7 Best ACNP Programs in Missouri (Online & Campus) – 2025

Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH

Missouri's acute care nurse practitioners play a vital role in the Show Me State's healthcare sector because they deliver potentially life-saving care to Missourians felled by critical illnesses and serious injuries. The annual income of ACNPs in Missouri is $119,520 on average, and what they do is considered so valuable that their employment opportunities are projected to rise by 42 percent in the decade to come. If you want to become an acute care NP, attending one of the ACNP programs in Missouri is an excellent way to start. We've compiled the list below of the 7 best ACNP programs in Missouri so you can learn more.

FOLLOWING ARE THE 7 BEST ACNP PROGRAMS IN MISSOURI (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025

(Based on our Ranking Methodology, we have ranked the 7 best campus-based and online ACNP programs in Missouri.)

1. Maryville University - St. Louis

Programs Offered: MSN, BSN-to-DNP, MSN-to-DNP, and Post-Master’s Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master’s Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: Maryville University's 47-credit acute care Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN)/Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) track is particularly convenient for working nurses because it's 100 percent online, and you can arrange to fulfill your 750 practicum hours requirement at a healthcare facility in your own community. This ACNP program in Missouri offers flexible study plans with full-time (five semesters or 20 months) and part-time (seven to eight semesters or 28 to 32 months) enrollment options. Moreover, the program offers multiple start dates throughout the academic year.

The curriculum consists of core MSN courses like "Evidence Based Practice in Nursing," "Professional Role Development: Advanced Practice Nurse," and "Leadership and Quality," as well as intensive courses in adult gerontology that will help you develop competence as a clinical practitioner. Applicants must have a current RN license in the state where they'll be doing clinical rotations and a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from an accredited nursing program with an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: Are you interested in becoming a nurse manager or a healthcare executive making decisions that affect acute care delivery on a large scale? Maryville University's BSN-to-Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)/AGACNP program will prepare you better for this role than an equivalent MSN/AGACNP program. This 74-credit (1,000 clinical hours) track includes a DNP project for which you will conduct a literature review, develop evidence-based guidelines, implement a clinical intervention, and analyze the outcome. The curriculum consists of core DNP courses such as "Integrating and Synthesizing Research," "Quality and Patient Safety in Advanced Nursing Practice," and "Ethics for Advanced Nursing Practice," as well as classes designed to help you develop acute care acumen and skills.

This program is offered entirely online, and you'll be able to participate in clinical rotations scheduled at hospitals and clinics in your own hometown. This program can be completed in as few as 10 semesters (40 months) if you enroll full-time. The program is open only to applicants with at least one year of professional nursing experience and a GPA of 3.2 or higher during their BSN studies. The program has entry points in the spring, summer, and fall.

MSN-to-DNP Program Details: If you've completed an MSN degree and want to move forward to attain the nursing profession's highest terminal degree, plus expertise in an acute care clinical specialty, Maryville University's MSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track is worth checking out. You'll participate in a DNP project and take foundational DNP courses, but you'll get credit for the core APRN courses and clinical hours you completed during your MSN studies.

The curriculum consists of 68 credits and 500 clinical hours. Full-time students will be able to complete this fully online program in nine semesters (36 months).

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: Maryville University's 18-credit (750 clinical hours) AGACNP certificate offers a convenient way for RNs with a nursing master's degree to acquire new acute care clinical skills. You'll take the six required courses online and complete your practicums at healthcare facilities close to where you live. Depending upon how many courses you sign up for per semester, you'll complete this program in three to six semesters (12 to 24 months). The program accepts new cohorts six times a year in the spring, summer, and fall semesters.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• 92 percent of Maryville University's AGACNP grads pass their national certification boards the very first time they take them.
• Maryville University's acute care graduate nursing programs offer start dates in January, March, May, July, August, and October. Once you decide this is the program for you, you won't have to wait very long to start!

2. Saint Louis University - Saint Louis

Programs Offered: MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and Post-Master’s Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult/Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult/Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master’s Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult/Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: Though Saint Louis University's 32- to 36-credit MSN/AGACNP track is a distance-learning program, you will have to visit the university's campus twice during the time you are enrolled for simulation exercises and on-site skills intensives. Core MSN courses like "Advanced Practice Nursing: Role Acquisition," "Principles of Practice Management," and "General Research Methods" establish a strong foundation for the clinically oriented courses you must take to master your acute care adult gerontology concentration. You will also complete 600 clinical hours, which you can do at a healthcare facility convenient to your own home.

This ACNP program in Missouri begins in the fall semester and takes six semesters (28 months) to complete if you enroll full-time. Part-time enrollment options are also available. Applicants must have an unencumbered RN license in the state where they will be doing clinical practicums.

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: If you are planning to become a nurse leader able to make a significant impact on acute care healthcare systems, a BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP will prepare you better than an MSN/AGACNP. You'll graduate from Saint Louis University's 64-credit BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP track after 10 semesters (40 months) of full-time study, but if you need extra time to accommodate work and personal commitments, you can also enroll part-time. This program accepts new applicants in the fall semester.

The DNP curriculum builds on the MSN curriculum, adding core doctoral courses like "Clinical Informatics," "Health Care Delivery Systems," and "Evidence-Based Practice I & II." In your final semesters, you will complete a DNP project. This acute care track includes 1,200 clinical hours, many of which you may be able to fulfill at a hospital or clinic in the community where you already live and work. You will have to spend your third-year residency, however, at a healthcare facility in Saint Louis.

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: Saint Louis University's AGACNP post-master's certificate is ideal for RNs who want to bolster their skill sets with a specialization in caring for adults and the elderly facing high-acuity health issues. Students must complete or transfer 16 to 31 credits and do 600 practicum hours to earn this certificate. Your study plan will be tailored to your professional experience and academic background. Most full-time students complete the curriculum in three or fewer semesters (12 months).

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Saint Louis University is a Catholic university affiliated with the Jesuit order. The university's nursing education does not model Catholic doctrines, and the school welcomes students from many religious backgrounds.
• Interested in becoming an AGACNP nursing instructor? Saint Louis University offers four courses focusing on theory and practicum experience in nursing education that will qualify you to apply for a National League for Nursing Nurse Educator certificate.

3. Barnes-Jewish College - St. Louis

Programs Offered: MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and Post-Master’s Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master’s Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: The Barnes-Jewish College of Nursing and Allied Health is located on the campus of Washington University's School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital—the number one medical center in the metropolitan St. Louis area. This makes it one of the best ACNP programs in Missouri for RNs who want extensive exposure to critical care practice settings during their MSN/AGACNP training, since you will have the option of completing your 1,020 hours of supervised patient care at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

The MSN/AGACNP program offers two clinical tracks: an intensivist track that prepares RNs for critical care roles and a hospitalist track that prepares RNs for roles in hospital specialties such as emergency medicine, diabetes care, and radiology. Both tracks require 54 credits and share a common MSN core, with classes like "Health Promotion Theory & Population Health," "Foundations of Scholarly Writing & Evidence Based Practice," and "Leadership and Collaboration for Quality and Safety," but differ in clinical concentration focus. Courses are mostly online, but you will have to visit the college's campus twice a semester for skills labs and evaluations.

Both MSN/AGACNP tracks are nine semesters long (36 months) and start in the fall semester. All applicants must have current RN licensure in Missouri or a compact state and at least one year of professional experience. Applicants to the intensivist track must have at least one year of ICU or ER experience.

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: Barnes-Jewish College's 63-credit (1,260 clinical hours) BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP program may be a better fit for you than its MSN counterpart if you're interested in acute care research or teaching, or you want a management position in an acute care delivery system. Like its MSN counterpart, this program offers specializations in intensivist and hospitalist care. Its curriculum, too, is similar to the college's MSN program but with the addition of core DNP courses like "Informatics, Economics, & Financial Principles" and a three-semester DNP project that focuses on quality improvement within the acute care sector.

This BSN-to-DNP/AGACNP program accepts new cohorts in the fall semester and can be completed in nine semesters (36 months). You must have a license to practice as an RN in the state of Missouri and one year or more of nursing experience or critical care experience if you're applying to the intensivist track.

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: Want to enhance your employment options by adding an acute care specialty to your clinical scope of practice? Barnes-Jewish College offers a 38-credit AGACNP certificate that you can earn in just four semesters. When you enroll in this program, the college will conduct a gap analysis, so you may be able to take fewer credits if some of your prior academic courses are transferable. This program also includes 960 clinical hours, which you'll complete at the prestigious Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Courses begin in the fall semester.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Despite its name, Barnes-Jewish College operates as an entirely secular institution.
• 100 percent of Barnes-Jewish College's AGACNP grads pass their national NP certification exams on their first try.
• 96 percent of Barnes-Jewish College's AGACNP grads are employed in their chosen specialty within six months after they complete their programs.

4. University of Missouri-Kansas City - Kansas City

Programs Offered: MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and Post-Master’s Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered:

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: AC PNP

Post-Master’s Certificate Specialties Offered: AC PNP

MSN Program Details: The University of Missouri-Kansas City uses the web-based Canvas platform to teach its acute care MSN/Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) track. Depending upon your instructor's preferences, courses will be conducted using synchronous or asynchronous modes. Once your clinical rotations start, you must visit the university's campus once each semester for two- or three-day-long workshops that include skills labs, testing, and special presentations from experts in the field of pediatric critical care.

The track requires 52 credits and 660 hours of clinical experience. MSN core classes include "Theoretical Foundations in Nursing," "Cultural Diversity & Values," and "Healthcare Policy & Advocacy." You'll participate in practicum experiences at major hospitals within Greater Regional Kansas City, MO, such as Children’s Mercy Hospital and Health System, University Health Truman Medical Center, and St. Luke's Hospital. This MSN/ACPNP track has start dates in the spring and summer semesters and will take you nine semesters (36 months) to complete. This acute care program is only open to RNs who have at least two years of full-time professional experience within the last three years and hold a Missouri RN license.

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: UMKC's BSN-to-DNP/ACPNP track will train you to be a leader in your field as well as a clinical provider capable of providing the highest quality healthcare. If you're interested in becoming a nurse executive or a nurse manager in the pediatric acute care field, this degree will equip you more effectively than the equivalent MSN.

This BSN-to-DNP/ACPNP track comprises 74 credits and 1,237.5 clinical hours. It augments the equivalent MSN track with foundational DNP classes like "Healthcare Outcomes and Epidemiology," "Healthcare Economics and Quality," and "Health Promotion Across the Lifespan." The curriculum's high point is a multi-semester scholarly DNP project, for which you'll create, implement, and assess a practice initiative that focuses on an aspect of acute pediatric healthcare delivery or patient outcomes. You'll pursue clinical rotations at some of the finest medical centers throughout Kansas City, Missouri, and the surrounding communities.

If you enroll full-time, you'll graduate in 11 semesters (44 months); if you enroll part-time, you'll graduate in 14 semesters (56 months). This program has entry points in the spring and summer.

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: Like other post-master's certificate ACNP programs in Missouri, UMKC's ACPNP certificate will be customized to your learning needs pending the results of a gap analysis conducted by the School of Nursing and Health Studies. If no changes are made to the basic ACPNP curriculum, you'll complete 21 credits and 660 clinical hours and complete the program in four semesters (16 months). Courses are delivered via a distance learning platform, but you'll be required to complete four on-campus clinical intensives—one per semester—throughout the program. Practicums will be scheduled at UMKC's clinical partners throughout the Kansas City region. You can begin this program in the fall semester.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• The University of Missouri-Kansas City also offers an ACPNP concentration in conjunction with its MSN-to-DNP program.
• Synchronous online courses are scheduled well in advance, most often on Thursdays or Fridays, to accommodate the needs of working students.

5. University of Missouri-St. Louis - St. Louis

Programs Offered: BSN-to-DNP and Post-Graduate Certificate

BSN-to-DNP Specialties Offered: Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Graduate Certificate Specialties Offered: Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

BSN-to-DNP Program Details: When you enroll in UMSL's 62- to 71-credit BSN-to-DNP/PACNP track, you'll complete your clinical practicums in person and make four visits to the university's campus in St. Louis for three-day skills intensives. Apart from that, though, you'll access all your courses in a distance learning format. You'll take foundational DNP courses like "Research, Interventions and Evidence-Based Practice," "Program Evaluation and Quality Management in Healthcare," and Social Determinants of Health for Underserved Populations," as well as classes in APRN practice and your acute care pediatric concentration.

This ACNP program in Missouri requires a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours. The University of Missouri-St. Louis has more than 100 clinical partners throughout Missouri and Illinois, including the top-ranked St. Louis Children's Hospital. However, this program will also allow you to pursue clinical rotations at healthcare facilities within your own community. To graduate, you'll have to complete a DNP project that analyzes a challenge to healthcare delivery or healthcare legislation and proposes an evidence-based solution. The DNP project will involve writing a scholarly paper, presenting a poster, and defending your thesis before a qualifying committee.

If you take a full-time course load of 5 to 10 credits per semester, you'll graduate in nine semesters (36 months). If you take a part-time course load of 5 to 7 credits per semester, you'll graduate in 12 semesters (48 months). Courses begin in the fall. Applicants to this acute care doctoral program must have at least one year of inpatient pediatric experience. All applications must be submitted through NursingCAS.

Post-Graduate Certificate Program Details: Are you a post-graduate nurse who wants to get certified in a new population focus? The University of Missouri-St. Louis offers a PACNP certificate that prepares you to sit for the Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner exam. UMSL's College of Nursing will customize a study plan for you based on your professional experience and prior academic record, but at a minimum, you'll complete 12 credits and 600 clinical hours. You may choose a preceptor and clinical site in your own state, but all clinical placements must be approved by the faculty member overseeing your residency.

Most of your coursework will be offered online, but you will have to visit the university's campus in St. Louis for orientation and skills intensives. If you're already an advanced practice RN, you must make three campus visits; if the PACNP certificate will be your first APRN course, you must make four. Courses start in the fall for non-APRN cohorts and in the summer for APRN cohorts. Applications must be submitted through NursingCAS.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• The University of Missouri-St. Louis offers a dual Acute Care/Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner track for BSN-to-DNP candidates.
• As a public university, UMSL's tuition rate is much lower than comparable graduate nursing programs, and the university is often cited as one of the Show Me State's most affordable nursing options.

6. Rockhurst University - Kansas City

Programs Offered: MSN and Post-Master’s Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Master’s Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: In 2020, Rockhurst University merged with Saint Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Kansas City's oldest and largest nursing school, to become the Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Rockhurst University. Except for 750 hours of practicum experience and a single campus skills immersion, the university's 49-credit MSN/AGACNP track is offered entirely online. Core MSN courses like "Professional Roles, Quality and Safety for Advanced Nursing Practice," "Advanced Health Care Research," and "Health Promotion, Health Protection, and Disease Prevention" will set the stage for your more clinically oriented acute care studies. Rockhurst University's clinical placement team will help you identify and secure practicums at healthcare facilities in your own community.

Rockhurst University provides entry points to this ACNP program in Missouri in the spring, summer, and fall. Completing the program full-time will take six semesters, while part-time students will need eight semesters.

Post-Master’s Certificate Program Details: Are you an advanced practice RN seeking an opportunity to expand your scope of practice so you can work in acute care settings? Rockhurst University offers a post-master's AGACNP certificate. Once you're accepted into the program, the university will perform a gap analysis to see how many of the credits you've already earned in other graduate nursing programs can be applied toward the certificate, but you must complete at least 20 credits and 750 clinical hours through Rockhurst University. Most students can complete this certificate in four semesters (16 months).

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Rockhurst University is a Jesuit-affiliated Catholic university. The university's graduate nursing curriculum does not emphasize Catholic doctrines, and the school is open to students from all faith backgrounds.
• Rockhurst University offers a dual 62-credit MSN/AGACNP + FNP option.
• Rockhurst University only accepts students from Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia into its MSN/AGACNP program.

7. Graceland University - Independence

Programs Offered: MSN and Post-Graduate Certificate

MSN Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Post-Graduate Certificate Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

MSN Program Details: Graceland University offers one of the best ACNP programs in Missouri for any nurse interested in the unique challenges of healthcare delivery and access faced by individuals living in rural areas far from urban centers. The university's 45-credit (540 clinical hours) MSN/AGACNP track offers a number of courses that explicitly focus on the role of the advanced practitioner within the rural healthcare delivery system. The curriculum also includes foundational APRN courses like "Applied Theory and Research for Advanced Nursing Practice," "Roles and Issues for Advanced Practical Nurse," and "Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning," as well as eight classes that concentrate on developing the knowledge base and hands-on skills you'll need to work effectively in acute and critical care settings.

Graceland University encourages MSN/AGACNP students to pick specialty practicums in many different acute care settings, including emergency departments, ICUs, orthopedics, endocrinology, oncology, pulmonology, neurology, and cardiology. You'll be able to complete your practicums at hospitals and clinics located near your home. This program has entry points in the fall, spring, and summer. As a full-time student, it will take you eight semesters (32 months) to graduate; as a part-time student, it will take you 12 semesters (48 months). Applicants must have a BSN with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and an active RN license in the state where they will be doing clinical rotations.

Post-Graduate Certificate Program Details: Interested in adding an acute care qualification to your repertoire of advanced practice clinical skills? Graceland University offers an AGACNP certificate. The core curriculum consists of 38 credits and is very similar to the acute care adult gerontology nursing master's program. However, the School of Nursing will develop an individualized study plan for you based on the number of credits that can be transferred or waived.

Must-Know Highlights For Potential Students

• Though Graceland University is affiliated with the Community of Christ, a denomination of the Church of Latter Day Saints, the university welcomes students from all religions, and its nursing curriculum does not incorporate Christian doctrine.
• Passionate about healthcare in rural areas? Through Graceland University, you can augment your MSN/AGACNP degree with a 9-credit certificate in rural health. The university also offers a 9-credit certificate in leadership.


VIEW OUR RANKING METHODOLOGY

HOW MUCH DO ACNP GRADUATES MAKE IN MISSOURI?

WHAT STARTING SALARY CAN NEW GRADUATES OF ACNP PROGRAMS IN MISSOURI EXPECT?

HOW MUCH CAN GRADUATES OF ACNP PROGRAMS IN MISSOURI EARN WITH EXPERIENCE?

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE ACNP SALARY IN MISSOURI?

HOW MUCH DO ACNPS EARN IN THE VARIOUS METROS OF MISSOURI?

ACNP SALARY IN MISSOURI VS. OTHER SALARIES

ACNP SALARY IN MISSOURI VS. ACNP SALARY IN THE NATION

ACNP SALARY IN MISSOURI VS. ACNP SALARIES IN OTHER STATES

ACNP SALARY IN MISSOURI VS. OTHER NURSE SALARIES IN MISSOURI

ACNP SALARY IN MISSOURI VS. SALARIES OF OTHER CLOSELY RELATED OCCUPATIONS IN MISSOURI

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED

1. Who Accredits ACNP Programs In Missouri?

S.No.	Accrediting Agency
1	Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
2	Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

2. How Many Accredited ACNP Schools Are There In Missouri?

7

3. On Average, How Much Does An Acute Care NP Make Per Hour In Missouri?

$57.46

4. On Average, How Much Does An Acute Care NP Make Per Week In Missouri?

$2,298

5. On Average, How Much Does An Acute Care NP Make Per Month In Missouri?

$9,960

6. On Average, How Much Does An Acute Care NP Make Per Year In Missouri?

$119,520

7. What Is The Job Outlook For ACNPs In Missouri?

10-Year Job Outlook (2020-2030)

+41.89%

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