7 Schools • 1 Online • 3 Mostly Online• 1 Hybrid • 1 Campus
Seven Connecticut schools offer 17 FNP tracks: MSN programs at all seven, three BSN-to-DNP options, six post-graduate certificates, RN-to-MSN bridges, and one direct-entry pathway for non-nurses. Formats span fully online to campus-only. Tuition runs from roughly $16K for the least expensive certificate to $109K, and timelines from 15 months to four years.
UConn runs the state’s only fully online FNP at one flat rate for all states; Yale arranges every clinical placement but requires full-time campus study; SCSU is the lowest-cost route per credit; Goodwin admits ADN nurses without a BSN. Compare each school’s online format, campus commitment, cost, and degree options below.
Compare Connecticut FNP Programs
| School | Online Format | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Best For |
| Yale University | Campus | Full program on campus | $2,175 (certificate); MSN billed flat at $27,168/semester | MSN, Certificate | Guaranteed placements |
| Goodwin University | Mostly Online | Orientation plus 3 immersions | $949 + $1,100/semester fees | MSN, Certificate | ADN nurses skipping the BSN |
| Quinnipiac University | Mostly Online | 3 one-week immersions | $1,085 cpc | MSN | Highest clinical hours (780) |
| Sacred Heart University | Hybrid (varies by track) | None (certificate) to six campus classes/semester (DNP) | $390–$1,015 cpc | RN-MSN, MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | Non-traditional entry points |
| Southern Connecticut State University | Mostly Online | 2–3 visits/semester | $880 cpc | MSN, Certificate | Lowest per-credit cost |
| University of Connecticut | Online | None | $1,200 cpc | MS, BS-DNP, Certificate | Zero campus travel |
| University of Saint Joseph | Hybrid | One evening per week | $1,111 cpc | MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | Fixed evening schedule |
How We Classify Program Formats
To make comparing schools easier, we classify every program based on the actual student experience, not the school’s marketing language.
- Online: No required campus attendance. Clinical rotations completed locally are not considered campus requirements.
- Mostly Online: Coursework is primarily online, but students must attend one or more required campus visits, such as orientations, skills labs, or intensives.
- Hybrid: Online coursework combined with recurring scheduled on-campus classes or labs throughout the program.
- Campus: Most coursework is completed in person.
Our classifications are based on published attendance requirements and may differ from how a university markets its program.
What’s the Best FNP Program for You?
Best Fully Online
The University of Connecticut is the only Connecticut FNP with no campus attendance at all, pairing a U.S. News #4-ranked online nursing master’s (2026) and a 94% first-attempt certification pass rate with one flat $1,200/credit price for every U.S. student.
Lowest Estimated Tuition
Southern Connecticut State University delivers 660 clinical hours and in-person simulation training at $880 per credit all-in, about 27% below UConn, with identical pricing for residents and non-residents.
Clinical Placement Support
Yale University arranges every one of its 720 clinical hours through faculty and a dedicated Clinical Support Unit, removing preceptor-hunting entirely — students never source their own sites.
Best for ADN Nurses
Goodwin University lets associate-degree RNs with a non-nursing bachelor’s join the FNP cohort through up to five online bridge courses, skipping the BSN detour every other major Connecticut program requires.
DNP Funding
Sacred Heart University offers HRSA-funded APNURSE grants of up to $25,000 for eligible BSN-to-DNP students committed to underserved and rural care — the largest published subsidy among the state’s FNP programs.
Most Clinical Training
Quinnipiac University requires 780 preceptored hours plus an on-campus procedures residency covering ECG interpretation and hands-on diagnostics, the deepest supervised clinical sequence in the state.
Behavioral Health Preparation
The University of Saint Joseph requires the same 4-credit mental health diagnosis course its PMHNP students take, backed by 750 clinical hours and a fixed one-evening-per-week class schedule built for working nurses.
Connecticut DNP FNP Programs
Three Connecticut schools take BSN nurses straight to the doctorate, in three different formats. Sacred Heart’s hybrid averages six on-campus classes per semester in Fairfield, interleaving FNP and DNP coursework from semester one; USJ meets one fixed weekday evening across 10 semesters; UConn’s runs fully online around its “Scholarship of Application” doctoral core.
None publishes a complete picture — SHU and USJ omit clinical hour totals, and UConn’s credit count conflicts across its own pages.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Sacred Heart University | BSN-to-DNP (Hybrid) | $70K | 3–4 yrs | Not clearly stated |
| University of Saint Joseph | Post-BS DNP (Hybrid) | $72K | 10 semesters | Not clearly stated |
| University of Connecticut | BS-DNP (Online) | $94K–$96K | Not clearly stated | 1,000 minimum |
- Lowest doctoral cost: Sacred Heart — $70K tuition, though clinical and course fees add roughly $12,000 more .
- Only online DNP: UConn — no campus attendance
- Grant offset: Sacred Heart — HRSA APNURSE awards of up to $25,000 (full-time) can cover roughly a third of DNP tuition.
- Fastest post-MS doctorate: USJ — MS graduates returning within three years finish the DNP in 18 credits over three semesters
Connecticut MSN FNP Programs
All six schools offer the master’s route, and costs cluster in two bands: public and mid-priced private options between $40K and $61K, and Yale at $109K. Published clinical requirements vary by 240 hours between the lightest and heaviest totals, and placement support — not tuition — is often the deciding difference between otherwise similar programs.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Yale University | MSN (RN or GEPN direct entry) | $109K | 2 yrs FT | 720 |
| Goodwin University | MSN (ADN bridge available) | $45K | 27 mos PT | 600 |
| Quinnipiac University | MSN | $61K | 2+ yrs | 780 |
| Sacred Heart University | MSN | $40K | 2–2.5 yrs | 540 |
| Sacred Heart University | RN-to-MSN | $28K–$66K | 3.5 yrs | 612 |
| Southern Connecticut State University | MSN | $41K | 3–3.5 yrs | 660 |
| University of Connecticut | MS | $58K | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated |
| University of Saint Joseph | MSN | $52K | 7 semesters | 750 |
- Heaviest supervised training: Quinnipiac — 780 hours, but school-arranged placement covers residents only.
- Lowest master’s headline: Sacred Heart — $40K, with roughly $8,600 in lab and clinical oversight fees on top.
- Only direct-entry route: Yale — the GEPN pathway trains non-nurses with any bachelor’s degree to FNP practice.
Connecticut Post-Graduate Certificate FNP Programs
Five schools offer post-graduate certificates for MSN-prepared nurses adding the family population focus, and the designs diverge sharply. SCSU and Sacred Heart run certificate students through full clinical sequences; Yale and UConn individualize coursework through waivers or gap analysis, so the final price is unknowable until transcripts are reviewed. Connecticut licensure requirements apply at several schools — at Yale, from the day you apply.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Yale University | Post-Master’s Certificate | $2,175/credit, no fixed total | 2 yrs | Not clearly stated |
| Goodwin University | Post-Master’s Certificate | $28K | 16 mos | Not clearly stated |
| Sacred Heart University | Post-Master’s Certificate | $23K | 15 mos | 540 |
| Southern Connecticut State University | Post-Master’s Certificate | $16K–$24K | 1–2 yrs | 660 |
| University of Saint Joseph | Post-Graduate Certificate | $22K–$36K (gap analysis) | Not clearly stated | 500–750 |
| University of Connecticut | Post-Graduate APRN Certificate | $36K+ (gap analysis) | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated |
- Lowest certificate cost: SCSU — $16K when the 3 Ps transfer in, and it still delivers the full 660-hour clinical sequence.
- Fastest finish: Sacred Heart — 15 months with 540 hours, though the certificate is not eligible for federal financial aid .
- Faculty-placed clinicals: Yale — placement stays with faculty even for certificate students
Connecticut FNP Program Summaries
Yale University FNP Programs
New Haven | $1,826 (effective) cpc | Certificate / BSN-MSN
Yale is the outlier on this page: no online option, campus study in Connecticut, and roughly $112K all-in for the MSN. What that buys is the state's strongest clinical model — faculty and a Clinical Support Unit arrange all 720 hours at hand-selected sites, debrief students weekly, and often accommodate a final-semester rotation out of state. The GEPN pathway admits non-nurses with any bachelor's degree, and RN applicants don't strictly need a BSN. Pediatric training runs four dedicated courses, far beyond the single course typical elsewhere. Constraints: a CT RN license by November 1 of the first term, a three-application lifetime limit, and an unresolved Oregon licensure question. Best for career changers and nurses who value guaranteed placement and an elite network over cost and flexibility...read more.
Goodwin University FNP Programs
East Hartford | $949 cpc | Certificate / BSN-MSN | Mostly Online
Goodwin builds its FNP around a cohort that moves together from orientation to graduation, with online coursework interrupted only by orientation and two on-campus immersion weekends. Its bridge pathway is unique in the state: ADN nurses holding a bachelor's in any other field complete up to five online bridge courses and enter the FNP track directly. The gates are real — Connecticut residency and licensure, two years of recent bedside experience, one fall intake per year, and student-secured placements for all 600 hours, with progression halted if a site isn't lined up each clinical semester. At $949/credit with a published fee breakdown, budget about $54K all-in. Best for Connecticut ADN and BSN nurses who want structure and transparent costs and can cultivate local preceptors early...read more.
Quinnipiac University FNP Programs
Hamden | $1,085 cpc | BSN-MSN | Mostly Online
Quinnipiac stakes its program on clinical volume: 780 preceptored hours across four practicums, three one-week Connecticut immersions, and a dedicated procedures residency covering diagnostics before the practicum sequence begins. Pediatrics gets two courses rather than the usual one, and MSN graduates can roll into the DNP within two years without reapplying. Geography determines the experience — Connecticut students get school-arranged placements, nurses in the other eight approved Northeast states self-place, and New York residents must complete every clinical hour in Connecticut or New Jersey. At $61K it's among the pricier private options, driven by a 56-credit curriculum rather than the per-credit rate. Best for nurses who measure a program by supervised clinical time and want a doctoral path already attached...read more.
Sacred Heart University FNP Programs
Fairfield | $390–$1,015 cpc | Certificate / RN-MSN / BSN-MSN / BSN-DNP
Sacred Heart covers the widest credential range in Connecticut: an RN-to-MSN with $390/credit undergraduate billing, an online-with-residencies MSN, a 15-month certificate, and a hybrid BSN-to-DNP that interleaves clinical and doctoral coursework from semester one. The APNURSE grants — up to $25,000 in HRSA funding for DNP students headed toward underserved or rural care — are the standout financial lever. Watch the fee structure: clinical oversight and lab fees add 20–35% to headline tuition depending on track, and every track runs one start per year. Placement is student-secured, and SHU says plainly that travel to sites may be significant. Best for nurses whose entry credential doesn't fit the standard BSN mold, and for mission-driven DNP candidates who qualify for grant money...read more.
Southern Connecticut State University FNP Programs
New Haven | $880 cpc | Certificate / BSN-MSN | Mostly Online
SCSU's signature design choice is scheduling: every synchronous class in the program meets on Tuesdays, so working nurses protect one weekday for the entire degree. At $880 per credit all-in — the same for residents and non-residents — it's the cheapest per-credit route in the state, and the 660-hour clinical requirement lands at the upper end of the typical range. The final-year roles sequence brings 2–3 campus visits per semester for simulation training in a 2022-built center, including a summative capstone simulation. A clinical coordination office and provider referral network back up student-led placement searches. Requirements: a Connecticut RN license, a hard B (84%) in every course, and a fall-only roles-year start. Best for budget-conscious Connecticut nurses working full schedules who want hands-on skills checkpoints...read more.
University of Connecticut FNP Programs
Storrs | $1,200 cpc | Certificate / BSN-MSN / BSN-DNP | Mostly Online
UConn is the state's only fully online FNP — no campus visits, clinicals completed locally — and every U.S. student pays the same flat $1,200/credit regardless of residency, an unusually good deal for out-of-state nurses. The credentials are the draw: a #4 U.S. News ranking among online nursing master's programs (2026) and a 94% first-attempt pass rate across AANP and ANCC exams from 2020–2024. Access is the constraint. Admission runs once a year with a January 15 deadline, applicants need 2,080 verified RN patient-care hours, and reference rules are strict. Two planning-critical facts — MS clinical hour totals and the placement model — aren't published, and state-by-state practicum approval must be verified before applying. Best for experienced RNs anywhere in an approved state who want flagship credentials without travel...read more.
University of Saint Joseph FNP Programs
West Hartford | $1,111 cpc | Certificate / BSN-DNP / MSN-DNP
USJ organizes its entire FNP curriculum around one fixed weekday evening: two courses per semester, both meeting Tuesdays or Thursdays from 4–6:30 p.m., so working nurses never renegotiate a work schedule mid-program. The 750-hour clinical requirement trails only Quinnipiac's 780 in the state, and the curriculum stands out for a full 4-credit mental health diagnosis course — the same one PMHNP students take — plus a dedicated gender-related health course. MS graduates who return within three years complete the DNP in just 18 credits over three semesters. Know the cautions: admission requires a faculty interview, progression is strict (B- floor, one retake ever), clinical placement support is not clearly stated, and published application deadlines conflict between the program page and catalog. Budget about $55,600 all-in for the MSN. Best for Connecticut nurses within commuting range of West Hartford balancing full-time work...read more.
Other Online FNP Options
Connecticut’s lineup leaves gaps a national program can fill. Four of the six schools require a Connecticut RN license or residency for at least one track, most run a single annual intake, and UConn’s 2,080-hour experience requirement shuts out newer RNs.
Walden University and Purdue Global accept students across most states, offer multiple start dates each year, and admit RNs earlier in their careers. Both use student-secured clinical placement, however, so they solve geography and timing problems — not preceptor-hunting.
They fit nurses outside the Northeast, or those who missed a Connecticut deadline and can’t wait a full cycle.
Chamberlain University Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
Addison | $760 cpc | Certificate / BSN-MSN | Mostly Online
Chamberlain University’s FNP tracks offer an online learning framework for aspiring advanced practice nurses, though students should verify current regional availability for Connecticut prior to enrollment. For permitted locations, the university provides essential clinical support through its Practicum Commitment®, offering a structured backup preceptor option to students who encounter difficulty securing local placement. This safety net helps ensure that Connecticut applicants who enter the program can successfully fulfill their 625 direct patient care hours.
Maryville University Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
St. Louis | $900 cpc | Certificate / BSN-MSN / BSN-DNP | Online
Nursing professionals located in Connecticut can expand their clinical scopes by enrolling in Maryville University’s 100% online FNP options. Students operate under a self-directed clinical model where they assume full responsibility for identifying and establishing their own local practicum locations. This means Connecticut students can dictate exactly where they complete their adult-gerontology and pediatric rotations while keeping tuition uniform regardless of state residency.
Purdue Global Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
West Lafayette | $420 cpc | Certificate / BSN-MSN / BSN-DNP | Online
Purdue Global's FNP tracks provide a pathway to clinical advancement for graduate and undergraduate nursing professionals living in Connecticut. The university integrates clinical support straight into the program map, providing faculty-supported clinical coordination to help students manage their lifespan-focused training sites. This helps ensure Connecticut students can successfully manage their primary care, adolescent, and maternal health rotations locally while staying on track for graduation.
Rasmussen University Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
UPDATE | $915 cpc | Certificate / MSN | Mostly Online
Aspiring Family Nurse Practitioners in Connecticut can utilize Rasmussen University’s online platform to earn their advanced degrees without strict weekly deadlines. The program's comprehensive clinical support sets it apart, ensuring Connecticut students are paired with a dedicated coordinator tasked with finding and securing local clinical sites. To graduate, students will progress through four distinct, community-based lifespans practicums after completing a virtual immersion and a single on-campus weekend.
Walden University Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
Minneapolis | $785 - $960 cpc | Certificate / BSN-MSN / BSN-DNP / MSN-DNP | Online
Aspiring advanced practice nurses residing in Connecticut can safely enroll in Walden University’s online FNP tracks to pursue vital primary care credentials. To help students navigate strict regional onboarding requirements, Walden delivers structured clinical support by partnering its Field Placement Team directly with students through the official Practicum Pledge®. This ensures Connecticut applicants are never left isolated when trying to organize their four required lifespan practicum courses within their local hospital networks.
FAQ
How many online FNP programs are in Connecticut?
Six schools offer FNP preparation, five of them with substantial online delivery: UConn (fully online), Goodwin, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, and SCSU (mostly online). Yale is campus-only.
Is there a fully online FNP program in Connecticut?
Yes — UConn’s MS, BS-DNP, and post-graduate certificate require no campus attendance; coursework is 100% online and clinicals are completed locally. Sacred Heart’s certificate also states no campus residency, though that’s worth verifying with admissions.
Which Connecticut FNP program has the lowest tuition?
Per credit, SCSU at $880 all-in. By total, SCSU’s certificate can run as low as $16K if the 3 Ps transfer; among master’s degrees, Sacred Heart’s $40K MSN has the lowest headline, though fees push it near $50K.
Which Connecticut schools offer a BSN-to-DNP FNP?
Two: Sacred Heart (hybrid, $70K, HRSA grants available) and UConn (online, $94K–$96K, 1,000-hour minimum). Quinnipiac offers a post-MSN route into its DNP within two years of graduating.
Do Connecticut FNP programs require campus visits?
Most require some. Goodwin holds orientation plus two immersion weekends, Quinnipiac three one-week immersions, Sacred Heart’s MSN includes residencies, and SCSU requires 2–3 visits per semester in the final year. Only UConn requires none; Yale requires full-time campus attendance.
Can I complete clinical hours near home?
Generally yes, with caveats. Most schools use student-secured placement near home; Quinnipiac arranges sites only for Connecticut residents, Goodwin requires all clinicals in Connecticut, and New York residents at Quinnipiac must rotate in Connecticut or New Jersey. Yale arranges all placements through faculty.
Can ADN nurses become FNPs in Connecticut without earning a BSN first?
Yes, through two routes: Goodwin’s bridge admits ADN nurses holding a non-nursing bachelor’s via up to five online bridge courses, and Sacred Heart’s RN-to-MSN accepts ADN or diploma nurses with up to 90 transfer credits. Yale also accepts RNs whose bachelor’s is in another field.