Online Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs in California

3 Schools • 2 Hybrid • 1 Campus

Three California schools prepare pediatric nurse practitioners. Azusa Pacific University teaches primary care only, UCSF teaches acute care only, and Loma Linda University offers both as separate doctoral tracks. Pathways include the MSN, a post-master’s certificate, and the BSN-to-DNP. None is delivered fully online: Azusa Pacific is campus-based, Loma Linda and UCSF are hybrid, and every program requires a California RN license. Estimated resident tuition runs from about $31K for a certificate to about $130K for a doctorate.

Compare California Pediatric NP Programs

School	Population Focus	Online Format	Campus Commitment	Cost Per Credit	Degrees	Best For
Azusa Pacific University, Azusa	Primary Care	Campus	Weekly, evening lecture options	$895 per unit, all students	MSN, Certificate	Southern California nurses who want a master’s or certificate rather than a doctorate
Loma Linda University, Loma Linda	Primary & Acute Care	Hybrid	4+ sessions per quarter	$23K–$37K per program year	BSN-DNP	Inland Empire nurses who want assigned placements and a choice of population
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco	Acute Care	Hybrid	Light in year one, then mostly in person	$52,306–$59,675 per year, resident	BSN-DNP	Experienced Bay Area PICU and inpatient pediatric nurses

Cost per credit includes mandatory per-credit fees. Loma Linda publishes program-year totals and UCSF bills flat quarterly rates, so their annual figures are shown instead of a per-credit rate.

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What’s the Best PNP Program for You?

Best Overall Value

Azusa Pacific University reaches pediatric primary care certification for roughly a third of what either doctorate costs, at three Southern California locations with evening lectures and three intakes a year.

Best Certificate Option

Azusa Pacific holds the only post-master’s PNP certificate in the state, and certified NPs, nurse midwives, and CNSs can petition to waive overlapping coursework.

Best for Faculty-Arranged Clinicals

Loma Linda University faculty assign every rotation, so students never search for a preceptor. The placements sit in two Inland Empire counties.

Best Acute Care Option Without an ICU Background

Loma Linda’s acute care track asks only for one year of RN experience in any setting, where most acute care programs screen for PICU or pediatric emergency work. PNCB program approval for the track is listed as pending.

Best Acute Care Option

UCSF prepares acute care exclusively, with rotations arranged at Bay Area referral children’s hospitals, including UCSF Health and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

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Primary Care vs. Acute Care PNP Programs in California

Primary care PNPs work in outpatient, school-based, and ambulatory settings and sit for the CPNP-PC. Acute care PNPs manage hospitalized, medically complex, and critically ill children and sit for the CPNP-AC. California’s three schools cover both, but no program prepares for both credentials in one degree.

School	Primary Care	Acute Care	Dual Option	Experience Requirement
Azusa Pacific University	Yes	No	No	None stated
Loma Linda University	Yes	Yes	No	One year of RN experience, any setting
University of California, San Francisco	No	Yes	No	Two years of acute pediatric experience required

• Assigned placements: Loma Linda and UCSF — both schools arrange every rotation and handle site onboarding, which removes the preceptor search that most often delays pediatric NP students.
• Placement responsibility: Azusa Pacific — the school describes customizable placement but does not say whether it or the student secures the site and preceptor.
• Experience gate: UCSF — the two years must be in acute pediatrics; general pediatric or adult ICU experience does not count, and the specialty is locked at application.
• Certification status: Loma Linda — its acute care program page lists PNCB program approval as pending, while the primary care track carries no such note .

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California MSN PNP Programs

Azusa Pacific is the only California school awarding a master’s with a pediatric NP specialty, and it runs two versions. The standalone MSN is taught at Azusa, the Inland Empire, and San Diego. The longer version adds the California School Nurse Services Credential and is taught at Azusa only. Both prepare primary care practice and require a BSN and a California RN license.

School	Population Focus	Estimated Tuition (resident)	Duration	Clinical Hours
Azusa Pacific University — MSN	Primary Care	$41K–$46K	2–2.5 years full-time	Not clearly stated
Azusa Pacific University — MSN with school nurse credential	Primary Care	$49K–$51K	2.5 years full-time	Not clearly stated

• Tuition basis: Azusa Pacific — the flat $895 per unit applies to all students, so the ranges reflect the catalog’s unit spread plus about $1,400 to $1,600 in practicum fees.
• Clinical units: Azusa Pacific — the MSN carries 13 clinical units and the credential version 16, but no hour total is published for either.
• Extra requirement: Azusa Pacific — the credential version also requires a California-approved audiometry course that sits outside the unit total and the estimate.
• Transfer credit: Azusa Pacific — up to 9 approved graduate units can transfer in, which can cut about $8,000 from the MSN.

Want more master’s-level choices? Compare BSN-to-MSN PNP programs across the country. Out-of-state schools set their own rules on enrolling California residents and placing students here.

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California BSN-to-DNP PNP Programs

Two schools take BSN-prepared nurses straight to the doctorate. Loma Linda offers separate primary care and acute care tracks, and UCSF offers acute care alone. Both assign clinical placements, both require a California RN license, and both keep rotations in one region, so where you live narrows this choice as much as the curriculum does.

School	Population Focus	Estimated Tuition (resident)	Duration	Clinical Hours
Loma Linda University	Primary Care	$117K	3 years 9 months full-time	1,080 hrs
Loma Linda University	Acute Care	$117K	3 years 9 months full-time	1,080 hrs
University of California, San Francisco	Acute Care	$130K	3 years (11 quarters)	Not clearly stated ⚠️

• What the hours include: Loma Linda — 570 of the 1,080 hours are advanced practice clinical work; the other 510 are doctoral project practicum, and both tracks carry the same total.
• Insurance and residency: UCSF — the estimate assumes the student health insurance premium is waived; without the waiver the resident total is about $172K, and nonresidents pay $167K to $208K.
• Pacing: Loma Linda — part-time study stretches either track to about five years at the same published total, while UCSF is full-time only with one fall intake.
• Program review: UCSF — its BSN-to-DNP advanced practice pathway is under California Board of Registered Nursing review, though UCSF states graduates remain eligible for NP certification.

Not near the Inland Empire or the Bay Area? Compare BSN-to-DNP PNP programs nationally. California has no MSN-to-DNP pediatric pathway, so nurses who already hold a master’s can also compare MSN-to-DNP PNP programs; Loma Linda reviews MSN holders for waived units inside its BS-to-DNP instead.

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California Post-Graduate Certificate PNP Programs

Nurses who already hold a master’s in nursing have one in-state certificate. Azusa Pacific’s program drops the MSN academic core and keeps the full pediatric specialty sequence, so the clinical preparation matches the degree while the classroom load is lighter. It runs at all three campus locations and prepares primary care practice only.

School	Population Focus	Estimated Tuition (resident)	Duration	Clinical Hours
Azusa Pacific University	Primary Care	$31K–$34K	1.5–2 years	Not clearly stated

• Range basis: Azusa Pacific — the spread reflects a 33 to 37 unit requirement at $895 per unit plus practicum fees, not a residency difference.
• Waiver route: Azusa Pacific — California-certified NPs and nurse midwives, and nationally certified CNSs, can petition to waive overlapping coursework, so the low end can fall further.
• Spring deadlines: Azusa Pacific — the certificate’s spring cycle closes July 15 (priority) and September 30, months earlier than the MSN’s October date.

Need acute care or a different schedule? Compare post-graduate PNP certificate programs nationally. California offers no acute care certificate, and availability elsewhere depends on each school’s authorization in California.

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National Online PNP Options

California’s in-state programs leave clear gaps. None is fully online, none offers a dual primary/acute credential, and the two doctoral programs place students only in the Inland Empire or the Bay Area. Nurses in Northern California outside the Bay Area, the Central Valley, or San Diego who want acute care, or anyone who needs to keep working full-time without regular campus travel, may find a better fit in a national program. The programs below accept California nurses, subject to each school’s state authorization and placement rules.

Rasmussen University PNP Programs

Bloomington | $925 cpc | Certificate / BSN to MSN

In California, Rasmussen University’s Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner programs provide two online pathways with flexible pacing for working nurses. The MSN-NP route costs an estimated $51,680 and takes about 27 months, while the Post-Graduate Certificate costs about $29,670 and takes about 21 months. Both tracks include pediatric-focused coursework, practicum rotations, and a required one-weekend campus residency, but students should confirm that the program aligns with California licensure expectations.

Walden University Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs

Minneapolis | $785 cpc | Certificate / BSN to DNP / MSN to DNP / BSN to MSN / RN to MSN

California nurses can pursue Walden University’s Pediatric Nurse Practitioner programs in one of three online formats, depending on their current degree level and career goals. The DNP track is the most extensive option, while the MSN and Post-Master’s Certificate offer shorter paths into pediatric primary care specialization. All three options include practicum-based clinical training and are supported by Walden’s field placement resources.

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FAQ

How many PNP programs are available in California?

Three schools offer PNP programs: Azusa Pacific University, Loma Linda University, and UCSF. Together they run an MSN in two versions, a post-master’s certificate, and three BSN-to-DNP tracks split between primary and acute care.

Are any California PNP programs fully online?

No. Azusa Pacific is campus-based with evening lectures. Loma Linda is hybrid, with class sessions at least four times a quarter, on-campus exams, and a weekly skills course. UCSF is light on campus in the first fall, then mostly in person.

Which California schools offer pediatric acute care?

Loma Linda University and UCSF, both at the doctoral level. UCSF requires two years of acute pediatric practice, while Loma Linda requires one year of RN experience in any setting and lists PNCB approval for its acute care track as pending.

What is the lowest estimated tuition?

Azusa Pacific’s post-master’s certificate, at an estimated $31K to $34K, followed by its MSN at $41K to $46K. Both doctoral programs cost substantially more, from about $117K at Loma Linda.

Do California PNP programs arrange clinical placements?

Loma Linda faculty and UCSF’s Office of Clinical Placements assign every rotation. Azusa Pacific describes customizable placement without stating who secures the site and preceptor.

Is pediatric RN experience required?

Only at UCSF, which requires two years in acute pediatrics before rotations begin. Loma Linda requires one year of full-time RN experience in any setting, and Azusa Pacific publishes no minimum RN experience requirement.

Can out-of-state nurses enroll?

Only with a California RN license and a move. All three schools require California licensure and keep coursework and clinical placement in the state, with Loma Linda limited to two counties and UCSF to the Bay Area.