Pennsylvania has 24 schools with in-state FNP programs, spanning MSN, BSN-to-DNP, MSN-to-DNP, RN-to-MSN, and post-graduate certificate pathways. Formats run from fully online and asynchronous to hybrid programs with recurring campus attendance. Published tuition ranges from roughly $8K for the shortest certificate plan to $145K for the most expensive doctorate, and completion times run from one year to six.
A few highlights:
- Penn manages every clinical placement end to end
- Carlow places students through a federally funded network of underserved-care sites
- Millersville is accredited by NLN CNEA rather than CCNE or ACEN
- Wilkes admits associate-degree RNs directly.
Compare each school’s online format, campus commitment, cost, and degree options below.
Compare Pennsylvania Family Nurse Practitioner Programs
| School | Online Format | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Best For |
| Carlow University | Mostly Online | Campus skills lab plus residency | $946 CPC | MSN, Certificate | Nurses heading into underserved primary care with sites arranged for them |
| Cedar Crest College | Mostly Online | 2-day campus immersion | $683 MSN; $795 DNP | MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | Applicants who want published outcome data before committing |
| Commonwealth University | Online | None stated | $754 CPC | MSN | Out-of-state nurses seeking public pricing without a large surcharge |
| Drexel University | Mostly Online | Four-day intensive; synchronous class times | $1,169 per quarter credit | MSN, Certificate | Nurses who want live instruction rather than recorded lectures |
| Duquesne University | Mostly Online | Two 3-day residencies | $1,918 before automatic 25% scholarship | MSN, Certificate | Nurses who qualify for a partner-organization or military discount tier |
| Gannon University | Mostly Online | One on-campus skills evaluation | $990 CPC | MSN, Certificate | Working nurses who need a part-time-only sequence built around them |
| Holy Family University | Online | None stated | $955 CPC | MSN, Certificate | Nurses who need the weekly clinical commitment quantified in advance |
| Immaculata University | Hybrid | Recurring late-afternoon sessions | $750 MSN; $730 certificate | MSN, Certificate | Chester County nurses who want in-person faculty contact |
| La Roche University | Mostly Online | 15 simulation-center hours | $932; $743 partner rate | Certificate | Master’s-prepared Pittsburgh-area nurses holding a Pennsylvania license |
| La Salle University | Online | None stated | $1,075 CPC | MSN, Certificate | Practicing adult nurse practitioners adding family scope |
| Messiah University | Mostly Online | Two campus intensives | $820 MSN and CAGS; $980 DNP | MSN, BSN-DNP, CAGS | Nurses with graduate credits already banked toward a doctorate |
| Millersville University | Online (online MSN); Hybrid (campus MSN) | None online; weekday-evening classes on campus | $633 CPC | MSN (online), MSN (campus), Certificate | Nurses choosing between identical online and classroom tracks |
| Moravian University | Hybrid | Weekly seminars; 30 campus lab hours | $999 CPC | MSN, Certificate | Lehigh Valley nurses who want placement run for them |
| Penn State | Mostly Online | Three intensives, 3–5 days each | $1,048 World Campus | BSN-DNP, Certificate | Nurses committed to the doctorate and to Pennsylvania practice |
| Saint Francis University | Mostly Online | Orientation day plus two residencies | $625 | MSN, Certificate | Nurses who want procedural skills training before graduation |
| Saint Joseph’s University | Online | None stated | $1,052 + $2,100 per practicum course | MSN, Certificate | Experienced nurses with several years already at the bedside |
| Thomas Jefferson University | Mostly Online | One orientation day (MSN) | $1,390 | MSN, Post-BS DNP, Certificate | Nurses already employed inside a large health system |
| University of Pennsylvania | Hybrid | In-person coursework; Philadelphia-area rotations | $7,160 per course unit | MSN, MSN-DNP | Philadelphia-region nurses who want zero placement responsibility |
| University of Pittsburgh | Mostly Online (MSN); Hybrid (DNP) | Three immersions (MSN); synchronous campus sections (DNP) | $1,200 MSN; $1,305 DNP | MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Nurses weighing a new master’s against an established doctorate |
| University of Scranton | Mostly Online | Two campus intensives | $965 | MSN, Certificate | Nurses who want verifiable clinical hours on a fixed timeline |
| Villanova University | Hybrid | All 19 clinical credits taught in person | $1,120 + $157 per semester | MSN, Certificate | Philadelphia-suburb nurses who want placements secured for them |
| Widener University | Hybrid | Recurring Chester or Harrisburg sessions | $1,090 + about $293 per semester | MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | BSN nurses who want the MSN conferred en route to a DNP |
| Wilkes University | Online | None stated | $786 | RN-MSN, MSN, Certificate | Associate-degree RNs moving straight to nurse practitioner |
| York College of Pennsylvania | Mostly Online | Assessment laboratory, modality not published | $695; $665 partner rate | MSN, Certificate | Pennsylvania- or Maryland-licensed nurses wanting high clinical volume |
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 Overall Value
Millersville University delivers 43 credits and 750 clinical hours for about $27,219 all-in for Pennsylvania residents online, the lowest published master’s total in the state.
Strongest Clinical Placement Support
The University of Pennsylvania identifies the site, secures the preceptor, and executes every affiliation agreement and onboarding packet, leaving students to source nothing themselves.
Best for Underserved Primary Care
Carlow University built a HRSA-funded network of 32 clinical partner sites, 19 of them federally qualified health centers, and states that sites are provided rather than student-arranged.
Strongest DNP
Penn State runs Pennsylvania’s only doctorate-only FNP pathway, with pediatrics broken out into separate assessment, role, and practicum coursework and 750 direct patient care hours alongside the doctoral project.
Best for Practicing Adult NPs
La Salle University publishes a 308-hour clinical requirement instead of 692 for certificate students already credentialed as adult nurse practitioners, a reduction that maps exactly onto the two adult field studies they would otherwise repeat.
Widest Entry Range
Wilkes University feeds associate-degree RNs, BSN nurses, and master’s-prepared nurses into the same FNP specialty sequence at one flat per-credit rate with no residency distinction.
Pennsylvania DNP Family Nurse Practioner Programs
Seven Pennsylvania schools award a doctoral FNP credential, and the totals they advertise are not comparable without separating direct patient care from project hours. Most deliver 750 to 756 FNP clinical hours — the same volume as their own master’s tracks — and add scholarly project hours on top. Pitt and Penn State also run post-master’s doctoral bridges. Cost spreads more than $85,000 across the group.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Cedar Crest College | BSN-DNP | $56K | 6 yrs | 1,092 total |
| Messiah University | Post-BSN DNP | $80K | 3 yrs | 1,070 total |
| Penn State | BSN-DNP | $59K–$64K | 3 yrs | 1,200 total |
| Thomas Jefferson University | Post-BS DNP | $92K–$95K | 4–6 yrs | 750 derived |
| University of Pennsylvania | MSN-DNP | $110K + | 3 yrs or less | Not clearly stated |
| University of Pittsburgh | BSN-DNP | $120K–$145K | 3 yrs | 1,080 derived |
| University of Pittsburgh | MSN-DNP | $55K and up | 2 yrs | 1,000 lifetime |
| Widener University | BSN-DNP | $80K | 5 yrs | 1,310 total |
- Lowest doctoral cost: Cedar Crest College — $56K, though the figure assumes master’s-level credits bill at the MSN rate, which the college does not confirm.
- Only doctorate-only pathway: Penn State — no MSN route to the FNP exists, so the three-year DNP is the entry point.
- Earliest practice entry: Widener University — the FNP practicum sequence closes in Year 3 and the MSN is conferred two years before the doctorate.
Pennsylvania MSN Family Nurse Practioner Programs
The master’s is Pennsylvania’s dominant FNP route, offered by 22 schools across 24 published tracks. Clinical requirements vary more than in most states — from 584 hours at Wilkes to 980 at Commonwealth — and three programs publish no hour total at all. Tuition spans a factor of four between the cheapest public online option and Penn’s course-unit pricing.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Carlow University | MSN | $46K | 2–2.5 yrs | 760 hrs |
| Cedar Crest College | MSN | $34K | 3 yrs | 756 hrs |
| Commonwealth University | MSN | $43K resident; | 2.5 yrs | 980 hrs |
| Drexel University | MSN | $65K | 3 yrs | 720 |
| Duquesne University | MSN | $84K; $63K after automatic scholarship | 3 yrs | 775 + |
| Gannon University | MSN | $42K | 2.5 yrs part-time only | Not clearly stated |
| Holy Family University | MSN | $37K | 2–3 yrs | 750 |
| Immaculata University | MSN | $33K | 2.5 yrs part-time | 825 |
| La Salle University | MSN | $48K | 2.7 yrs full-time | 692 |
| Messiah University | MSN | $48K | 2–3 yrs | 750 |
| Millersville University | MSN (online) | $27K resident; $32K non-resident | 26 mos | 750 |
| Millersville University | MSN (campus) | $31K resident; $43K non-resident | 3 yrs part-time | 750 |
| Moravian University | MSN | $46K | 2 yrs derived | 650 |
| Saint Francis University | MSN | $30K | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated |
| Saint Joseph’s University | MSN | $55K–$58K all-in | 2 or 3 yrs | 720 |
| Thomas Jefferson University | MSN | $63K | 2–5 yrs | 750 |
| University of Pennsylvania | MSN | $110K | 4 semesters, about 16 mos | Not clearly stated |
| University of Pittsburgh | MSN | $71K | 2 yrs | 780 + |
| University of Scranton | MSN | $35K | 21 mos full-time | 875 |
| Villanova University | MSN | $54K | 3 yrs derived | 730 |
| Widener University | MSN | $49K | Self-paced within a 5-yr limit | 750 |
| Wilkes University | MSN | $34K | 2.3 yrs | 584 |
| Wilkes University | RN-MSN | $42K | 3 yrs | 629 derived |
| York College of Pennsylvania | MSN | $33K | 2–3 yrs | 784 |
- Lowest master’s cost: Millersville University — $27K online for residents
- Heaviest clinical load: Commonwealth University — 980 hours across five courses
- Lightest clinical load: Wilkes University — 584 hours, above the certification floor but below the 600–700 band, with only 84 pediatric hours.
- Unpublished hour totals: Saint Francis, Gannon, and the University of Pennsylvania — none states a clinical hour figure anywhere in its published materials.
Pennsylvania Post-Graduate Certificate FNP Programs
Twenty-one Pennsylvania schools run a post-graduate FNP certificate, and almost none reduce clinical hours for prior graduate work. Scranton, Villanova, Widener, York, and Messiah carry the full specialty sequence their master’s students complete. Credit counts are usually set by gap analysis after admission, so most published totals are ceilings rather than quotes. Accreditation scope is the variable that most often goes unchecked.
| School | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Carlow University | $34K | 1–2.5 yrs | 525–600 hrs |
| Cedar Crest College | $18K–$24K | 5 semesters | 756 hrs |
| Drexel University | $44K | 2 yrs | 720 hrs |
| Duquesne University | $67K; $50K after scholarship | 2.5 yrs | 775 precepted |
| Gannon University | $33K + | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated |
| Holy Family University | $17K–$26K | Varies by gap analysis | 750 minimum |
| Immaculata University | $8K–$26K | 1 yr and up, set by gap analysis | 825 |
| La Roche University | $28K; $22K discounted | 2 yrs part-time | Not clearly stated |
| La Salle University | $23K and up | Varies by gap analysis | 692 |
| Messiah University | $27K | 4 semesters | 750 derived |
| Millersville University | $20K resident | Varies by gap analysis | 625 – 750 stated |
| Moravian University | $23K–$34K | Varies by gap analysis | Set individually |
| Penn State | $24K–$25K before gap coursework | 2 yrs | 600 |
| Saint Francis University | $23K | Varies by gap analysis | Not clearly stated |
| Saint Joseph’s University | $28K–$32K certified NP; $42K–$45K non-NP | 1–2 yrs | 540 certified NP; 720 non-NP |
| Thomas Jefferson University | $25K–$38K | Varies by gap analysis | 750 derived |
| University of Scranton | $26K | 21 mos | 875 |
| Villanova University | $29K–$40K | 1.5–5 yrs | 730 |
| Widener University | $16K–$26K | 18–24 mos part-time | 672 minimum |
| Wilkes University | $24K maximum | 1.67 yrs | 584 |
| York College of Pennsylvania | $17K before gap coursework | 12 mos and up | 784 |
- Only published clinical reduction: La Salle University — 308 hours instead of 692 for nurses already certified as adult nurse practitioners.
- Highest hours retained: University of Scranton — 875 hours, identical to its MSN, for roughly $9K less than the degree.
- Accreditation gaps to verify: Immaculata is seeking certificate accreditation and Saint Francis is pursuing initial CCNE approval; Messiah’s CAGS, Moravian’s certificate, and Holy Family’s certificate are not separately named in their schools’ published CCNE scope .
- Steepest experience penalty: Duquesne University — the certificate carries the full 775 precepted hours with no credit for prior graduate clinical work.
FAQ
How many FNP programs does Pennsylvania have?
This page covers 24 Pennsylvania schools with in-state FNP programs across MSN, BSN-to-DNP, MSN-to-DNP, RN-to-MSN, and post-graduate certificate pathways. Millersville runs its MSN in both online and campus versions, and Wilkes adds an associate-degree entry point, so the number of distinct tracks is higher than the school count.
Which Pennsylvania FNP programs are fully online?
Commonwealth University, Holy Family, La Salle, Millersville’s online MSN, and Wilkes publish no required campus attendance. Saint Joseph’s runs virtual classes and states no campus obligation, though the school labels its own modality hybrid. Every other Pennsylvania program requires either a finite campus intensive or recurring in-person sessions.
Which Pennsylvania FNP program has the lowest tuition?
Millersville’s online MSN is the lowest master’s total at roughly $27K all-in for Pennsylvania residents and $32K for non-residents. Saint Francis charges the state’s lowest per-credit rate at $625. Among certificates, Immaculata publishes an $8K floor at 11 credits, though that certificate is not currently accredited, and Widener publishes $16K at a 15-credit count its own catalog contradicts .
Which Pennsylvania schools offer a DNP FNP?
Cedar Crest, Messiah, Penn State, Thomas Jefferson, Penn, Pitt, and Widener. Penn State is the only one with no master’s route to the FNP at all. Pitt and Penn also run post-master’s doctoral pathways for nurses who already hold an MSN. Most of these doctorates deliver the same 750 to 756 direct patient care hours as their master’s counterparts and add scholarly project hours on top.
Do Pennsylvania FNP programs require campus visits?
Most do. Finite intensives are the common pattern: Cedar Crest requires two days, Drexel four, Duquesne two three-day residencies, Messiah two intensives, Saint Francis three days, Pitt three immersions, Penn State three visits of three to five days each, and Gannon a single individually arranged skills evaluation. Immaculata, Moravian, Widener, Millersville’s campus track, and Villanova require recurring attendance instead, which makes them regional rather than distance programs. Villanova is the strictest of these: all six clinical courses must be completed in person on campus.
Can I complete clinical hours near home?
It depends heavily on the school. Penn arranges every placement but anchors rotations in the Philadelphia metro and mid-Atlantic. Villanova secures sites too, but only in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, so relocating mid-program is a withdrawal rather than an adjustment. Moravian and Scranton assign preceptors directly, Carlow states sites are provided, and Pitt’s Clinical Management Office coordinates sites with availability varying by state. Wilkes assists at no cost but may place students up to 125 miles away. Drexel, York, and Jefferson expect students to source their own sites, and roughly a third of Pennsylvania programs — Gannon among them — publish no placement policy at all.
Do I need a Pennsylvania RN license to enroll?
Several programs require one. Cedar Crest and La Roche require Pennsylvania licensure at admission, Moravian requires both Pennsylvania and New Jersey before the clinical year, and Drexel and Widener require it before clinical coursework begins. York accepts only a Pennsylvania or Maryland multistate license, and Saint Joseph’s accepts a Pennsylvania or compact license. Others accept licensure in the state where clinicals occur. Separately, Carlow bars MSN enrollment for residents of 14 states, Duquesne excludes six, Gannon excludes four, and Saint Francis and Wilkes limit enrollment to authorized states. Villanova imposes no licensure gate but confines clinical placement to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, which has the same practical effect.