Online Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs in Texas

5 Schools • 2 Online • 1 Mostly Online • 2 Hybrid

Texas has five in-state schools with Pediatric Nurse Practitioner programs. Together they cover pediatric primary care, pediatric acute care, and one dual primary/acute option. Pathways include BSN-entry MSN, an RN-to-MSN route for associate degree nurses, BSN-to-DNP, and post-graduate certificates. Delivery ranges from fully online coursework to weekly campus attendance in Austin and San Antonio. Estimated resident tuition runs from about $13K for a certificate to about $66K for a part-time DNP once mandatory fees are included.

Compare Texas Pediatric NP Programs

School	Population Focus	Online Format	Campus Commitment	Cost Per Credit	Degrees	Best For
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock	Primary & Acute Care	Mostly Online	Skills intensives	$408 resident	MSN	Experienced pediatric nurses wanting a low-cost MSN in either population
Texas Woman’s University, Denton	Primary Care	Online	One lab intensive	$524 resident	MSN, Certificate	Texas residents wanting a high-clinical-hour primary care MSN
University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington	Primary, Acute & Dual	Online	Varies by track	$654 online, all students	MSN, Certificate	Nurses who can find their own preceptors and want online acute care
The University of Texas at Austin, Austin	Primary & Acute Care	Hybrid	Weekly	$5,233 per 9-credit semester, resident	BSN-DNP	Austin-area BSN nurses seeking a doctorate in either population
The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio	Primary Care	Hybrid	Weekly	$415 resident	BSN-DNP, Certificate	San Antonio-area nurses who want school-arranged placements

Cost per credit includes mandatory per-credit fees. UT Austin bills a flat rate per semester by credit load rather than per credit.

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What’s the Best PNP Program for You?

Lowest-Cost MSN

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has the lowest estimated MSN cost among the supplied Texas programs, about $22K to $23K with fees for either population. The catch is a firm two-year pediatric RN experience requirement.

Best Primary Care Option

Texas Woman’s University pairs online coursework with 780 practicum hours, the highest stated primary care total among the MSN options. It admits only Texas residents with a year of pediatric experience.

Best Acute Care Option for Working Nurses

UT Arlington runs its acute care MSN and certificate fully online at one per-credit rate, so a PICU or pediatric ED nurse can keep their job and stay put.

Best Dual Primary/Acute Option

UT Arlington’s campus-based dual MSN is the only program in the supplied data that prepares for both CPNP-PC and CPNP-AC in one degree, at an estimated $32K to $34K for residents.

Best for School-Arranged Clinicals

UT San Antonio pairs students with preceptors through its Office for Academic Affairs and guarantees placement for BSN-to-DNP students, drawing on more than 400 agencies near San Antonio.

Best Doctoral Option

UT Austin offers both primary care and acute care at the doctoral level for about $40K to $41K in resident tuition, with more than 1,000 program hours in each track.

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Primary Care vs. Acute Care PNP Programs in Texas

Primary care PNPs work in outpatient, school-based, and ambulatory settings focused on well-child care and common or chronic conditions. Acute care PNPs manage hospitalized, medically complex, and critically ill children in inpatient units, emergency departments, and intensive care. Three of the five Texas schools offer acute care, and only one offers both in a single degree.

School	Primary Care	Acute Care	Dual Option	Experience Requirement
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	Yes	Yes	No	Two years of pediatric RN experience required, both tracks
Texas Woman’s University	Yes	No	No	One year of pediatric experience required
University of Texas at Arlington	Yes	Yes	Yes	Acute care: two years of acute care RN experience within five years; dual: conflicting
The University of Texas at Austin	Yes	Yes	No	Primary care: pediatric RN experience preferred; acute care: two years full-time RN required
The University of Texas at San Antonio	Yes	No	No	One year of RN experience required, any setting

• Experience gate: Texas Tech — both tracks require two years of pediatric RN experience at application, which rules out nurses from adult settings entirely.
• Acute care without a pediatric background: UT Austin — its acute care DNP asks for two years of full-time RN experience in any setting, measured at enrollment rather than at the deadline.
• Preceptor burden: UT Arlington — students locate their own preceptors, which is hardest for PICU, sedation, and subspecialty acute care sites.
• Primary care only: Texas Woman’s University and UT San Antonio — neither offers acute care, so nurses aiming for inpatient roles need one of the other three schools.

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Texas MSN PNP Programs

Three schools offer the PNP at the master’s level, the shortest route to certification in the state. Texas Tech and UT Arlington cover both populations; Texas Woman’s University is primary care only. UT Arlington is also the only school with an RN-to-MSN route for associate degree nurses, and its dual MSN is the one master’s program that prepares for both certification exams.

School	Entry Point	Population Focus	Estimated Tuition (resident)	Duration	Clinical Hours
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	BSN entry	Primary Care	$22K–$23K	Not clearly stated	Not clearly stated
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	BSN entry	Acute Care	$22K–$23K	Not clearly stated	Not clearly stated
Texas Woman’s University	BSN entry	Primary Care	$27K	Not clearly stated	780 hrs
University of Texas at Arlington	BSN entry	Primary Care	$27K	29–33 months	Not clearly stated
University of Texas at Arlington	BSN entry	Acute Care	$29K	31–33 months	Not clearly stated
University of Texas at Arlington	BSN entry	Dual Primary/Acute	$32K–$34K	Not clearly stated	Not clearly stated
University of Texas at Arlington	RN (ADN) entry	Primary or Acute Care	$35K–$38K	42+ months	Not clearly stated

• Range basis: Texas Tech — the range reflects six or seven terms of flat per-term fees on top of about $18K in tuition and per-credit fees.
• Clinical load: Texas Tech — the catalog sets weekly clinical hours for each course, rising to more than 21 a week in the final practicum.
• Out-of-state cost: UT Arlington — the online MSN and RN-to-MSN totals apply to every authorized state, while the campus dual MSN rises to an estimated $78K to $80K for nonresidents.
• Nonresident pricing: Texas Tech — out-of-state distance students pay about $634 per credit, roughly $29K in tuition for either track.

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Texas BSN-to-DNP PNP Programs

Two schools train pediatric NPs at the doctoral level from a BSN, and both are campus-centered. UT Austin offers separate primary care and acute care tracks with weekday classes in Austin. UT San Antonio offers primary care only, with one to three campus days a week and school-arranged clinical placements. Neither offers an online DNP option.

School	Population Focus	Estimated Tuition (resident)	Duration	Clinical Hours
The University of Texas at Austin	Primary Care	$40K	3 years full-time	1,020 hrs
The University of Texas at Austin	Acute Care	$41K	3 years full-time	1,080 hrs
The University of Texas at San Antonio	Primary Care	$57K–$66K	3–4 years	1,080 hrs

• What the hours include: UT Austin — the totals are program hours; the acute care track lists 840 clinical hours within its 1,080, with the rest in labs and leadership practicums.
• Fees change the ranking: UT San Antonio — tuition alone is about $32K, but flat semester fees push the three-year plan near $57K and the four-year plan near $66K.
• Nonresident tuition: UT Austin — nonresidents pay about $74K to $75K, and UT San Antonio’s nonresident tuition alone is about $87K.
• Cohort size: UT Austin — each track admits four to six students a year through a single November 1 deadline.

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Texas Post-Graduate Certificate PNP Programs

Three schools let nurses with a master’s degree add pediatrics through a certificate. Texas Woman’s University and UT San Antonio require APRN licensure and cover primary care only. UT Arlington accepts MSN-prepared nurses, sets each plan through a gap analysis, and is the only school offering an acute care certificate.

School	Entry Point	Population Focus	Estimated Tuition (resident)	Duration	Clinical Hours
Texas Woman’s University	Licensed APRN	Primary Care	$17K–$21K	Not clearly stated	780 hrs
University of Texas at Arlington	MSN holder	Primary Care	$13K–$21K	Not clearly stated	Not clearly stated
University of Texas at Arlington	MSN holder	Acute Care	$16K–$24K	Not clearly stated	Not clearly stated
The University of Texas at San Antonio	Licensed APRN	Primary Care	$25K	4 terms (16 months)	810 hrs

• Why ranges: UT Arlington — the gap analysis can add up to five NP core courses, and Texas Woman’s University adds nine prerequisite credits for nurses missing the three core sciences.
• Full clinical load: UT San Antonio — certificate students complete the same 810 pediatric hours as its doctoral students.
• Start terms: UT San Antonio — the certificate admits in spring only, while Texas Woman’s University admits in fall and spring.

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National Online PNP Options

Texas covers both populations, but some gaps may push nurses to look beyond the state. No Texas school offers an MSN-to-DNP pediatric pathway, so MSN-prepared nurses who want a doctorate should review MSN-to-DNP PNP programs.

The two in-state doctoral programs require regular campus attendance, and the only dual option is campus-based in Arlington. Nurses who need an online doctorate can compare BSN-to-DNP PNP programs nationally. Out-of-state programs set their own rules on Texas enrollment and clinical placement, so availability varies by school.

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FAQ

How many PNP programs are available in Texas?

Five Texas schools offer PNP programs: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Texas Woman’s University, UT Arlington, UT Austin, and UT San Antonio. Together they offer MSN, RN-to-MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and post-graduate certificate pathways in primary care, acute care, or both.

Are any Texas PNP programs fully online?

Texas Woman’s University and six of UT Arlington’s seven pathways deliver coursework online, although Texas Woman’s University includes a 15-hour lab intensive. Texas Tech is mostly online with skills labs, while UT Austin and UT San Antonio require weekly campus attendance.

Which Texas schools offer pediatric acute care?

Texas Tech (MSN), UT Arlington (MSN, RN-to-MSN, and certificate), and UT Austin (BSN-to-DNP). UT Arlington’s dual MSN is the only program preparing for both CPNP-PC and CPNP-AC. Texas Woman’s University and UT San Antonio offer primary care only.

Which Texas PNP program costs the least?

For a full degree, Texas Tech’s MSN is the lowest at an estimated $22K to $23K for residents, including fees. For nurses who already hold an MSN, UT Arlington’s primary care certificate starts at about $13K, depending on the gap analysis.

Do Texas PNP programs arrange clinical placements?

UT San Antonio is the only school that states it arranges preceptors, and it guarantees placement for DNP students. UT Arlington expects students to find their own preceptors, with help available. Texas Tech, Texas Woman’s University, and UT Austin do not clearly state who secures sites.

Can nurses outside Texas enroll?

It depends on the school. Texas Woman’s University enrolls Texas residents only, and Texas Tech screens out-of-state applicants by state. UT Arlington’s online tracks accept students from states on its authorization map at the same rate. UT Austin and UT San Antonio require a Texas or compact RN license and regular campus attendance.

Is pediatric RN experience required?

At some schools. Texas Tech requires two years of pediatric experience, and Texas Woman’s University requires one year for its MSN. UT Arlington’s acute care tracks require acute care RN experience. UT Austin prefers pediatric experience for primary care, and UT San Antonio requires a year of RN experience in any setting.