How Many Nurse Practitioner Schools are There in the U.S. – (BY STATE)


Written By: Kasee WiesenKasee Wiesen DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Kasee Wiesen is a practicing family nurse practitioner. Her nursing background includes emergency medicine, pediatrics and peri-op. She started her health career as a nurse’s aid while pursuing her bachelor’s in nursing degree in a hospital setting. Education is a passion of Kasee’s, and after working as a BSN prepared nursed, she obtained in master’s in nursing education and began teaching adjunct for a local university. Read Full Bio »»
DNP, APRN, FNP-C


The Bureau of Labor and Statistics is projecting a growth of 38% for nurse practitioners over the next ten years. This is due to numerous factors, including the predicted physician shortage, the need for healthcare providers in rural communities, and the aging population. This growth demonstrates a need for accredited NP programs throughout the United States to ensure we have the tools to educate nurses wanting to advance their degrees and become nurse practitioners.

So, how many nurse practitioner schools are there in the U.S.? Below, I will provide a list of the nurse practitioner schools in the U.S. by state.


Totally, How Many Nurse Practitioner Schools are There in the U.S.?


There are 478 nurse practitioner schools in the U.S. These schools include Master’s (MSN) and doctoral (DNP) programs and may offer one or multiple NP programs such as family practice, adult-geriatric acute care, pediatrics, etc.

Total # of NP Schools in U.S.
478


Which States Have the Most Number of Accredited Nurse Practitioner Schools in the U.S.?


So, which states have the most accredited NP schools? Below, you will find a list of the ten states with the most NP schools, and it should come as no surprise that California and New York top the list with 31 NP schools in each state. Pennsylvania ranks number three with 30, Texas with 29, and Florida with 21 NP schools. Illinois and Ohio each have 20 NP schools, Indiana has 10, Tennessee has 18, and the top 10 states with the most NP programs is Massachusetts with 16.

State# of NP Schools
California31
New York31
Pennsylvania30
Texas29
Florida21
Illinois20
Ohio20
Indiana19
Tennessee18
Massachusetts16


How Many Nurse Practitioner Schools are There in Your State?


(As per the latest data from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the following are the total number of accredited nurse practitioner schools in each state. Based on the total number of NP schools in each state, the states have been listed in the order of highest to lowest.)


STATE #1: California (31 Schools)


There are 31 nurse practitioner schools in California, each offering something slightly different. Some programs are provided remotely, while others offer a hybrid form of learning. You must also note the differences in specialties offered—and be sure the program you choose offers the desired degree (MSN vs. DNP) and your length of study (part-time vs. full-time).




STATE #2: New York (31 Schools)


There are 31 nurse practitioner schools in New York. Each of these programs is unique in their offerings. Some programs lead to a master’s degree, while others lead to a doctorate or post-doctorate certificate. Not all programs offer the same specialties, so be sure to know what NP specialty you want to pursue to ensure it is provided by the program you select.




STATE #3: Pennsylvania (30 Schools)


There are 30 nurse practitioner schools in Pennsylvania—leading to various options for those wanting to stay within the state. You will find these programs throughout the state, with the city of Philadelphia containing six.




STATE #4: Texas (29 Schools)


There are 29 nurse practitioner schools in Texas. Nine programs are located in the five most populated cities: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, and Fort Worth.




STATE #5: Florida (21 Schools)


There are 21 nurse practitioner schools in Florida. As we have seen in previous states, these programs can be found in all parts of the state, allowing future NP students to choose a school in the city they desire.




STATE #6: Illinois (20 Schools)


There are 20 nurse practitioner schools in Illinois with unique offerings, including specialties, degrees, and study duration. 50% of these programs are located within Chicago or one of the surrounding suburbs. Therefore, those looking for a large city or urban environment to attend school may consider finding an NP program in Illinois.




STATE #7: Ohio (20 Schools)


There are 20 nurse practitioner schools in Ohio with some of these NP schools in cities including Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, and Dayton. Each of these NP programs varies in size, NP specialties offered, and degrees achieved after completion of the program.




STATE #8: Indiana (19 Schools)


Indiana currently has 19 NP programs that are found throughout the state. If you note in the list below, some of these programs are offered by the same university (i.e., Indiana University) but in 2 different cities—creating greater flexibility for those wanting to attend a specific NP program.




STATE #9: Tennessee (18 Schools)


There are 18 nurse practitioner schools in Tennessee, each with unique offerings. Three of these programs are located in Nashville, with three more in Memphis and 2 in Knoxville—and the remaining ten programs are found in other cities throughout Tennessee.




STATE #10: Massachusetts (16 Schools)


There are 16 nurse practitioner schools in Massachusetts. Five of these programs are in Boston, but you also have programs located more centrally in Springfield and Amherst and even in the southern part of the state in North Dartmouth.




STATE #11: Georgia (14 Schools)


There are 14 nurse practitioner schools in Georgia, with four of these programs in Atlanta, two in Savannah, and the remaining eight programs spread throughout the state.




STATE #12: Michigan (14 Schools)


You will find 14 nurse practitioner schools in Michigan throughout the state. You will find two schools in Detroit and multiple NP programs in the suburbs of Detroit. You can also find programs located more centrally in the state or along one of the coasts of the Great Lakes.




STATE #13: Missouri (13 Schools)


There are 13 nurse practitioner schools in Missouri. Seven of these programs are located in two of the largest cities in Missouri—St. Louis and Kansas City. The other six NP programs throughout the state include Columbia, Springfield, and Independence.




STATE #14: Kentucky (12 Schools)


There are 12 nurse practitioner schools in Kentucky. Louisville has NP schools, while Richmond, Bowling Green, Williamsburg, Lexington, Murray, Highland Heights, Morehead, Grayson, and Versailles have one.




STATE #15: New Jersey (12 Schools)


There are 12 NP programs in New Jersey, with each NP program located in a different city. NP programs exist in Teaneck, Lodi, West Long Branch, Mahwah, Glassboro, and Newark. You will also find NP schools in Camden, Jersey City, Nutley, Galloway, and Ewing.




STATE #16: Virginia (12 Schools)


There are 12 nurse practitioner schools in Virginia. Two of these schools are located in Virginia Beach, while the remainder are in other cities, including Arlington and Fairfax, which are located just outside of Washington D.C. Other NP schools are located in Bluefield, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Radford, Winchester, Charlottesville, and Richmond.




STATE #17: Wisconsin (12 Schools)


In Wisconsin, there are 12 nurse practitioner programs. The cities with the most NP schools include Milwaukee, where there are three schools, and Madison, which has two NP schools. The remaining NP schools are Green Bay, Mequon, Menomonee Falls, Fond Du Lac, Eau Claire, Oshkosh, and Lacrosse.




STATE #18: Alabama (10 Schools)


Alabama has ten NP schools throughout the state. There are two NP schools in Birmingham and Mobile. The other NP schools are in Auburn, Jacksonville, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, and Florence.




STATE #19: Louisiana (10 Schools)


Louisiana has ten nurse practitioner schools, with only two in New Orleans. Other larger Louisiana cities with NP schools include Shreveport, Grambling, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette.




STATE #20: Minnesota (9 Schools)


There are nine nurse practitioner schools located in Minnesota. Unlike some other states with multiple schools, six out of the nine schools are located in the Minneapolis and St. Paul region. The other three schools are throughout the state, including Duluth, which is along the Wisconsin border.




STATE #21: North Carolina (9 Schools)


There are nine NP schools in North Carolina. These NP schools are located throughout the Durham, Greenville, Hickory, and Chapel Hill states. Other cities with NP schools in North Carolina include Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilmington, Cullowhee, and Winston-Salem.




STATE #22: Connecticut (8 Schools)


There are eight NP schools located in Connecticut. Two of these programs are found in Fairfield, while the remaining NP schools are in Pueblo, Hamden, New Haven, Storrs, West Hartford, Danbury, and West Haven.




STATE #23: Colorado (6 Schools)


In Colorado, you will find six nurse practitioner schools. Two of these schools are located in Colorado Springs, which is located south of Denver, and in Denver, you will find one NP school. Another NP school is located in Aurora, a suburb of Denver, another in Greeley, and there is one NP school in Western Colorado in Grand Junction.




STATE #24: Maryland (7 Schools)


There are seven NP schools in Maryland. Three of these programs are located in Baltimore, one is located in Bethesda, and one in Bowie, which are both located outside of Washington D.C. You will also find an NP school in Frostburg, which is in Western Maryland, and one in Salisbury, which is located in the southern part of the state.




STATE #25: Arkansas (6 Schools)


In Arkansas, you can find six nurse practitioner schools. These NP schools are located throughout the state, with Henderson State University in Arkadelphia being the furthest south. You can also find NP schools in Jonesboro, Searcy, Fayetteville, Little Rock, and Conway.




STATE #26: Iowa (6 Schools)


In Iowa, there are six NP schools, each located in a different city throughout the state. You can find an NP school in Waterloo, Sioux City, Dubuque, Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City.

S.No.School NameCity
1Allen CollegeWaterloo
2Briar Cliff UniversitySioux City
3Clarke UniversityDubuque
4Morningside CollegeSioux City
5Mount Mercy UniversityCedar Rapids
6University of IowaIowa City



STATE #27: Kansas (6 Schools)


In Kansas, there are six NP schools, and I found it surprising that there was only one NP school in Kansas City. You can also find NP schools in Hays, Pittsburg, Leavenworth, Topeka, and Wichita.




STATE #28: Washington (6 Schools)


There are six NP programs in Washington. Three of these NP schools are in Seattle, two in Spokane, and one in Tacoma.




STATE #29: Arizona (5 Schools)


In Arizona, there are five NP programs. Three of these programs are located in Phoenix, with the other two NP programs located in Flagstaff and Tucson.




STATE #30: Mississippi (5 Schools)


There are five NP schools located in Mississippi. These schools are found throughout the state in Natchez, Cleveland, Columbus, Jackson, and Hattiesburg.




STATE #31: South Carolina (5 Schools)


In South Carolina, there are five NP schools. Each school is located in a different city, including Anderson, Clemson, Florence, Charleston, and Columbia.




STATE #32: Utah (5 Schools)


There are five NP schools located in Utah. Two of these schools are located in Provo, two schools are in Salt Lake City, and one NP school is in Ogden, located north of Salt Lake City.




STATE #33: West Virginia (5 Schools)


In West Virginia, you can find five NP schools in different cities. You can find NP schools in Huntington, Shepherdstown, Morgantown, Buckhannon, and Wheeling. Each program offers different NP specialties, degree options, and program pathways.

S.No.School NameCity
1Marshall UniversityHuntington
2Shepherd UniversityShepherdstown
3West Virginia UniversityMorgantown
4West Virginia Wesleyan CollegeBuckhannon
5Wheeling UniversityWheeling



STATE #34: Maine (4 Schools)


There are four NP schools located in Maine. The NP schools are grouped in that the cities of Portland and Standish are near each other, and both have NP schools, and Bangor and Orono are near each other with NP schools.




STATE #35: Oklahoma (4 Schools)


There are four nurse practitioner schools in Oklahoma. Two of these schools are in Oklahoma City—Oklahoma City University and the University of Oklahoma. There is one NP school in Tulsa; the final NP school is in Alva.




STATE #36: Hawaii (3 Schools)


There are three nurse practitioner schools in Hawaii. Two of these schools are located in Honolulu, on the Island of Oahu—the most populated island in Hawaii. The other nurse practitioner school is located in Hilo, which is on the Island of Hawaii.




STATE #37: Idaho (3 Schools)


There are three nurse practitioner schools located in Idaho. Boise State University is located in Boise, and Northwest Nazarene University is in Nampa, a suburb of Boise. The other NP school is located in Pocatello, Idaho.




STATE #38: North Dakota (3 Schools)


In North Dakota, you will find three nurse practitioner programs. The University of North Dakota is located in Grand Forks, and North Dakota State University is in Fargo—and both of these cities are along the Minnesota border. The University of Mary is located in Bismarck, central North Dakota.




STATE #39: Nebraska (3 Schools)


There are three nurse practitioner schools in Nebraska—and you can find all three in Omaha, Nebraska. Each school has unique offerings, including NP specialties, course delivery (hybrid, in-person, or virtual), and paths of study.




STATE #40: Nevada (3 Schools)


There are three NP schools located in Nevada, and as you will see below, the schools can be found in Las Vegas or one of the surrounding suburbs. It is also important to note that the NP program at the University of Nevada is located in Las Vegas and Reno.




STATE #41: Rhode Island (3 Schools)


In Rhode Island, you will find three NP schools—one in Providence, one in Newport, and one in Kingston demonstrating that they can be found in different parts of the state. Each school has unique offerings that allow you to choose the program that best fits your needs.

S.No.School NameCity
1Rhode Island CollegeProvidence
2Salve Regina UniversityNewport
3University of Rhode IslandKingston



STATE #42: South Dakota (3 Schools)


There are three NP schools in South Dakota—with all three programs located more on the state's eastern side. Each program varies based on the class size, NP specialties offered, and the availability of full-time and part-time study options.

S.No.School NameCity
1Mount Marty CollegeYankton
2Presentation CollegeAberdeen
3South Dakota State UniversityBrookings



STATE #43: Delaware (2 Schools)


There are two NP programs located in Delaware—one is in Newark, and the other is in New Castle. These programs are located relatively close to each other in the northern part of the state. Both programs are MSN and DNP degrees, but it is important to note that the University of Delaware does have more NP specialties to pursue.

S.No.School NameCity
1University of DelawareNewark
2Wilmington UniversityNew Castle



STATE #44: New Mexico (2 Schools)


There are two NP programs in New Mexico—one in Las Cruces and the other in Albuquerque. New Mexico State University offers a DNP in family practice and psychiatric mental health. At the same time, the University of New Mexico has more NP specialties available for those interested in adult gerontology or pediatrics.

S.No.School NameCity
1New Mexico State UniversityLas Cruces
2University of New MexicoAlbuquerque



STATE #45: Oregon (2 Schools)


Two schools in Oregon offer NP programs, both of which can be found in Portland. Both programs provide a couple of NP specialties with the option to pursue an MSN to DNP or a BSN to DNP. It is important to note that NP specialties at these schools vary slightly, so choose the program that best suits your needs.




STATE #46: Alaska (1 School)


The University of Alaska Anchorage is the only NP program in Alaska. This program offers family practice and psychiatric mental health NP specialties and the option to obtain your DNP.

S.No.School NameCity
1University of Alaska AnchorageAnchorage



STATE #47: Montana (1 School)


Montana State University-Bozeman offers the only NP program in the state of Montana. They deliver a couple of different course options, including a doctorate in family practice or psychiatric mental health. They also offer a post-master's DNP program and a postgraduate psychiatric mental health NP certificate.

S.No.School NameCity
1Montana State University- BozemanBozeman



STATE #48: New Hampshire (1 School)


The state of New Hampshire has one University, the University of New Hampshire in Durham, that offers an NP program. This program provides multiple NP specialties, including family nurse practitioners, adult-gerontology acute care, and psychiatric mental health NP programs. This wide variety of programs offered is excellent for those NPs wanting to stay within New Hampshire for their studies.

S.No.School NameCity
1University of New HampshireDurham



STATE #49: Vermont (1 School)


The University of Vermont, located in Burlington, offers the only NP program in Vermont. They offer a Family Nurse Practitioner doctoral program, a postgraduate DNP, and a postgraduate APRN certificate.

S.No.School NameCity
1University of VermontBurlington


My Final Thoughts


As I mentioned above, nurse practitioners are in demand, along with accredited NP programs, to educate future NPs. So, how many nurse practitioner schools are there in the U.S.? You can see from above that 49 out of the 50 states have an NP school and I hope you can identify how many nurse practitioner schools are in the U.S. by state.


Frequently Asked Questions Answered


1. WHICH STATE IN THE U.S HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF NP SCHOOLS?

California has 31 nurse practitioner schools, making it the state with the highest number of NP schools.

California31


2. WHICH STATE IN THE U.S HAS THE LOWEST NUMBER OF NP SCHOOLS?

Vermont has the lowest number of NP schools, with only 1.

Vermont1


3. WHAT ARE THE 5 STATES WITH THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST NUMBER OF NP SCHOOLS?

California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Florida are the five states with the most NP schools. The states with the lowest number of NP schools are Vermont, New Hampshire, Montana, Alaska, and Oregon.

RankHighestLowest
StateNo. of NP SchoolsStateNo. of NP Schools
1California31Vermont1
2New York31New Hampshire1
3Pennsylvania30Montana1
4Texas29Alaska1
5Florida21Oregon2


4. WHAT STATES IN THE NORTHEAST REGION HAVE THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST NUMBER OF NP SCHOOLS?

New York has the highest number of NP schools in the Northeast region, with 31, and Vermont has the fewest, with only 1.

New York31
Vermont1


5. WHAT STATES IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION HAVE THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST NUMBER OF NP SCHOOLS?

In the southeast region, Florida has the most NP schools, with 21, and West Virginia has the fewest, with only 5.

Florida21
West Virginia5


6. WHAT STATES IN THE MIDWEST REGION HAVE THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST NUMBER OF NP SCHOOLS?

Illinois has the most NP schools in the Midwest region, with 20, and South Dakota has the fewest with three.

Illinois20
South Dakota3


7. WHAT STATES IN THE SOUTHWEST REGION HAVE THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST NUMBER OF NP SCHOOLS?

Texas has the most NP schools in the Southwest region, with 29, and New Mexico has the fewest, with only two.

Texas29
New Mexico2


8. WHAT STATES IN THE WESTERN REGION HAVE THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST NUMBER OF NP SCHOOLS?

California has the most NP schools in the western region of the United States, with 31, and Montana has the least, with only 1.

California31
Montana1


References Used to Write This Article





Kasee Wiesen DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Kasee Wiesen is a practicing family nurse practitioner. Her nursing background includes emergency medicine, pediatrics and peri-op. Education is a passion of Kasee’s, and she has taught BSN, RN-BSN and DNP students, and has enjoyed every moment of it!