How do you tell if an online MSN is a good fit?
An online MSN is a good fit if the program is accredited by ACEN or CCNE, arranges or supports your clinical placement, fits your schedule and costs what you can afford, and prepares you for the certification exam in your specialty.
Five checks
Accreditation: look the program up with our accredited programs by state. Clinicals: ask who finds your preceptor, because some programs leave it to you. Schedule: some online classes meet live at set times. Cost: ask for total tuition and fees, not per credit. Certification: ask for graduates’ pass rates on the national exam for your track.
State rules
A nurse practitioner program must meet the requirements of the state where you will practice, and some states limit programs that place students there. Ask the school which states it is approved in.
Context
AACN counted 44,976 students in DNP programs in 2025. If you are choosing between a master’s and a doctorate, see Doctor of Nursing Practice.
Pay and projections: Bureau of Labor Statistics. NCLEX figures: NCSBN. Enrollment: AACN. Sources and years are ondata sources.