7 Best BSN-to-DNP Programs in Kentucky – 2025
Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Are you frustrated by the limitations imposed on you in your professional practice as an RN in the Blue Grass State? Consider enrolling in one of the BSN-to-DNP programs in Kentucky. Whether you’re interested in enhancing your understanding and skills in delivering evidence-based direct patient care or you want to qualify for leadership roles that will enable you to make executive decisions that improve patient outcomes, a DNP will help you level up your nursing game. The average salary for nurses with DNP degrees in Kentucky is $118,890, and employment opportunities for holders of this advanced degree are expected to soar by 45 percent within 10 years. Intrigued? This guide to the 7 best BSN-to-DNP programs in Kentucky will tell you everything you need to know.
WHAT ARE THE BEST BSN-TO-DNP PROGRAMS IN KENTUCKY (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025?
(Based on our Ranking Methodology, listed below are the 7 Best BSN-to-DNP programs in Kentucky (Online & Campus) for 2025.
1. University of Kentucky - Lexington
Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Executive Leadership in Health Care
Foundational DNP coursework is the same across all six specialty areas. It includes classes like "Applied Biostatistics for Outcomes Evaluation," "Application of Biostatistics and Epidemiology for Strategic Decision Making," and "Quality & Safety in Nursing & Health Care." These classes lay the groundwork for a three-semester DNP project during which you'll identify an issue in clinical practice or systems healthcare delivery, and implement and evaluate an initiative designed to improve that issue. BSN-to-DNP students are also required to develop a DNP portfolio.
Although you'll be able to access most of your coursework online, you'll be required to visit the university's campus in Lexington twice each semester for orientation, testing, skill assessments, and standardized patient modules. You can complete your clinical practicum requirements at healthcare facilities throughout your own state. The University of Kentucky accepts new cohorts into its clinical doctorate program in nursing in the fall semester.
Admission Requirements: All applications must be submitted through NursingCAS. This program is only open to applicants with a valid RN license and a BSN from an accredited program with an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Submit three professional references, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a personal statement with your application.
Why Choose This Program
• U.S. News & World Report rates the DNP program at the University of Kentucky in Lexington as the 20th best in the nation.• Apart from a brief decline related to the pandemic, 100 percent of nurse practitioner grads from the University of Kentucky in Lexington consistently pass their national boards the very first time they take them.
• In 2001, the University of Kentucky launched the nation's first DNP program.
2. Bellarmine University - Louisville
Specialties Offered: Leadership and Nurse Anesthesia
Core DNP courses like "Advanced Statistics for the Health Sciences," "Methods for Evidence-based Practice in Healthcare," and "Program Development, Implementation and Evaluation" will prepare you to work on a DNP project. Note that while the basic DNP project for both tracks focuses on identifying pertinent healthcare challenges, Nurse Anesthesia students will tackle clinical issues in anesthesia practice, but Leadership students will participate in a three-semester immersion experience and address scenarios that impact healthcare at the organizational level.
Both tracks take nine semesters (36 months) to complete and accept new students in the fall semester.
Admission Requirements: Like other Nurse Anesthesia BSN-to-DNP programs in Kentucky, Bellarmine's Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) track has rigorous admission standards. Candidates applying to the Nurse Anesthesia track must have at least one year of critical care experience and hold current Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certifications. Applicants to both tracks must have a BSN from an accredited nursing program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and a valid Kentucky RN license.
Why Choose This Program
• Though a Catholic university, Bellarmine's nursing curriculum is based on professional and scientific standards and does not reflect Catholic religious doctrine.• Students enrolled in Bellarmine University's Nurse Anesthesia track will be able to pursue their first two semesters online.
3. Kentucky State University - Frankfort
Specialties Offered: Adult Gerontological Primary Care Practitioner
You'll develop a DNP project after taking preparatory classes like "Evidence Based Practice/Quality Improvement in Health Care," "Research Design and Methods," and "Theoretical Foundation for Advanced Nursing Practice." You can complete the required 1,080 practicum hours at clinical sites within your own geographic location.
Admission Requirements: To qualify for acceptance into this program, you'll need a BSN from an accredited nursing school with a GPA of at least 3.0 and an active RN license in the state where you'll be doing clinical rotations. KSU will consider applicants whose undergraduate grade point average is less than 3.0 if they have two or more years of professional nursing experience.
Why Choose This Program
• 100 percent of Kentucky State University's AGPCNP grads pass their national certification exams on the first try.• Kentucky State University offers multiple start dates at approximately eight-week intervals throughout the year in its BSN-to-DNP/AGPCNP program.
4. Western Kentucky University - Bowling Green
Specialties Offered: Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Executive
The programs are taught using a hybrid format. Though coursework is primarily delivered online, you will have to visit the university's campus four times each semester for skills intensives and evaluations, and you must complete your 1,000 clinical practicum hours at healthcare facilities within the state of Kentucky. Your DNP coursework will include classes like "Graduate Nursing Research," " Leadership in Health Policy," and "Evidenced-Based Practice." This BSN-to-DNP program in Kentucky also entails a scholarly DNP project in the form of an immersive, semester-long clinical immersion experience.
Admission Requirements: You'll need an undergraduate grade point average of 3.25 or higher in your BSN studies if you want to attend Western Kentucky University's BSN-to-DNP program. All applicants must have an unencumbered RN license from Kentucky or a compact state.
Why Choose This Program
• WKU’s FNP grads have a 100% first-attempt pass rate on national certification exams.• Western Kentucky University lets students choose between weekday and weekend hybrid course schedules.
5. Murray State University - Murray
Specialties Offered: Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Anesthesia
During their third and final year, Nurse Anesthesia students will primarily participate in clinical rotations, with only minimal classroom time. Murray State University has scores of clinical partners in urban and rural settings throughout Kentucky, including Clark Regional Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, and Norton Audubon Hospital. Students enrolled in MSU's BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthesia track must complete a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical experience.
In contrast, MSU's BSN-to-DNP/FNP program is mostly delivered via distance learning technology, though in your second and third years, you will be required to visit the university's main campus in Murray periodically for skills intensives and evaluations. You'll be able to complete the 885 supervised patient care clinical hours and the 115 DNP project hours at a healthcare facility within your own community.
The foundational DNP curriculum, including classes like "Theory and Advanced Nursing Research," "Evidence-Based Practice," and "Leadership and Quality Improvement/Patient Safety," is identical for both tracks. Both tracks also include a three-semester DNP project that will leverage specific challenges students have encountered pursuing either the Nurse Anesthesia or FNP track. Both tracks take nine semesters (36 months) to complete, but the Nurse Anesthesia track starts in the summer while the FNP track begins in the fall.
Admission Requirements: Murray State University accepts applications through NursingCAS. All applicants must have a BSN from an accredited nursing program with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and if you don't have a Kentucky RN license, you must get one by the time you begin clinical rotations.
Nurse Anesthesia applicants must have at least one year of experience in a critical care setting. Current certification in BLS, ACLS, and PALS is mandatory, and Murray State University prioritizes applicants who have also obtained either CCRN or NIC certification.
Why Choose This Program
•Murray State University is one of the best BSN-to-DNP programs in Kentucky in terms of its certification statistics. 100 percent of the university's FNP grads pass their national credentialing boards the very first time they take them, and 94 percent of the graduates from Murray State University's BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthetist program pass the National Certification Examination (NCE) on their first attempt.• Out-of-state residents will pay the same tuition for their BSN-to-DNP degree from Murray State University as Kentuckians.
6. University of Louisville - Louisville
Specialties Offered: Nurse Practitioner (Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Family, Neonatal, Pediatric Acute Care, and Psychiatric Mental Health) and Nurse Anesthesia
While some elements of UofL's BSN-to-DNP curriculum may be available online, this nursing clinical doctorate is a campus-based program for the most part, and clinical rotations must be completed in Kentucky. The nurse practitioner tracks each require 1,000 practicum hours, 672 of which you'll spend participating in supervised patient care related to your chosen concentration. The Nurse Anesthesia track calls for 2,880 practicum hours, which you'll spend at healthcare facilities throughout the Bluegrass State, including the University of Louisville Hospital (a Level I trauma center), UofL Health-Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, and UofL Health–Jewish Hospital.
All seven tracks share a common DNP curriculum. You'll complete a three-semester DNP project, building on the expertise you've gained taking foundational DNP courses like "Program Development and Evaluation,""Analysis of Leadership and Healthcare Policy," and "Synthesis and Evaluation of Evidence Based Practice."
You can graduate from any of UofL's BSN-to-DNP tracks in just nine semesters (36 months). The Nurse Anesthesia program is full-time only, but the NP tracks support part-time enrollment. New cohorts begin annually in the fall semester.
Admission Requirements: The University of Louisville's admission process relies upon NursingCAS. You must have a BSN from a regionally accredited nursing program with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher to apply. Before the beginning of clinical rotations, you must have an RN from Kentucky or a compact state. Applicants to the NNP, PACNP, and AGACNP tracks must have at least one year of professional critical care experience working with patients in their chosen population.
Applicants to the Nurse Anesthesia track must have one year of critical care experience and demonstrate familiarity with technologies like hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive drugs. Additionally, Nurse Anesthesia applicants must hold BLS and either ACLS or PALS certifications, and complete 24 hours of CRNA shadowing.
Why Choose This Program
• The University of Louisville's NNP grads have a first-time pass rate on their national certification exams of 100 percent.•In 2023, the Health Resources and Services Administration awarded the University of Louisville a $6.3 million grant, which the university is using to expand its DNP programming.
7. Northern Kentucky University - Highland Heights
Specialties Offered: Nurse Anesthesia
This BSN-to-DNP program in Kentucky includes a whopping 3,040 practicum hours—significantly more than most Nurse Anesthesia doctoral programs. You'll do your clinical practicums at NKU's impressive network of clinical affiliates across northern Kentucky and southwestern Ohio, which includes such well-respected healthcare facilities as St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and The Christ Hospital.
The DNP curriculum is customized to meet your specific professional needs as a nurse anesthetist, with courses like "Professional Aspects/Role Development in Nurse Anesthesia," "Health Policy Leadership in Nurse Anesthesia," and "System/Organizational Leadership in Nurse Anesthesia." In your fourth semester, you'll begin a six-semester DNP project. This program begins in the summer semester and takes nine semesters (36 months) to complete.
Admission Requirements: Applicants to Northern Kentucky University's BSN-to-DNP/Nurse Anesthesia track must hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Candidates must hold active RN licensure in both Kentucky and Ohio. Current BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications are required, and CCRN certifications are preferred.
Why Choose This Program
• Nurse anesthetists who trained at Northern Kentucky University have a 95% first-time NCE certification rate.• The typical size of a Northern Kentucky University Nurse Anesthesia cohort is 20 students.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED
1. Who Accredits BSN-to-DNP Programs In Kentucky?
| S.No. | Accrediting Agency |
| 1 | Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) |
| 2 | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) |
2. How Many Schools Offer Accredited BSN-to-DNP Programs In Kentucky?
| 7 |
3. What Is The Average BSN-to-DNP Salary In Kentucky?
| Hourly | $57.16 |
| Weekly | $2,286 |
| Monthly | $9,910 |
| Annual | $118,890 |
4. On Average, How Much Do Entry-Level BSN-to-DNP Graduates Make In Kentucky?
| Hourly | $42.05 |
| Weekly | $1,682 |
| Monthly | $7,290 |
| Annual | $87,470 |
5. On Average, How Much Do Experienced BSN-to-DNP Graduates Make In Kentucky?
| Level of Experience | Hourly | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
| 1-4 Years of Experience | $47.58 | $1,903 | $8,250 | $98,970 |
| 5-9 Years of Experience | $56.17 | $2,247 | $9,740 | $116,830 |
| 10-19 Years of Experience | $62.55 | $2,502 | $10,840 | $130,100 |
| 20 Years or More Experience | $74.75 | $2,990 | $12,960 | $155,480 |
6. What Is The Average BSN-to-DNP Salary In Kentucky By Metro?
| Metro | Hourly | Monthly | Weekly | Annual |
| Bowling Green | $55.27 | $9,580 | $2,211 | $114,960 |
| Elizabethtown-Fort Knox | $58.44 | $10,130 | $2,338 | $121,550 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $59.67 | $10,340 | $2,387 | $124,120 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $59.65 | $10,340 | $2,386 | $124,070 |
| Owensboro | $58.57 | $10,150 | $2,343 | $121,830 |
7. Average BSN-to-DNP Salary In Kentucky VS. Average Salaries Of Other Closely Related Occupations In Kentucky
| Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Difference | |
| Number | % | ||
| Dentist | $186,480 | -$67,590 | -36.25% |
| Optometrist | $161,300 | -$42,410 | -26.29% |
| Pharmacist | $131,020 | -$12,130 | -9.26% |
| Nurse With BSN-to-DNP | $118,890 | $0 | 0.00% |
| Veterinarian | $104,380 | +$14,510 | +13.90% |
| Physician Assistant | $99,290 | +$19,600 | +19.74% |
| Radiation Therapist | $95,720 | +$23,170 | +24.21% |
| Physical Therapist | $87,480 | +$31,410 | +35.91% |
| Occupational Therapist | $86,860 | +$32,030 | +36.88% |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $83,310 | +$35,580 | +42.71% |
| Chiropractor | $82,040 | +$36,850 | +44.92% |
| Audiologist | $76,370 | +$42,520 | +55.68% |
| Dental Hygienist | $73,850 | +$45,040 | +60.99% |
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Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.
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