Online Master’s in Nursing (MSN)

The FNP track prepares nurses to provide primary care across the lifespan — from pediatric to geriatric patients. FNPs diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, order and interpret diagnostics, and manage chronic disease. This is the most popular MSN specialization nationally because of its broad scope and high employment demand.

Typical coursework: Advanced health assessment, pharmacology, primary care of families, clinical decision-making

Career outcome: FNPs work in primary care clinics, urgent care, community health centers, and retail health settings. Median salary: ~$121,000 (BLS).

Choose this track if: You want the widest possible scope of practice and maximum job flexibility across settings and patient populations.

AG-NPs specialize in adults and older adults, with two sub-tracks: primary care and acute care. Primary care AG-NPs manage chronic conditions and preventive care; acute care AG-NPs work in hospitals, ICUs, and emergency settings managing complex, often life-threatening conditions.

Typical coursework: Gerontological nursing, acute care management, advanced pathophysiology, palliative care

Career outcome: AG-NPs work in hospitals, specialty practices, long-term care facilities, and home health settings.

Choose this track if: You know you want to work with adult and aging populations rather than pediatric or family-wide care.

PMHNPs assess, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions across the lifespan. This is one of the fastest-growing NP specializations, driven by a severe national shortage of mental health providers. PMHNPs prescribe psychiatric medications and provide psychotherapy.

Typical coursework: Psychopharmacology, psychiatric assessment, therapeutic interventions, crisis management

Career outcome: PMHNPs work in psychiatric clinics, hospitals, correctional facilities, telehealth, and private practice. Growing demand for telehealth-based psychiatric care has expanded employment options significantly.

Choose this track if: You’re drawn to mental health care and want prescriptive authority — one of the few clinical specializations where telehealth-only practice is widely viable.

The nurse educator track prepares MSN graduates to teach in nursing programs (associate, baccalaureate, or continuing education) and to design curriculum for clinical training environments. This is a non-clinical track — no additional certification exam is required for many teaching positions, though National League for Nursing (NLN) certification is available.

Typical coursework: Curriculum design, educational assessment, instructional technology, nursing pedagogy

Career outcome: Nurse educators work in universities, community colleges, hospitals, and simulation labs. Median salary: ~$80,000–$95,000 depending on setting.

Choose this track if: You want to shape the next generation of nurses. The national nursing faculty shortage makes this a high-demand career with strong job security.

This track prepares nurses for executive and management roles in healthcare systems — chief nursing officer, director of nursing, nurse manager, quality improvement lead. Coursework blends clinical knowledge with organizational management, finance, and healthcare policy.

Typical coursework: Healthcare finance, organizational behavior, quality improvement, healthcare policy and law

Career outcome: Leadership roles in hospitals, health systems, long-term care organizations, and health departments.

Choose this track if: Your interest has shifted from bedside care to system-level operations, staffing, budgets, and quality outcomes. For a deeper look at this track, see our guide to MSN in Nursing Healthcare Administration programs. Nurses interested in combining clinical leadership with formal business education may also consider an MSN-MBA dual degree , which pairs nursing administration coursework with MBA-level finance, strategy, and management training.

Nursing informatics sits at the intersection of clinical practice, data science, and health information technology. Informatics nurses design, implement, and optimize electronic health record (EHR) systems, clinical decision support tools, and data-driven quality improvement processes.

Typical coursework: Health information systems, data analytics in healthcare, EHR design and optimization, project management

Career outcome: Informatics nurses work for hospital systems, health IT vendors, insurance companies, and public health agencies. This is one of the few MSN tracks that doesn’t require clinical hours beyond what was completed during BSN training.

Choose this track if: You’re analytically minded, interested in technology, and want to improve healthcare delivery through systems and data rather than direct patient care.

Certified Nurse-Midwives provide a full range of primary healthcare services for women, including gynecological care, family planning, preconception care, prenatal and postpartum care, childbirth, and newborn care. CNM programs are among the most clinically intensive MSN tracks.

Typical coursework: Intrapartum care, women’s health across the lifespan, newborn management, midwifery pharmacology

Career outcome: CNMs work in hospitals, birthing centers, private practices, and community health clinics.

Choose this track if: You’re specifically drawn to women’s health and childbirth care. Note: CNM programs often have the highest clinical hour requirements (up to 1,000+ hours) and may have more limited online availability than other tracks.

Nurses whose interests lean toward population-level health — epidemiology, health policy, community health interventions — rather than individual clinical practice may want to compare the MSN against a Master of Public Health (MPH) , which prepares graduates for leadership in public health agencies, NGOs, and government health departments.

The right MSN pathway depends on your current credentials and how quickly you need to finish. Here’s how the main entry routes compare.

Who it’s for: Registered nurses who already hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Prerequisites: Active RN license, BSN from an accredited program, minimum GPA (typically 3.0+), clinical experience (varies by program — some require 1+ year)

Timeline: 18–30 months for most programs; some accelerated options in 12–15 months

Pros: Most direct pathway; largest number of program options; shortest timeline for BSN-holders

Cons: Requires a BSN — ADN-prepared nurses must complete BSN first or use the RN-to-MSN bridge

This is the most common MSN pathway and the one with the widest program selection. For a deeper comparison of BSN-to-MSN options, see our dedicated guide to BSN-to-MSN programs .

Who it’s for: Registered nurses with an ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) or nursing diploma who want to earn the MSN without completing a standalone BSN first.

Prerequisites: Active RN license, ADN or diploma from an accredited nursing program, often 1–2 years of clinical experience

Timeline: 30–48 months (includes bridge coursework equivalent to BSN content)

Pros: Skips the standalone BSN step; single enrollment from ADN to MSN; cost-effective for ADN nurses

Cons: Longer total timeline; fewer program options than BSN-to-MSN; bridge coursework adds volume

If you’re an ADN-prepared nurse weighing whether to do a standalone BSN first or go directly to MSN, our RN-to-MSN programs guide breaks down the trade-offs.

Who it’s for: Career changers with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field who want to enter the profession at the master’s level.

Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree (any field) from an accredited institution, prerequisite science courses (anatomy, physiology, microbiology, statistics), often GRE scores

Timeline: 28–40 months (includes pre-licensure nursing coursework + MSN specialization)

Pros: Fastest route for career changers to reach the MSN without completing a separate BSN and then a separate MSN

Cons: Most intensive pathway — combines BSN-level and MSN-level content; higher clinical hour load; limited program availability compared to BSN-to-MSN

Who it’s for: BSN-prepared nurses with clinical experience who want the fastest possible MSN completion.

Prerequisites: BSN, active RN license, typically 1+ years of clinical experience, strong academic record

Timeline: 12–18 months

Pros: Fastest completion; designed for experienced nurses; often streamlined admissions

Cons: Heavy course loads (often 2–3 courses per term); limited specialization choices in the shortest programs; may not be available for NP tracks requiring 500+ clinical hours

For nurses prioritizing speed, our guide to 1-year MSN programs compares the fastest accredited options.

CCNE accredits baccalaureate, master’s, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs. It is the accrediting arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Most university-based MSN programs — particularly those at research institutions and large state universities — hold CCNE accreditation.

ACEN accredits nursing programs at all levels (diploma through doctoral). It is more commonly found at community colleges and smaller institutions, but several well-regarded MSN programs carry ACEN accreditation — including Western Governors University, which holds both CCNE and ACEN.

• Certification board eligibility: The ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) and AANP (American Association of Nurse Practitioners) both require graduation from a nationally accredited program to sit for NP certification exams. CCNE and ACEN both satisfy this requirement.
• State APRN licensure: Every state Board of Nursing requires graduation from an accredited program for APRN license applications. Unaccredited programs — regardless of cost or convenience — leave you unable to practice.
• Employer expectations: Major health systems, the VA, and federal agencies typically require CCNE or ACEN accreditation as a condition of employment.

Both CCNE and ACEN are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Neither is inherently “better” — what matters is that your program holds one of them. For a broader view of accreditation across online master’s degrees, see our guide to accredited online master’s programs .

These OMC ranking pages are relevant to MSN students evaluating programs by different decision criteria.

1. Best Online Master’s Programs

This cross-discipline ranking evaluates online master’s programs by academic quality, graduate outcomes, and institutional reputation. Several universities on this list — including Johns Hopkins and Indiana University — operate top-tier MSN programs. Use it if you want to confirm a university’s overall online graduate program strength before committing to their nursing track.

2. Most Affordable Online Master’s Programs

Nursing programs vary dramatically in cost — from under $6,000/year at competency-based programs to $50,000+ at private universities. This ranking identifies the most budget-friendly accredited options across disciplines, and several universities that appear here also offer CCNE-accredited MSN programs. Essential reading for nurses paying out of pocket or managing student loan limits.

3. Accredited Online Master’s Programs

For MSN students, accreditation isn’t optional — it determines certification and licensure eligibility. This ranking focuses specifically on programs with recognized institutional and programmatic accreditation. Cross-reference it with CCNE/ACEN status to confirm any program you’re considering meets both institutional and nursing-specific standards.

4. 1-Year Online MSN Programs

If timeline is your primary constraint, this ranking identifies the fastest accredited online MSN programs available. It covers which specializations are realistically completable in 12–18 months, what trade-offs come with accelerated pacing, and which universities offer the strongest fast-track options for BSN-prepared nurses.

For a complete view of all OMC rankings across disciplines, visit the rankings hub .

An MSN opens several distinct career tracks. Salary and scope of practice depend heavily on which specialization you pursue and whether your role requires APRN licensure.

NPs (FNP, AG-NP, PMHNP, Pediatric NP) are the highest-earning MSN graduates on average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual salary of $126,260 for nurse practitioners as of 2024, with top earners exceeding $160,000 in acute care and specialty settings. NP employment is projected to grow 40% through 2032 — far faster than nearly any other healthcare profession.

Certification required: NPs must pass a national certification exam from ANCC or AANP corresponding to their population focus, then obtain APRN licensure from their state Board of Nursing. Full practice authority (the ability to practice independently without physician oversight) varies by state.

Nurse educators work in academic institutions, hospitals, and simulation labs. Median salary ranges from $80,000 to $95,000 , with higher pay at universities and in metropolitan areas. The national nursing faculty shortage means demand is strong and growing — the American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports that nursing schools turned away over 90,000 qualified applicants in 2023 partly due to faculty shortages.

Certification: NLN’s Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential is available but not universally required for teaching positions.

Nurse administrators, directors of nursing, and chief nursing officers earn between $95,000 and $150,000+ depending on facility size and system scope. These roles require operational management skills, budgeting ability, and policy knowledge alongside clinical background.

Informatics nurses earn $85,000 to $115,000 and work at the intersection of clinical practice and technology. As health systems continue EHR optimization and data-driven quality improvement, demand for informatics-trained nurses is growing steadily.

For detailed compensation data across MSN specializations, experience levels, and regions, see our master’s in nursing salary guide . Nurses exploring funding options should review our directory of scholarships for nursing students , which covers MSN-specific awards, HRSA nurse corps scholarships, and employer tuition reimbursement programs.