary, Acute & Dual | Mostly Online | Graded campus days every specialty term | $994 cpc | BSN-DNP, Certificate | Acute care preparation without an experience gate |
| UT Health Science Center Memphis | Primary, Acute & Dual | Mostly Online | 1–2 visits per semester | $690 cpc | BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Certificate | Faculty-arranged clinical placements |
| Vanderbilt University Nashville | Primary & Acute Care | Mostly Online | 5–7 visits (MSN) | $2,057 cpc | MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | Shortest bridge from primary care to acute care |
What’s the Best PNP Program for You?
Best Overall Value
UT Health Science Center pairs the state’s lowest doctoral tuition with faculty-made clinical placements, 1,020 clinical hours, and a 98% first-time certification pass rate across DNP concentrations in FY2025. The limit is eligibility rather than quality.
Best Dual Primary/Acute Care Option
UT Knoxville‘s dual concentration adds acute care for roughly $11,000 and three semesters above its primary care doctorate, and nonresidents pay only about $75 more per credit than Tennessee residents.
Best Acute Care Option for Experienced Inpatient Nurses
Vanderbilt runs one of the country’s oldest PNP-AC programs, with a dedicated diagnostic and therapeutic procedures course, simulation-based campus sessions, and placement access to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital.
Best Certificate Option for Practicing APRNs
Tennessee Tech‘s 23-credit primary care certificate is fully online, open to any currently certified APRN, and requires no interview, writing sample, or RN experience minimum.
Best Doctoral Completion for Certified PNPs
Tennessee Tech finishes a doctorate in about 16 months for roughly $23K at resident rates, while UTHSC’s MSN-entry route lets a certified primary care PNP add acute care preparation and the DNP together for a comparable price.
Primary Care vs. Acute Care PNP Programs in Tennessee
Primary care preparation leads to outpatient work: pediatric offices, school-based health, health departments, and subspecialty clinics. Acute care preparation leads to hospitalized and critically ill children in PICUs, emergency departments, inpatient units, and hospitalist services. The population you choose determines which Pediatric Nursing Certification Board exam you may sit for, and it is set at application at every Tennessee school.
| School | Primary Care | Acute Care | Dual Option | Experience Requirement |
| Tennessee Tech | Yes | No | No | Two years RN experience for DNP entry |
| UT Knoxville | Yes | Yes — certificate and dual DNP | Yes | Acute care certificate requires CPNP-PC certification plus one year of acute care work |
| UTHSC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Acute pediatric background preferred for acute care |
| Vanderbilt | Yes | Yes | No | Acute care requires two years inpatient pediatrics or one year pediatric ICU or ED |
- Only acute care route with no experience gate: UT Knoxville — the dual DNP publishes no pediatric ICU, emergency, or inpatient requirement, which makes it the sole Tennessee door into acute care coursework for a nurse who is not already a PNP.
- Both certifications from one program: UTHSC and UT Knoxville — only their dual concentrations prepare graduates for both the CPNP-PC and CPNP-AC exams.
Tennessee MSN Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs
Only one Tennessee school still awards a master’s-level PNP degree. Vanderbilt runs separate primary care and acute care MSN tracks on a single fall intake, each about four full-time semesters, with a part-time plan available. Acute care credits vary depending on whether a student takes the section carrying developmental content. Master’s graduates can add the DNP later, which is often the better financial sequence.
| School | Population Focus | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Vanderbilt University | Primary Care | $93K | 16 months | 630 |
| Vanderbilt University | Acute Care | $88K–$93K, by credit load | 4 semesters | 560 |
Because Tennessee has a single in-state MSN option and it carries the state’s highest tuition, nurses set on a master’s degree should also compare national BSN-to-MSN PNP programs, which differ widely in cost, campus requirements, and clinical-placement support.
Tennessee BSN-to-DNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs
All four schools admit BSN-prepared nurses to a doctoral PNP pathway, and this is where the state’s cost spread is widest — roughly $41K to $130K for comparable certification eligibility. Program length runs from two and a half to four years, and clinical-hour totals differ enough to matter. UTHSC and Tennessee Tech publish combined totals that include doctoral project hours, not pediatric patient contact alone.
| School | Population Focus | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| UTHSC | Primary Care | $41K | 3 years | 1,020 hrs |
| UTHSC | Acute Care | $41K | 3 years | 1,020 hrs |
| UTHSC | Dual Primary/Acute | $44K | 4 years | 1,020hrs |
| Tennessee Tech | Primary Care | $58K | 3 years | 1,070 hrs |
| UT Knoxville | Primary Care | $69K | 2.5–3 years | 840 hrs |
| UT Knoxville | Dual Primary/Acute | $80K | 3.5–4 years | Not clearly stated |
| Vanderbilt | Primary Care | $130K | 7 semesters | Not clearly stated |
| Vanderbilt | Acute Care | $125K–$130K | 7 semesters | Not clearly stated |
- Lowest estimated doctoral cost: UTHSC — about $41K at resident rates for either single population
- Thinnest pediatric clinical volume: Tennessee Tech — 500 of its 1,070 hours are DNP project work, leaving 510 pediatric hours
- Only dual pathway without a full-time mandate: UT Knoxville — UTHSC publishes no part-time plan for its four-year dual concentration.
Tennessee MSN-to-DNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs
Two schools admit master’s-prepared nurses to a doctoral completion pathway, and they serve opposite purposes. UTHSC publishes separate entry points for nurses seeking initial pediatric certification, nurses already certified, and primary care PNPs adding acute care, with credits and clinical hours individualized after transcript review. Tennessee Tech’s version assumes you already hold the credential.
| School | Entry Point | Population Focus | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Tennessee Tech | Certified PNP entry | Primary Care | $23K | 16 months | 500 project hrs |
| UTHSC | MSN entry | Primary Care | $33K | Not clearly stated | 960–1,020 hrs |
| UTHSC | Certified PNP entry | Primary Care | $23K | Not clearly stated | Individualized |
| UTHSC | MSN entry, initial certification | Acute Care | $27K | Not clearly stated | 660 hrs |
| UTHSC | Certified PNP adding acute care | Acute Care | $23K | Not clearly stated | Individualized |
| UTHSC | Certified acute care PNP entry | Acute Care | $21K | Not clearly stated | Individualized |
- Only MSN-entry route to initial PNP certification: UTHSC — a 19-credit doctoral core plus the same 29-credit pediatric concentration BSN-entry students complete.
- Cheapest path to a second pediatric population with a doctorate: UTHSC — a certified primary care PNP adds acute care preparation for roughly $23K at resident rates.
Tennessee Post-Graduate Certificate PNP Programs
Certificates are the state’s shortest and cheapest route to PNP eligibility, but entry rules differ sharply. Tennessee Tech and UT Knoxville accept APRNs certified in another population. UTHSC requires an earned DNP. Vanderbilt works from an individualized gap analysis, so published credits are a sample rather than a fixed total. Clinical hours range from 500 to 840 with no consistent reduction for prior practice.
| School | Entry Point | Population Focus | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| UTHSC | DNP-prepared certified PNP | Acute Care | $7K | 15 months | Not clearly stated |
| UTHSC | DNP-prepared APRN | Primary Care | $15K | 15 months | 600 |
| UTHSC | DNP-prepared APRN | Acute Care | $15K | 15 months | 600 |
| Tennessee Tech | Any certified APRN | Primary Care | $19K | Not clearly stated | 510 |
| UT Knoxville | Certified primary care PNP | Acute Care | $19K | 1 year | 540 itemized |
| UT Knoxville | Certified APRN, another population | Primary Care | $28K | 15 months | 840 |
| Vanderbilt | Certified primary care PNP | Acute Care | $39K | 3 semesters | Minimum 500 |
| Vanderbilt | MSN-prepared APRN | Primary Care | $58K sample plan | 3–4 semesters | Minimum 500 |
| Vanderbilt | Non-pediatric APRN | Acute Care | $64K | 4 semesters | Minimum 500 |
- Lowest estimated certificate cost: UTHSC — about $7K for a DNP-prepared pediatric NP adding acute care
- Most clinical hours: UT Knoxville — 840 hours for its primary care certificate, identical to its DNP requirement with no credit for prior practice.
FAQ
How many PNP programs are available in Tennessee?
Four in-state schools offer 20 pediatric tracks combined: UTHSC has seven, Vanderbilt six, UT Knoxville four, and Tennessee Tech three. Every school offers primary care preparation, three offer acute care, and two offer a dual concentration leading to both certification pathways.
Which Tennessee school has the lowest estimated PNP tuition?
UTHSC, at every degree level. Its BSN-to-DNP runs roughly $41K at resident rates, its certificates $15K flat for residents and nonresidents alike, and its abbreviated acute care certificate about $7K. Vanderbilt sits at the other end, from $88K to about $130K.
Are there fully online PNP programs in Tennessee?
Only Tennessee Tech’s post-graduate certificate requires no campus attendance. Every other pathway in the state is Mostly Online with mandatory in-person days — skills labs, graded clinical intensives, or week-long residencies. Local clinical rotations are separate from that campus travel and do not require relocation.
Which Tennessee programs prepare graduates for both CPNP-PC and CPNP-AC?
Only the dual concentrations at UT Knoxville and UTHSC. Single-population graduates are eligible for one exam matching their track. UTHSC advises confirming in writing that its dual hour distribution satisfies both Pediatric Nursing Certification Board pathways before committing to four full-time years.
Do Tennessee PNP programs arrange clinical placements?
UTHSC faculty arrange all placements. Vanderbilt’s placement office secures sites for students admitted within 150 miles of Nashville. UT Knoxville arranges verified sites for Knoxville-area certificate students and assists others. Tennessee Tech students secure their own preceptors, subject to school approval.
Is pediatric RN experience required?
Not for primary care at any school. Acute care differs sharply: Vanderbilt requires two years of inpatient pediatrics or one year in pediatric ICU or emergency, UTHSC prefers an acute pediatric background, and UT Knoxville publishes no experience requirement for its dual DNP.