2 In-State Schools • 2 Hybrid • Plus 2 Online Options Compared
Indiana has two Pediatric Nurse Practitioner programs: Indiana University and Purdue University. Both prepare nurses for Primary Care only, and both are Hybrid.
Because neither offers Acute Care or a fully online format, we added two online programs, UT Arlington and Walden University, to every comparison table below.
Compare Indiana PNP Programs
| School | Tracks | Online Format | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana University Indianapolis | Primary Care | Hybrid | Simulation labs | $735 (DNP); $650.25 (certificate) | BSN-to-DNP, Post-Master’s Certificate | Pediatric or NICU nurses who want a low-cost doctorate |
| Purdue University West Lafayette | Primary Care | Hybrid | Hybrid and classroom courses | $4,996 flat per full-time semester | BSN-to-MS, BSN-to-DNP, Post-Master’s Certificate | Central Indiana nurses who want an MS and school-secured placements |
| UT Arlington (online option) | Primary Care + Acute Care | Online | None published | $654 | RN-to-MSN, BSN-to-MSN, Post-Master’s Certificate | Experienced RNs who want online Acute Care |
| Walden University (online option) | Primary Care | Online | None | $785 per quarter credit | RN-to-MSN, BSN-to-MSN, BSN-to-DNP, MSN-to-DNP, Post-Master’s Certificate | Nurses who need RN-to-MSN or MSN-to-DNP entry with no campus travel |
Indiana eligibility: Walden’s College of Nursing restricted-states list places no restriction on Indiana for any PNP pathway. UTA’s state authorization map lists Indiana as eligible for its online PNP tracks.
Indiana PNP Programs at a Glance
- Schools: 2 in-state (IU, Purdue), plus 2 online options compared (UTA, Walden)
- Primary Care: Yes, at both in-state schools
- Acute Care: No in-state option; online through UTA
- MSN: Yes, BSN-to-MS at Purdue; RN-to-MSN online only, through both online options
- DNP: Yes, BSN-to-DNP at both schools; MSN-to-DNP online only, through Walden
- Certificate: Yes, Primary Care at both schools; online in both populations
- Format: Hybrid at IU and Purdue; both online options are Online
- Lowest published in-state tuition: $6K–$20K (est.) (Purdue post-master’s certificate)
Choosing a PNP Program in Indiana
A Doctorate at Public Cost: Indiana University
IU charges every DNP student $735 per credit, and it publishes a 100% three-year certification pass rate. The trade-offs are entry and placement: applicants need a year of pediatric or NICU nursing before clinicals, admission is fall only, and students share the work of finding preceptors.
School-Secured Clinicals and an MS: Purdue
Purdue secures every placement through more than 100 contracts and rotates each student through a rural underserved clinic, a private practice, and a PNP-led setting. It is also the only Indiana school with a master’s route. The trade-off is geography: in-person classes each term and Indiana-licensed preceptors.
Acute Care Without Relocating: UT Arlington
UTA fills the gap neither Indiana school covers, with online Acute Care at the MSN, RN-to-MSN, and certificate levels. The trade-off is placement: students locate their own preceptors, with department help only after difficulty.
Entry Points Indiana Lacks: Walden
Walden admits associate-degree nurses through RN-to-MSN and master’s-prepared nurses through MSN-to-DNP, with no RN experience requirement and no campus visits. The trade-off is price: its programs cost more than either Indiana school’s equivalent.
Indiana RN-to-MSN PNP Programs
Neither Indiana school admits associate-degree nurses into a PNP program; both online options do. UTA offers fast tracks in Primary Care and Acute Care, and Walden offers Primary Care. Each completes an RN-to-BSN phase before master’s coursework begins.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT Arlington (online option) | Primary Care | $35K (nursing courses only) | 42+ months | About 720 (est.) |
| UT Arlington (online option) | Acute Care | $38K (nursing courses only) | 42+ months | About 720 (est.) |
| Walden University (online option) | Primary Care | $57K (after scholarship) | About 28 months | 640 |
- Only Acute Care option: UTA. The Acute Care MSN it feeds into requires two years of pediatric acute care RN experience within five years.
Compare more programs: See all RN-to-MSN PNP programs
Indiana BSN-to-MSN PNP Programs
Purdue is the only Indiana school with a master’s route, a 47-credit MS that prepares graduates for CPNP-PC. IU prepares PNPs only at the doctoral and certificate levels. UTA and Walden add online master’s options, and UTA’s covers Acute Care.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University (in-state) | Primary Care | $22K | 2 yrs full-time | 630 |
| UT Arlington (online option) | Primary Care | $27K | 29–33 months | About 720 (est.) |
| UT Arlington (online option) | Acute Care | $29K | 31–33 months | About 720 (est.) |
| Walden University (online option) | Primary Care | $45K (after scholarship) | About 24 months | 640 |
- Lowest estimated tuition: Purdue at $22K, billed at a flat full-time semester rate.
- Experience requirement: UTA requires two years of RN experience. Purdue and Walden publish no pediatric experience requirement.
- Campus requirement: Purdue includes hybrid and classroom courses in West Lafayette, including advanced health assessment.
Compare more programs: See all BSN-to-MSN PNP programs
Indiana BSN-to-DNP PNP Programs
Both Indiana schools offer a Primary Care doctorate from the BSN, and both price it well below most private doctoral PNP programs. The pediatric clinical preparation at each matches or closely follows its master’s-level content. Walden adds an online option with no campus visits.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana University (in-state) | Primary Care | $49K | 3 yrs full-time, 4 part-time | 1,005 (750 direct patient care) |
| Purdue University (in-state) | Primary Care | $36K | 3 yrs | 630 pediatric, plus DNP residency hours (1,000 post-BSN minimum) |
| Walden University (online option) | Primary Care | $76K (after scholarship) | About 3.25 yrs | 1,000 post-baccalaureate minimum |
- Lowest estimated tuition: Purdue at $36K, about $13K less than IU for Indiana residents.
- Experience requirement: IU requires a year of pediatric or NICU RN experience, which new graduates may complete after admission but before clinicals. Purdue and Walden require none.
- Campus requirement: Purdue’s DNP adds a six-day summer session in West Lafayette on top of its term courses.
Compare more programs: See all BSN-to-DNP PNP programs
Indiana MSN-to-DNP PNP Programs
No Indiana school offers a pediatric MSN-to-DNP. Master’s-prepared nurses in Indiana choose between a post-master’s certificate or Walden’s online MSN-to-DNP, which pairs doctoral coursework with the full Primary Care specialization.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walden University (online option) | Primary Care | $71K (after scholarship) | About 3 yrs | 1,000 post-baccalaureate minimum |
- Experience requirement: None published. Applicants with fewer than 600 verified prior clinical hours add up to 8 credits of field experience.
Compare more programs: See all MSN-to-DNP PNP programs
Indiana Post-Master’s Certificate PNP Programs
Both Indiana schools offer a Primary Care certificate, but eligibility differs sharply. IU accepts only APRN-specialty graduates with a year of pediatric or NICU experience. Purdue accepts graduate degrees in nursing or health-related fields such as an MPH or MHA. Credits at both are set individually.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana University (in-state) | Primary Care | $11K–$21K | 1–2 yrs (est.) | 525–780 |
| Purdue University (in-state) | Primary Care | $6K–$20K (est.) | 8 months–2 yrs (est.) | 630 |
| UT Arlington (online option) | Primary Care | $13K–$21K | About 12 months (est.) | About 720 (est.) |
| UT Arlington (online option) | Acute Care | $16K–$24K | About 14 months (est.) | About 720 (est.) |
| Walden University (online option) | Primary Care | $33K | About 5–7 quarters | 640 |
- Lowest estimated tuition: Purdue at $6K–$20K (est.), depending on how many credits the individual plan requires.
- Only Acute Care option: UTA, which requires two years of high-acuity direct patient care within the last five years.
- Experience requirement: IU requires a year of pediatric or NICU experience before applying. IU certificate students also cannot use federal loans.
Compare more programs: See all Post-Master’s Certificate PNP programs
Other Online PNP Programs for Indiana Nurses
Other online Primary Care PNP programs also enroll Indiana nurses. The directory below lists more options.
Maryville University PNP Programs
St. Louis | $900 cpc | Certificate / BSN to DNP / MSN to DNP / BSN to MSN / DNP
Indiana RNs looking to become Pediatric Nurse Practitioners will find outstanding options in Maryville University’s fully online programs. The four PNP tracks (MSN, BSN-to-DNP, DNP-NP, and Post-Master’s Certificate) feature convenient local clinical placements throughout Indiana, six start dates per year, and no waiting list once accepted. Students benefit from rigorous preparation that has produced a 92% certification pass rate—well above the national average—for successful PNP careers in Indiana.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many PNP programs are available in Indiana?
Indiana has two: Indiana University in Indianapolis and Purdue University in West Lafayette. Between them they run five Primary Care pathways across the MS, DNP, and post-master’s certificate levels.
Does Indiana offer an Acute Care PNP program?
No. Both Indiana schools offer Primary Care only, with no Acute Care or dual option. UTA offers online Acute Care through its MSN, RN-to-MSN, and certificate tracks, each with a pediatric or high-acuity RN experience requirement.
Are any programs fully online?
No in-state program is. IU is Hybrid, with simulation labs in Indianapolis on a schedule it does not publish. Purdue is Hybrid, with hybrid and classroom courses in West Lafayette each term and a six-day summer session for the DNP. UTA and Walden publish no campus visits.
Which program has the lowest estimated tuition?
In-state, Purdue’s certificate is lowest at $6K–$20K (est.), and its MS is the lowest degree at $22K. Among the online options, UTA’s Primary Care certificate starts at $13K and its Primary Care MSN is $27K.
Which schools offer a DNP?
IU and Purdue both offer a BSN-to-DNP in Primary Care. Walden offers online BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP tracks in Primary Care. UTA does not offer a PNP DNP.
Can students complete clinicals locally?
Purdue secures placements for every student through contracts in Tippecanoe and surrounding counties, with Indiana-licensed preceptors. IU arranges placements cooperatively, so students help identify sites. UTA and Walden students complete clinicals where they live but locate their own preceptors.
Can I become a PNP in Indiana without a BSN?
Not through an in-state program. Both Indiana schools require a bachelor’s in nursing for degree entry. UTA’s RN-to-MSN fast tracks admit associate-degree nurses, and Walden’s RN-to-MSN admits diploma nurses, associate-degree nurses, and nurses with a non-nursing bachelor’s.