Online master’s in nursing (MSN) programs, accredited and ranked by debt
An online MSN lets a working RN move into advanced practice, education, leadership or informatics. Here are the accredited, fully online programs, ordered by what graduates borrowed.
- 93
- accredited, fully online MSN programs with at least 20 graduates a year and a reported debt figure
- $41,000
- median loan debt for the typical program in this list, against $48,242 for programs that are not fully online
- 45
- of the 93 are public universities; 8 are for-profit
What the data shows
- Federal data lists 225 schools whose MSN program is offered entirely online and 134 more that offer some of it online, out of 612 schools with an MSN program. 190 of the 225 fully online programs hold ACEN or CCNE accreditation.
- Among the 93 accredited programs with at least 20 graduates a year and a debt figure, the typical program’s median loan debt is $41,000, compared with $48,242 for MSN programs that are not fully online. The range runs from $17,322 (Western Governors University) to $64,250 (Duquesne University).
- Master’s tracks differ widely in length and cost, and federal data lumps them together. A nurse practitioner program with clinical hours is not comparable to a leadership degree, so use the list to shortlist schools and then compare tracks on each school’s own page.
15 lowest-debt accredited online MSN programs
Ordered by median loan debt of graduates, lowest first. Debt is what completers borrowed across the whole program, so it is a fair cost signal when programs are similar in length. Pay is median earnings one year after graduating.
| # | School | Median loan debt | Pay 1 year out | Graduates a year | Accredited by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Governors UniversitySalt Lake City, UT, Private | $17,322 | $105,611 | 1,910 | CCNE |
| 2 | Capella UniversityMinneapolis, MN, For-profit | $17,349 | $107,911 | 950 | CCNE |
| 3 | Southwestern Oklahoma State UniversityWeatherford, OK, Public | $21,083 | $89,299 | 43 | ACEN (conditions) |
| 4 | University of North AlabamaFlorence, AL, Public | $21,625 | $87,439 | 126 | CCNE |
| 5 | Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN, Public | $22,869 | $103,680 | 37 | CCNE |
| 6 | Arkansas State UniversityJonesboro, AR, Public | $25,421 | $122,745 | 76 | ACEN |
| 7 | University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC, Public | $25,500 | $110,328 | 48 | CCNE |
| 8 | University of HartfordWest Hartford, CT, Private | $25,500 | $115,999 | 29 | CCNE |
| 9 | Georgia Southwestern State UniversityAmericus, GA, Public | $27,675 | $105,528 | 42 | CCNE |
| 10 | University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL, Public | $27,972 | $93,964 | 65 | CCNE |
| 11 | Weber State UniversityOgden, UT, Public | $28,071 | $86,399 | 21 | ACEN |
| 12 | University of Phoenix-ArizonaPhoenix, AZ, For-profit | $28,549 | $118,357 | 366 | CCNE |
| 13 | Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ, Public | $29,500 | $123,155 | 41 | CCNE |
| 14 | Saint Francis Medical Center College of NursingPeoria, IL, Private | $29,500 | $113,088 | 30 | CCNE |
| 15 | University of Southern MainePortland, ME, Public | $29,850 | $108,772 | 29 | CCNE |
15 largest accredited online MSN programs
Size is graduates a year. Big programs have more students to learn from and usually more established placement processes, but not always more support.
| # | School | Median loan debt | Pay 1 year out | Graduates a year | Accredited by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walden UniversityMinneapolis, MN, For-profit | $60,965 | $115,362 | 3,695 | CCNE |
| 2 | Western Governors UniversitySalt Lake City, UT, Private | $17,322 | $105,611 | 1,910 | CCNE |
| 3 | Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, AZ, Private | $38,753 | $115,281 | 1,394 | CCNE |
| 4 | Capella UniversityMinneapolis, MN, For-profit | $17,349 | $107,911 | 950 | CCNE |
| 5 | University of South AlabamaMobile, AL, Public | $51,250 | $107,444 | 769 | CCNE |
| 6 | Frontier Nursing UniversityVersailles, KY, Private | $63,047 | $108,129 | 723 | ACEN |
| 7 | Purdue University GlobalWest Lafayette, IN, Public | $54,091 | $108,861 | 572 | CCNE |
| 8 | Aspen UniversityPhoenix, AZ, For-profit | $47,628 | $107,004 | 517 | CCNE |
| 9 | Maryville University of Saint LouisSaint Louis, MO, Private | $59,059 | $112,311 | 457 | CCNE |
| 10 | University of Phoenix-ArizonaPhoenix, AZ, For-profit | $28,549 | $118,357 | 366 | CCNE |
| 11 | Wilkes UniversityWilkes-Barre, PA, Private | $43,904 | $114,556 | 356 | CCNE |
| 12 | Texas Woman's UniversityDenton, TX, Public | $36,254 | $107,679 | 297 | CCNE |
| 13 | Post UniversityWaterbury, CT, For-profit | $33,374 | $110,400 | 262 | CCNE |
| 14 | Spring Arbor UniversitySpring Arbor, MI, Private | $53,767 | $104,543 | 222 | CCNE |
| 15 | Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, NH, Private | $36,900 | $114,968 | 190 | CCNE |
How to choose
Pick the track first. Nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, educator, leader and informatics each have different requirements. See advanced practice registered nurse and nurse practitioner.
Ask who finds your clinical placement. This is the most common problem for online nurse practitioner students. Some programs arrange sites and preceptors, while others expect you to find your own. Ask for the placement rate and what happens if you cannot find a site.
Check certification results. Programs that prepare you for national certification should publish pass rates for graduates. Ask for the three-year figure.
Check state authorization. A school may offer an online program but not be approved to place students in your state. Ask the school in writing.
Compare a master’s and a doctorate. Some schools now steer nurse practitioners to the Doctor of Nursing Practice. See DNP. Pay: the median nurse practitioner earned a higher figure than the median RN in the latest federal data. See nurse practitioner pay by state.
Common questions
Can you earn an MSN entirely online?
Coursework, yes. Clinical hours, no: tracks that lead to certification, such as nurse practitioner, require supervised practice hours in person, usually near your home. Tracks without patient care, such as informatics, education and leadership, can be nearly all online.
How do you rank these programs?
We include programs that federal data lists as fully online, that hold ACEN or CCNE accreditation, that graduate at least 20 students a year and that report a median loan debt. The first table orders them by lowest median debt. We do not publish a composite score, because the federal data does not cover online-specific quality such as clinical placement support.
Is accreditation required?
For licensure of a new nurse the program must be approved by the state board. For a graduate degree or a federal program, accreditation by ACEN or CCNE is the usual requirement, and many employers ask for it. See accredited programs by state on our accredited page.
Where does the data come from?
Program counts and delivery method come from the federal IPEDS survey (2024 completions); debt and pay come from the College Scorecard; accreditation from the public ACEN and CCNE directories, collected November 2026.
Sources: IPEDS (programs, delivery method, graduates), College Scorecard (debt, pay), ACEN and CCNE directories (accreditation). Seedata sources and methodology. AACN counted 146,718 students enrolled in master’s programs in fall 2025.