Below are five established Florida MSN programs with their admission rules, tuition, and outcomes, followed by what licensure actually requires.
Florida MSN Programs
The University of South Florida offers an MSN with nurse practitioner concentrations in adult-gerontology primary and acute care, family practice, and pediatric primary care. Adult-gerontology primary care students can add an occupational health nursing subspecialty or earn a concurrent master of public health. Students enroll full or part time and sit a comprehensive exam in their concentration at the end.
- Program: Master of science in nursing
- Campus: Tampa, Florida
- Type: Public
- Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Tuition: $431 per credit for Florida residents; $877 per credit out of state
- Admission: BSN (or bachelor's in a relevant field with a 3.0 GPA), RN license
- Time to complete: 18-24 months
- Onsite requirement: Yes
- NCLEX-RN pass rate (2022): 91% first-time
- Median earnings two years out: $102,723 for master's graduates (College Scorecard)
Miami Regional University runs a direct-entry MSN that prepares non-nursing bachelor's holders to pass the NCLEX-RN and enter practice as advanced generalist RNs. Applicants need prior coursework in anatomy and physiology, microbiology, English composition, report writing and research, and a humanities elective. Both full- and part-time tracks cover advanced nursing inquiry, evidence-based practice, foundations of care across the lifespan, and nursing informatics.
- Program: Master of science in nursing (direct entry)
- Campus: Miami Springs, Florida
- Type: Private
- Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
- Tuition: $670 per credit
- Admission: Bachelor's degree, 2.5 GPA minimum
- Time to complete: 20 months
- Onsite requirement: Yes
- NCLEX-RN pass rate (2022): 69% first-time
Florida Atlantic University offers an MSN onsite or online depending on concentration. Core classes cover advanced nursing practice grounded in caring, philosophical and theoretical foundations of nursing, and nursing research. Concentrations include adult gerontological NP, advanced holistic nursing, family NP, nursing administration and financial leadership, nurse educator, and psychiatric mental health NP.
- Program: Master of science in nursing
- Campus: Boca Raton, Florida
- Type: Public
- Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Tuition: $372 per credit for Florida residents; $1,027 per credit out of state
- Admission: BSN, 3.0 GPA minimum, RN license
- Time to complete: 18-24 months
- Onsite requirement: Yes
- NCLEX-RN pass rate (2022): 88% first-time
- Median earnings two years out: $92,028 for master's graduates (College Scorecard)
Jacksonville University's MSN runs full or part time, online for some concentrations. Core courses cover nursing theory and research, leadership and advanced roles, and healthcare organization and policy. Concentrations include adult gerontology acute care NP, clinical nurse educator, family NP, healthcare quality and safety informatics, nursing leadership, and psychiatric mental health NP.
- Program: Master of science in nursing
- Campus: Jacksonville, Florida
- Type: Private
- Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Tuition: $675 per credit
- Admission: BSN, 3.0 GPA minimum, RN license
- Time to complete: 18 months
- Onsite requirement: Yes
- NCLEX-RN pass rate (2022): 92% first-time
- Median earnings two years out: $80,091 for master's graduates (College Scorecard)
St. Thomas University offers online MSN programs in psychiatric mental health and family NP tracks. Students study full or part time, complete virtual clinical examinations, and arrange rotations near home. Both concentrations include transition to advanced practice, advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, and diversity in advanced practice. Tuition is the same regardless of residency, and 90% of enrollees receive financial aid.
- Program: Master of science in nursing
- Campus: Miami Gardens, Florida
- Type: Private
- Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Tuition: $566 per credit
- Admission: BSN, 3.0 GPA minimum, RN license
- Time to complete: 18 months
- Onsite requirement: No
- NCLEX-RN pass rate (2022): 58% first-time
Pass rates and tuition shift year to year, so confirm current figures with each school before applying.
Earning Your MSN and APRN License in Florida
Becoming an MSN-prepared nurse means meeting both graduate program requirements and state licensure rules. Florida is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate RN license earned here is valid across the 41 participating NLC states. The RN license application fee is $110, the NCLEX is $200, and RN licenses renew every two years.
An MSN program requires a BSN from an accredited program (or an ADN for RN-to-MSN tracks), a current unencumbered RN license, and prerequisite coursework. Becoming an APRN takes more. Florida's Board of Nursing requires a valid RN license, a master's degree or post-master's certificate, national certification from a nursing specialty board, proof of malpractice insurance, and electronic fingerprinting for a background check.
Know the scope you are training into. Florida is a restricted-practice state: NPs work under a physician protocol. A 2020 law (HB 607) created an autonomous-practice option for qualifying primary-care NPs who meet experience and supervision requirements. Verify the current rule with the Florida Board of Nursing before you plan your practice.
Choosing a Florida MSN Program
Weigh tuition against financial aid. Florida offers scholarships through the Florida Nurses Foundation and federal loan forgiveness through the Nurse Faculty Loan Program. Compare NCLEX pass rates as a proxy for how well a program prepares graduates. Check whether courses run online or onsite, how long the program takes, and whether the school helps secure clinical placements. Accreditation is non-negotiable: it governs licensure eligibility, financial aid, and credit transfer.
Salary and Job Outlook
Nationally, registered nurses earned a median of $93,600 in May 2024, and nurse practitioners (grouped with nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives) a median of $132,050, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Florida pay runs below those national medians, but demand stays high thanks to the state's large senior population. Advanced practice employment is projected to grow about 35% from 2024 to 2034, far faster than the average for all occupations, with roughly 32,700 openings a year. Advanced roles pay well above staff RN work, so an MSN that leads to a nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, or nurse-anesthetist credential is where the salary jump shows up. Confirm current Florida wage figures with the BLS state data before you plan around a specific number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an MSN worth it? For most nurses, yes. It is a real investment of time and money, but it opens roles in advanced practice, education, and administration and raises earning potential. In Florida, NPs are the highest-paid MSN holders at about $128,340, with nurse administrators close behind.
How long does it take? Most Florida MSN programs run about two years. Accelerated and RN-to-MSN pathways shorten that; part-time study extends it. Your previous education and specialty also affect the timeline.
What can you do with an MSN? Nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, nurse educator, nurse administrator, or clinical nurse specialist.
Is Florida a Nurse Licensure Compact state? Yes. Florida is one of the 41 NLC states, so a multistate RN license issued here lets you practice in other compact states without a separate application (NCSBN).
What does an APRN license require in Florida? The Florida Board of Nursing requires a valid RN license, a master's degree or post-master's certificate, national certification from a nursing specialty board, proof of malpractice insurance, and electronic fingerprinting for a background check. Verify the current scope-of-practice rules, including the autonomous-practice option for qualifying primary-care NPs, with the board before you plan your practice.