Written By Caitlin See
Updated on February 1, 2024
Nurse practitioners play a vital role in providing primary and specialty medical care for millions of Americans. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) estimates there are 355,000 nurse practitioners who provide more than 1 billion patient visits per year as of 2022.
Nurse practitioners provide a uniquely comprehensive perspective to healthcare. But this high standard of care requires at least six years of academic and clinical preparation, which comes at a steep price for these dedicated healthcare professionals.
Fortunately, you can limit your nursing school debt by carefully choosing an affordable NP program.
Top 10 cheapest nurse practitioner programs
There are many routes for becoming a nurse practitioner. Because many employers are now requiring a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), we’ve chosen to focus on accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to DNP programs for the purpose of this list.
For easy comparison, we’ve only included the listed cost associated with each institution’s tuition and fees for its Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track.
Alternative tracks might require additional semester hours, which might affect tuition costs. Additionally, each program might have supplementary program costs and expenses (e.g. books, software, name badge fee, etc.).
10. University of Missouri Health
Estimated tuition and fees: $38,386
Program option: BSN to DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 72.5 to 75.5 credit hours
Program format: Online
9. University of Southern Mississippi
Estimated tuition and fees $36,502 (resident), $44,454 (non-resident)
Program option: BSN to DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 71 credit hours
Program format: Hybrid and online
8. University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Estimated tuition and fees: $30,957 (students required to reside in Texas before the first day of class)
Program option: BSN to DNP – Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 79 credit hours
Program format: Hybrid
7. New Mexico State University
Estimated tuition and fees: $30,451
Program option: BSN to DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 74 semester hours
Program format: Online
6. Fort Hays State University
Estimated tuition and fees: $30,000 (limited to Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska residents)
Program option: BSN to DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 75 semester hours
Program format: Hybrid
5. University of Alabama
Estimated tuition and fees: $29,400 (available to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia residents)
Program option: BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 70 credit hours
Program format: Online
4. Missouri State University
Estimated tuition and fees: $29,246 (resident), $40,087 (non-resident)
Program option: BSN to DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 79 credit hours
Program format: Hybrid
3. University of Central Arkansas
Estimated tuition and fees: $28,762
Program option: BSN to DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 73 credit hours
Program format: Online (campus visits required for clinical courses)
2. Delta State University
Estimated tuition and fees: $23,853 (resident), $34,500 (non-resident)
Program option: BSN to DNP – Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 69 credit hours
Program format: Online
1. Wichita State University
Estimated tuition and fees: $23,364 (resident), $56,546 (non-resident)
Program option: BSN to DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner
Program duration: 74 credit hours
Program format: Traditional
Keep in mind that these are the cheapest nurse practitioner programs we found during our search. But there might be other affordable NP schools that aren’t included.
You can narrow your own search by deciding what specialization (e.g. FNP, nursing administration, nurse anesthesia, etc.) you’re most interested in. Then compare options for online, in-person, and hybrid courses to meet your schedule and career goals.
Cheapest online nurse practitioner programs
If you don’t need a BSN to DNP program because you already have your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), there are plenty of affordable online DNP programs available.
Here are a few of the cheapest online nurse practitioner programs for MSN to DNP students that we came across during our search.
But there are plenty more online DNP programs to explore that are budget-friendly with various tracks and specializations.
How to pay for nurse practitioner school
If you choose one of the cheapest nurse practitioner programs on our list, you’re looking at tuition and fees that are roughly $30,000 for the duration of the program. But these figures don’t include cost of living expenses and each school might have additional costs to consider.
Fortunately, nurse practitioner students have many opportunities for grants and scholarships. If you happen to be an active military member or a veteran, you might be able to score a deeply discounted tuition rate at your desired school.
However, many nurse practitioners end up taking out student loans to help cover the true cost of attendance.
The average nurse practitioner (NP) Student Loan Planner® client has over $150,000 of student debt, including any student loans taken out for undergraduate and beyond.
If you find yourself in this position, we recommend exhausting your federal student loan options first. Federal loans typically have lower interest rates and many borrower benefits and protections.
For example, federal student loan borrowers can enroll in income-driven repayment (IDR) plans that cap monthly payments at 10% to 20% of discretionary income. Additionally, nurse practitioners might be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), which wipes away federal student debt after 120 qualifying payments.
Private student loans should be a last resort to fill any remaining financial gaps in order to attend your program and get you earning more money in your NP position faster.
If you need private student loans to fund your DNP degree, we recommend shopping around with at least three lenders to find the best interest rate. Once you graduate, plan to refinance your private student loans anytime you can lower your interest rate or score a large cash-back bonus.
See what the best private student loan companies are currently offering.
