Eight Massachusetts schools offer 25 Family Nurse Practitioner tracks, spanning MSN, BSN-to-DNP, MSN-to-DNP, direct entry, ADN bridge and post-graduate certificate routes. Delivery runs from fully online through campus-based study, with most programs classified mostly online. Resident tuition spans roughly $20K for a short certificate to $187K for a direct entry master’s, and published completion times run from about one year to five.
Highlights include:
- Boston College assigns every clinical placement and rotates students through three to six Boston-area teaching hospitals and community sites
- UMass Lowell charges one online rate regardless of residency, the lowest per-credit figure in the state
- Simmons runs weekly live online classes in sections of about 20 students rather than self-paced modules
- Regis College charges less online than on campus for the same course codes and the same 800 clinical hours
Compare Massachusetts Family NP Programs
| School | Online Format | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Best For |
| Boston College | Campus | All coursework on campus | $1,952 | MSN, direct entry MSN, BSN-DNP, RN-DNP | Assigned clinical placements |
| MCPHS | Mostly Online | Two 2-day residencies | $1,275 | MSN, ADN-MSN bridge, certificate | Associate-degree RNs |
| Northeastern University | Mostly Online | Two intensive weekends | $1,061 | MSN, certificate | APRNs adding family practice |
| Regis College | Online | None for online tracks | $1,061–$1,475 | MSN, certificate, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Non-standard credential histories |
| Simmons University | Mostly Online | One 2–4 day immersion | $1,288–$1,415 | MSN, certificate, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, direct entry DNP | Scheduled live classes |
| UMass Amherst | Online | None | $825 | BSN-DNP | Behavioral health depth |
| UMass Boston | Mostly Online | None for MSN; DNP adds intensives | $878 | MSN, BSN-DNP | Deferring the degree decision |
| UMass Lowell | Mostly Online | Four campus days | $610–$973 | MSN, BSN-DNP | Lowest cost in Massachusetts |
CPC is derived and inclusive of mandatory per-credit fees at Massachusetts resident rates, rounded to the nearest dollar; most Massachusetts programs bill a flat, residency-neutral rate. Full rate breakdowns are on each school profile.
What’s the Best FNP Program for You?
Lowest Overall Cost
UMass Lowell’s online master’s runs about $29K at 45 credits and bills the same rate to residents and non-residents alike.
Best Doctoral Value
UMass Amherst delivers a 75-credit BSN-to-DNP with 752 published clinical hours for roughly $62K, the lowest doctoral price in the state.
Best Placement Support
Boston College arranges every rotation and assigns a clinical year at admission, removing the preceptor search that stalls students elsewhere.
Best Certificate Value
Northeastern publishes a credit ladder by incoming credential, so a certified pediatric or adult-gerontology primary care NP finishes in 20 credits near $20K.
Best for Associate-Degree RNs
MCPHS folds a 20-credit bridge year into the same enrollment as its master’s, avoiding a separate RN-to-BSN admission cycle.
Best for Structured Learners
Simmons schedules live online classes on a fixed weekday for the length of the program, with recordings for conflicts.
Massachusetts DNP FNP Programs
Six schools award a doctorate that prepares FNP candidates, through post-baccalaureate, post-master’s and direct entry routes. Credit loads run from 65 to 104, and published clinical totals range from 750 direct care hours to 1,470 across a three-year direct entry sequence. Public options price well below private ones, and at two schools the doctorate adds no patient contact over the master’s.
| School | Estimated Tuition (resident) | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Boston College (BSN-DNP) | $142K | Not clearly stated | 750+ hrs |
| Boston College (RN-DNP) | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated | 1,000 hrs |
| Regis College (BSN-DNP) | Not clearly stated | 3–4 years | 800 hrs |
| Regis College (MSN-DNP) | Not clearly stated | 2–4 years | 800 hrs |
| Simmons University (BSN-DNP) | $107K | 2.7–4 years | 756 hrs |
| Simmons University (MSN-DNP) | $84K | 2.3–3 years | 756 hrs |
| Simmons University (Direct Entry DNP) | $143K | 3 years | 1,470 hrs |
| UMass Amherst (BSN-DNP) | $62K | 4–5 years | 752 hrs |
| UMass Boston (BS-DNP) | $74K | Not clearly stated | 1,065 hrs |
| UMass Lowell (BS-DNP) | $73K | 4–5 years | 750+ hrs |
Several totals above bundle DNP project or leadership practice hours with supervised patient care; the direct-care split appears on each school profile.
- Lowest doctoral cost: UMass Amherst — $62K resident, with no nonresident premium published
- Highest published total: UMass Boston — 1,065 hours, roughly 400 of them doctoral project work
- No clinical gain over the master’s: UMass Lowell — 750 direct care hours at both credential levels, about $44K apart
- Only doctorate without a master’s exit: UMass Amherst — four years minimum, no MSN off-ramp published
Massachusetts MSN FNP Programs
Seven schools offer a master’s route to FNP certification, three of which admit associate-degree or non-nursing-bachelor’s applicants without a separate BSN. Resident tuition spans $29K to $187K, and clinical totals run from a derived 665 hours to a published 800. Duration is tightest at MCPHS and Simmons and least defined at Boston College, which publishes no completion time for any master’s pathway.
| School | Estimated Tuition (resident) | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| Boston College (MS) | $94K | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated |
| Boston College (Direct Entry MS) | $187K | Not clearly stated | 500+ hrs |
| Boston College (RN-to-MS) | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated |
| MCPHS (MSN) | $55K | 2.3 years | 750 hrs |
| MCPHS (AD-MSN Bridge) | $80K | 3.3 years | 750 hrs |
| Northeastern University (MSN) | $51K | 2–3 years | 720 hrs |
| Regis College (Online, BSN entry) | $41K–$51K | 2.2 years | 800 hrs |
| Regis College (Online, ADN entry) | $57K–$67K | 2.8 years | 800 hrs |
| Regis College (Weston) | $63K | Not clearly stated | 800 hrs |
| Simmons University (MSN) | $61K | 2–2.7 years | 756 hrs |
| UMass Boston (MS) | $49K | Not clearly stated | 665 hrs |
| UMass Lowell (MS) | $29K | 2–5 years | 750 hrs |
- Lowest master’s cost: UMass Lowell — $29K resident, the cheapest FNP credential in Massachusetts
- Highest clinical volume: Regis College — 800 hours, prescribed across four population areas
- Only single-enrollment ADN route: MCPHS — $80K covers the bridge year and the full master’s
- Unpublished clinical total: Boston College — no hour figure released for the BSN-entry master’s
Massachusetts Post-Graduate Certificate FNP Programs
Four schools run a post-graduate FNP certificate for nurses who already hold a graduate nursing degree. Three publish a fixed price; MCPHS sets its CAGS credits by gap analysis after acceptance. None reduces clinical volume for prior graduate work, so a practicing APRN completes the same 750 to 800 hours a master’s student does. Northeastern is the only school that publishes credits by incoming credential.
| School | Estimated Tuition (resident) | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| MCPHS (CAGS) | $29K–$51K | 2.3 years | 750 hrs |
| Northeastern University | $20K–$31K | 1–2 years | 750 hrs |
| Regis College (Online) | $22K | 1–2 years | 800 hrs |
| Regis College (Weston) | $28K | 1–2 years | 800 hrs |
| Simmons University | $30K | 1.3 years | 756 hrs |
- Lowest certificate cost: Northeastern University — $20K at 20 credits for pediatric or adult-gero primary care NPs
- Widest price swing: MCPHS — $29K to $51K, settled only after a post-acceptance gap analysis
- No clinical discount: Simmons University — 756 hours, identical to its master’s, compressed into 16 months
- Accreditation scope to verify: MCPHS — its CCNE statement names the BSN, MSN and DNP, not the CAGS
National Online FNP Options
Massachusetts programs carry unusually tight geographic limits. UMass Lowell’s online master’s admits from Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire only. MCPHS enrolls from 20 states plus D.C. Simmons excludes New York, Tennessee and D.C. across every pathway, and more states at the certificate and doctoral levels. Regis is unavailable in several states, UMass Amherst cannot admit residents of five, and UMass Boston has made licensure determinations for Massachusetts alone. Boston College has no distance option at all.
Nurses shut out by those rules, or who want placement help their in-state options do not promise, often look at Walden University and Purdue Global. Both are CCNE-accredited national online providers that enroll across a wider footprint and run multiple entry points, including bridge, master’s, doctoral and post-master’s certificate routes. Purdue Global also offers continuous start dates rather than a fixed annual cycle.
FAQ
How many FNP programs does Massachusetts have?
Eight schools offer FNP preparation across 25 tracks: Boston College, MCPHS, Northeastern, Regis College, Simmons, UMass Amherst, UMass Boston and UMass Lowell.
Which Massachusetts FNP programs are fully online?
Regis College’s online tracks and the UMass Amherst BSN-to-DNP publish no campus requirement. The UMass Boston master’s is also delivered fully online, though its doctoral pathway adds orientation and intensives.
Which Massachusetts FNP program has the lowest tuition?
UMass Lowell’s master’s is the cheapest degree at roughly $29K. Northeastern’s certificate is the cheapest credential overall, starting near $20K for NPs entering with a pediatric or adult-gerontology primary care certification.
Which Massachusetts schools offer a DNP FNP program?
Boston College, Regis College, Simmons, UMass Amherst, UMass Boston and UMass Lowell. UMass Amherst is doctorate-only and awards no FNP master’s.
Do Massachusetts FNP programs require campus visits?
Most do, but the obligations are finite. UMass Lowell requires four campus days, Simmons one immersion of two to four days, MCPHS two 2-day residencies in Worcester, and Northeastern intensive weekends in Boston. Boston College is campus-based throughout.
Can I complete clinical hours near home?
It depends on the school. Boston College assigns sites across eastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Simmons targets a 100-mile radius from your location. UMass Boston warns that out-of-state placements may be unavailable. Most other schools assist with placement without guaranteeing it.
Can out-of-state nurses enroll in Massachusetts FNP programs?
Sometimes, and the restrictions are the first thing to check. UMass Lowell’s online master’s is limited to three New England states, MCPHS admits from 21 jurisdictions, and Simmons, Regis and UMass Amherst each exclude specific states. UMass Boston requires a Massachusetts RN license as an application document.