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Nurse Practitioner Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners usually study nursing, family practice nursing, or nursing science. 47% of nurse practitioners hold a master's degree, and 37% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 28,261 real nurse practitioner resumes to see exactly what nurse practitioner education sections show.
The most common colleges for nurse practitioners are the Walden University and the Walden University.
There are also many online nurse practitioner courses to help get the education required to be a nurse practitioner.
There are certain nurse practitioner certifications that you should consider. These nurse practitioner certifications include Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP-BC).
What education do you need to become a nurse practitioner?
What degree do you need to be a nurse practitioner?
- Master's, 47%
- Bachelor's, 37%
- Associate, 10%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a nurse practitioner?
- Nursing, 79%
- Nursing Science, 3%
- Biology, 2%
- Other Majors, 9%
Most common colleges for nurse practitioners
Nurse Practitioner Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Walden University | 8.49% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.20% |
| University of Cincinnati | 7.10% |
| University of South Alabama | 6.34% |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 6.24% |
Best majors for nurse practitioners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 79.5% |
| 2 | Family Practice Nursing | 7.2% |
| 3 | Nursing Science | 2.9% |
| 4 | Biology | 1.8% |
| 5 | Psychology | 1.5% |
Best colleges for nurse practitioners
The best colleges for nurse practitioners are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.
A nurse practitioner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for nurse practitioners. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become nurse practitioners.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
20 best online courses for nurse practitioners
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This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
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Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...
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6. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
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10. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
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Top 10 most affordable universities for nurse practitioners
The most affordable schools for nurse practitioners are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for nurse practitioners are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for nurse practitioners.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
4. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,419
Cost of Attendance
17,697
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,992
Cost of Attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for nurse practitioners
The hardest universities for nurse practitioners to get into are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for nurse practitioners are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for nurse practitioners based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
29%
SAT Average
1,422
2. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
41%
SAT Average
1,321
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
40%
SAT Average
1,376
5. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions Rate
47%
SAT Average
1,337
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for nurse practitioners
The easiest schools for nurse practitioners to get into are AdventHealth University, nyack college, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a nurse practitioner without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for nurse practitioners.
A
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
87%
SAT Average
1,016
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
999
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,072
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
99%
SAT Average
1,008
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,069
Average nurse practitioner salary by education level
| Nurse Practitioner education level | Nurse Practitioner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $110,875 |
| Doctorate Degree | $110,237 |
Nurse Practitioner Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025