19 Schools • 5 Online • 14 Mostly Online
Nurses in states without an in-state Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program still have real options. The 19 programs below deliver coursework online and let students complete clinicals near home rather than in the school’s state. Five are fully online with no campus travel; 14 are mostly online, with a set number of campus visits.
Primary care dominates, but acute care and dual tracks exist. Published rates run from about $609 to $2,345 per credit, and every school sets its own rules on which states it can enroll.
Highlights include:
No campus travel: Maryville, Walden, and Regis offer every entry point from RN or BSN through certificate with no campus travel.
Online acute care: UNR is the only fully online acute care option, and the only fully online program here that secures clinical sites.
Both populations at the lowest rates: South Alabama and UAB offer primary and acute care at every degree level at the lowest rates in this group.
Dual tracks at the master’s level: Drexel is the only mostly online program here with primary, acute, and dual tracks at the master’s level.
School-arranged clinicals: Johns Hopkins, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Arizona place students with preceptors rather than leaving the search to them.
Fully Online PNP Programs
These five programs publish no required campus visits for their online pathways. Coursework, orientation, and skills work happen remotely, and clinicals take place where the student lives.
| School | Population Focus | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Clinical Placement |
| Maryville University, St. Louis, MO | Primary Care | None | $900 master’s; $995 doctoral | MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Certificate | Student-secured |
| Walden University, Minneapolis, MN | Primary Care | None | $785 (quarter credit) | MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Certificate | Student-secured; assistance after failed attempts |
| Regis College, Weston, MA | Primary Care | None | $1,061 | MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Certificate | Shared; coordinators assist |
| University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX | Primary & Acute Care | None (online tracks) | $654 | MSN, Certificate | Student-secured; department assists |
| University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV | Acute Care | None stated | $718.25 | MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | School-secured; site locations not stated |
Cost per credit reflects each school’s published rate, including mandatory per-credit fees where the school charges them.
- Widest entry range: Walden and Regis — both admit associate-degree RNs through an RN-to-MSN route, and Regis requires no prior clinical experience for RN-entry pathways.
- Most clinical hours: Regis — 800 pediatric hours in every pathway, against 640 at Walden and roughly 720 at UTA; Maryville does not publish a total.
- One national rate: UTA — charges the same $654 per credit to Texas and out-of-state online students, but its state authorization map decides who can enroll, and its dual MSN is campus-based.
- Acute care with placements: UNR — secures 780 hours of pediatric acute care clinicals for MSN students, but does not say whether sites extend beyond Nevada, and students must be eligible for a Nevada RN license.
Mostly Online PNP Programs With Limited Campus Travel
These 14 programs teach online and place clinicals near the student’s home, but require a defined number of campus events. The table shows how much travel to budget.
| School | Population Focus | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Clinical Placement |
| University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL | Primary & Acute Care | One skills intensive | $609 | MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Certificate | Student-secured; faculty assist |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL | Primary & Acute Care | Skills intensives | $744 | MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | School assists |
| Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA | Primary, Acute & Dual | One 4–5 day intensive | $1,298 | MSN, Certificate | Student-secured |
| Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA | Primary Care | Orientation only (MSN) | $1,390 | MSN, Certificate | Shared |
| Spring Arbor University, Spring Arbor, MI | Primary Care | One 4-day residency (MSN) | $810 | MSN, Certificate | Student-secured |
| Rasmussen University, Bloomington, MN | Primary Care | One campus weekend | $925 | MSN, Certificate | Coordinator assists |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO | Primary & Acute Care | 2–3 days per clinical semester | $803 | MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Certificate | Not clearly stated |
| University of Missouri, Columbia, MO | Primary Care | 3–4 campus events | $681.30 | MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Student-secured |
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI | Primary Care | Up to 3 days per term | $1,746 | MSN | Not clearly stated |
| University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ | Primary Care | About 3 days per clinical semester | $1,058 | BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Certificate | College-arranged |
| Rush University, Chicago, IL | Primary & Acute Care | 2 skills days (PC); two 2–3 day visits (AC) | $1,493 | BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, Certificate | Shared; not guaranteed |
| Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD | Primary Care & Dual | 2–4 immersion semesters | $2,098 | MSN, BSN-DNP | School-arranged |
| Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN | Primary & Acute Care | Periodic campus sessions | $2,057 | MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | School-coordinated |
| Duke University, Durham, NC | Primary & Acute Care | Three campus intensives | $2,345 | MSN, Certificate | Placement team; $1,500 fee |
Cost per credit reflects each school’s published rate, including mandatory per-credit fees where the school charges them.
- Closest to fully online: Jefferson and Spring Arbor — one campus event for the MSN, and both certificates run fully online.
- State exclusions: Rasmussen — its program does not meet licensure requirements in Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, or Pennsylvania.
- State exclusions: Rush — does not enroll Louisiana or Tennessee residents, excludes New York residents from APRN tracks, and acute care availability varies by state.
- Placement radius: Johns Hopkins — draws preceptors from a partner network generally within 100 miles of home, and does not place clinicals in Louisiana or New York.
- License before clinicals: Drexel — requires a Pennsylvania RN license before clinicals begin, even for students who live elsewhere.
What’s the Best Online PNP Program for You?
Best for No Campus Travel
Maryville runs four primary care pathways with no campus visits, six start dates a year, and no GRE.
Lowest-Cost Fully Online Option
UTA has the lowest semester-credit rate among the fully online programs here, and charges out-of-state students the same rate as Texans.
Best Overall Value
South Alabama pairs the lowest rate among these 19 schools with primary and acute care at every degree level and a single campus intensive.
Best Acute Care Option
UNR is the only fully online acute care program here, and it secures clinical sites for its specialty hours.
Best Dual Primary/Acute Option
Drexel offers a dual MSN with one in-person intensive, the lightest campus load among the dual options here.
Best for School-Arranged Clinicals
Johns Hopkins assigns a clinical placement coordinator and places students within its partner network near home.
Primary Care vs. Acute Care Online Options
Primary care programs prepare nurses for well-child visits, chronic condition management, and outpatient pediatrics. Acute care programs prepare nurses for hospitalized, unstable, and critically ill children. Online acute care is scarcer, partly because inpatient pediatric preceptors are harder to secure from a distance.
- Primary care only: Maryville, Walden, Regis, Jefferson, Spring Arbor, Rasmussen, Missouri, Michigan, and Arizona — graduates sit for CPNP-PC.
- Acute care available: UNR, UTA, South Alabama, UAB, Drexel, UMKC, Rush, Vanderbilt, and Duke — graduates of acute care tracks sit for CPNP-AC.
- Dual preparation: Drexel and Johns Hopkins — dual tracks prepare graduates for both exams; UTA’s dual MSN is campus-based.
- Self-placement risk: Maryville, Walden, Spring Arbor, Missouri, and Drexel — students secure their own pediatric preceptors, which can take months in rural areas.
Online PNP Programs by Degree Pathway
No BSN yet? Compare RN-to-MSN PNP programs, including Walden, Regis, and South Alabama. Each school decides which states it can enroll.
Want the master’s route? Compare BSN-to-MSN PNP programs nationally. Out-of-state schools set their own rules on enrolling and placing students.
Aiming for a doctorate? Compare BSN-to-DNP PNP programs, or compare MSN-to-DNP PNP programs if you already hold a master’s.
Already an APRN? Compare post-graduate PNP certificate programs. Several run fully online even where the degree track requires campus visits.
No In-State PNP Program?
We found no in-state Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program in Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wyoming. Nurses there rely on the programs above or on schools in neighboring states. Before applying, confirm three things in writing: that the school is authorized to enroll residents of your state, that it allows clinicals there, and which RN license it requires.
FAQ
Are any PNP programs fully online?
Yes. Maryville, Walden, Regis, UTA’s online tracks, and UNR publish no required campus visits. Clinical hours still happen in person at a pediatric site near you, as in every PNP program.
Which online PNP programs offer acute care?
UNR is the only fully online acute care program here. UTA, South Alabama, UAB, Drexel, UMKC, Rush, Vanderbilt, and Duke offer acute care tracks, mostly with some campus travel. Drexel and Johns Hopkins offer dual tracks.
Do online PNP programs find clinical placements?
Some do. Johns Hopkins, Arizona, and UNR arrange sites; Vanderbilt and Duke coordinate them, Duke for a $1,500 fee. Maryville, Walden, Spring Arbor, Missouri, and Drexel leave the search to the student. UMKC and Michigan do not clearly say.
Can I enroll from a state with no PNP program?
Usually, but not everywhere. Rasmussen does not meet licensure requirements in Idaho or Kansas, among others, and Rush excludes several states. UTA uses a state authorization map. Check each school’s current list before applying.
What is the cheapest online PNP program?
South Alabama has the lowest published rate here at $609 per credit. Among fully online programs on semester credits, UTA is lowest at $654; Walden bills $785 per quarter credit, which is not directly comparable. Total cost depends on credits and fees, so compare full program estimates on each school’s profile.
Is there a PNP program near Kansas?
Kansas has no in-state program, but UMKC sits just across the state line in Kansas City, Missouri. Its mostly online format requires short residencies each clinical semester.