9 Schools • 5 Online • 2 Hybrid • 2 Campus
Louisiana has nine schools offering Family Nurse Practitioner preparation across MSN, BSN-to-DNP, post-master’s DNP, and post-graduate certificate pathways. Delivery ranges from fully online to campus-based, with two schools requiring scheduled in-person attendance.
Resident tuition runs from about $9K for a post-master’s certificate to roughly $93K for a dual-certification doctorate. Programs take one to four years depending on entry point and pace.
Some highlights include:
- LSU Health New Orleans is the only school pairing FNP with a second national certification
- Southeastern Louisiana runs three entry points on one shared clinical spine
- Northwestern State posts the lowest in-state tuition
- Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University builds rural and underserved practice into its program goals
Compare each school’s online format, campus commitment, cost, and degree options below.
Compare Louisiana FNP Programs
| School | Online Format | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Best For |
| Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Baton Rouge | MSN: Hybrid. Certificate: Mostly Online | MSN: 45 lab hours + in-person sessions. Certificate: occasional intensives | $885 cpc | MSN, Certificate | Rural and medically underserved practice |
| Loyola University New Orleans | Online | None stated | $900 cpc | MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | Asynchronous study with high clinical volume |
| LSU Health New Orleans | Hybrid | DNP meets minimum six times per semester | $1,071 cpc | BSN-DNP, Dual BSN-DNP, Post-Master’s DNP | Dual certification inside one doctorate |
| Nicholls State University Thibodaux | Online | None stated | $449 cpc | MSN | Published multi-year certification pass rates |
| Northwestern State University Natchitoches | Online | None stated | $216 cpc | MSN, Certificate | Lowest in-state cost in Louisiana |
| Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond | MSN and Certificate: Online. DNP: Mostly Online | None for MSN or certificate. DNP: orientation plus final project presentations | $475 cpc | MSN, BSN-DNP, Certificate | Three entry points on one clinical spine |
| Southern University and A&M College Baton Rouge | Campus | In-person program in Baton Rouge | $537 cpc | MSN | High clinical volume with a research requirement |
| University of Louisiana Monroe Monroe | Online | None stated | $500 cpc | MSN | Leanest credit load at 40 credits |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | Online | None stated | $480 cpc | MSN | Age-staged clinical sequence |
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
Northwestern State University delivers a fully online MSN at roughly $10K for Louisiana residents, the lowest published degree cost in the state.
Best for Dual Certification
LSU Health New Orleans is the only Louisiana school that pairs FNP with adult-gerontology acute care or psychiatric-mental health inside a single doctorate, producing eligibility for two national boards.
Best Fully Online Flexibility
Loyola University New Orleans runs all three FNP pathways asynchronously with no campus visits, no live class meetings, and year-round applications for fall, spring, and summer entry.
Best Doctoral Value
Southeastern Louisiana University prices its BSN-to-DNP at about $33K and marks a mid-program MSN exit point, so a change in circumstances does not cost the entire investment.
Best for Rural and Underserved Practice
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University writes coordinated practicums in rural and medically underserved settings into its published program goals rather than its mission statement alone.
Best for Outcome Transparency
Nicholls State University publishes six consecutive years of FNP certification pass rates instead of a single headline figure, which is rare enough in this field to be a deciding factor.
Louisiana DNP FNP Programs
Three schools offer doctoral FNP preparation at sharply different prices. Southeastern and Loyola build the doctorate around the same FNP clinical core used in their master’s degrees. LSU Health has no MSN exit — the doctorate is the only entry point — and adds dual-certification tracks plus a post-master’s role addition. Published doctoral hour totals include project or residency time that is not direct patient care.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | BSN to DNP | $33K | 3 years | 1,290 hrs |
| Loyola University New Orleans | BSN to DNP | $55K–$57K | 36 months | 1,340 hrs |
| LSU Health New Orleans | BSN-to-DNP, FNP | $69K | 3 years | 1,080 hrs |
| LSU Health New Orleans | Dual BSN-DNP: FNP + Adult-Gerontology Acute Care | $93K | 4 years | 1,860 hrs |
| LSU Health New Orleans | Dual BSN-DNP: FNP + Psychiatric-Mental Health | $93K | 4 years | 1,800 hrs |
| LSU Health New Orleans | Post-Master’s DNP, FNP role addition | $34K–$55K | 16 months full-time; 2.3 years part-time | Set by gap analysis |
- Lowest doctoral cost: Southeastern Louisiana — $33K, and the only track with a published MSN exit point partway through.
- Highest FNP clinical volume: LSU Health New Orleans — 1,080 hours on the standalone track, though roughly a third sits in DNP practicum rather than family primary care.
- Placement support: not clearly stated at any of the three schools
Louisiana MSN FNP Programs
Seven schools award an FNP master’s, and four — Nicholls, Southeastern, UL Lafayette, and McNeese State — share curriculum through the ICMSN consortium, so course numbers and clinical requirements match across campuses. The real variables are cost structure, clinical hour totals, and entry gates. Every MSN here requires a Louisiana RN license; ULM also requires Louisiana residency.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Northwestern State University | MSN FNP | $10K | About 32 months | Not clearly stated |
| University of Louisiana Monroe | MSN FNP | $20K | 2 years full-time; 3 years part-time | 640 hrs |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | MSN FNP | $20K–$21K | 2 years | 750 hrs |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | MSN FNP | $20K–$22K | 2.5 years | 600–750 hrs |
| Nicholls State University | MSN FNP | $21K | 2–2.5 years | 600 hrs |
| Southern University and A&M College | MSN, Family Health, NP role | $22K | 2 years | 878 hrs |
| Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | MSN FNP, Traditional Entry | $39K–$42K | 2–3 years | 750 hrs |
| Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | MSN FNP, Expedited Entry | $42K | 3 years | 750 hrs |
| Loyola University New Orleans | MSN FNP | $42K–$43K | About 3 years | 800 hrs |
- Lowest master’s cost: Northwestern State — about $10K in-state
- Fewest credits: University of Louisiana Monroe — 40 credits at a flat $500, against the 42 to 49 credits typical elsewhere in the state.
- Heaviest clinical load: Loyola New Orleans — 800 hours across four consecutive practicum courses
Louisiana Post-Graduate Certificate FNP Programs
Four schools admit master’s-prepared nurses adding the FNP role. Credit loads are set by transcript review, so published totals describe a full-length plan rather than what an individual will owe. Clinical hours matter more: Louisiana certificates generally do not credit prior practicum, so an already-certified NP faces nearly the same supervised load as a first-time student.
| School | Track | Estimated Tuition | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | Post-Master’s Certificate | $9K | 3 semesters | 750 |
| Loyola University New Orleans | Post-Graduate Certificate | $21K–$30K | Varies by gap analysis | 800 minimum |
| Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | Post-Master’s Certificate | $28K | 1–2 years | 750 |
| Northwestern State University | Post-Master’s Certificate | Varies by gap analysis | 2–5 semesters | Set by gap analysis; |
- Lowest certificate cost: Southeastern Louisiana — $8,550 across 18 credits, the only fixed-length certificate in the state.
- Widest cost swing: Franciscan — an 11-credit waiver range worth roughly $10,000, decided by transcript review after application.
- No hour reduction for prior practicum: Loyola, Southeastern, and Franciscan all hold certificate students to the full MSN clinical requirement.
FAQ
How many FNP programs are available in Louisiana?
Nine schools offer FNP preparation in Louisiana across MSN, BSN-to-DNP, post-master’s DNP, and post-graduate certificate pathways. McNeese State University participates in the ICMSN consortium that supplies the shared MSN curriculum but is not profiled separately here.
Which Louisiana FNP programs are fully online?
Loyola New Orleans, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, ULM, and UL Lafayette state no campus requirement. Southeastern’s MSN and certificate are also fully online, while its DNP adds two campus events. Franciscan’s certificate is primarily online with occasional intensives.
Which Louisiana FNP program has the lowest tuition?
Southeastern’s post-master’s certificate is the cheapest credential at roughly $9K for 18 credits. Among full degrees, Northwestern State’s MSN is lowest at about $10K in-state. Both figures exclude unpublished program fees ⚠️.
Which Louisiana schools offer a DNP FNP pathway?
Three: Southeastern Louisiana ($33K, BSN-to-DNP with an MSN exit point), Loyola New Orleans ($55K–$57K, 36 months), and LSU Health New Orleans ($69K resident, including dual-certification and post-master’s options). No Louisiana school in this set publishes a standalone MSN-to-DNP FNP bridge.
Do any Louisiana FNP programs require campus visits?
Yes. LSU Health’s DNP core meets Monday through Saturday at least six times per semester. Franciscan’s MSN carries 45 scheduled lab hours plus in-person sessions in Baton Rouge. Southeastern’s DNP requires orientation and final project presentations. Southern University is campus-based.
Can I complete FNP clinical hours outside Louisiana?
Generally no. Southeastern, UL Lafayette, Nicholls, and Northwestern State all place clinicals at Louisiana sites, with Northwestern requiring coordinator approval for exceptions. Loyola instead requires practicum in a state where the student holds an active RN license.
Do Louisiana FNP programs accept out-of-state students?
Most require a Louisiana or compact RN license, and ULM additionally requires state residency. Nicholls caps its nonresident premium at roughly $2,200 across the degree, but licensure and in-state clinical rules — not tuition — decide access. Loyola is the most portable, accepting a multistate license.