New Jersey Nursing Schools And Programs

New Jersey nurses are in demand and earn well above the national average, which makes the state a strong place to build a career. This guide covers top nurse practitioner programs, what nurses earn here, and the licensing steps.

Nurse Practitioner Programs in New Jersey

The schools below focus on graduate nurse practitioner (NP) training. When you compare them, weigh accreditation, NCLEX pass rate, total cost, and how much of the program runs onsite versus online.

The College of New Jersey (Ewing) offers an RN-to-MSN bridge and a family nurse practitioner (FNP) specialization. The FNP track requires 47 credit hours and 715 practicum hours. TCNJ also runs post-graduate certificates for family, adult-gerontology primary care, and specialized FNP practice. The MSN-NP is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); the post-graduate APRN certificate is seeking accreditation. All classroom hours are onsite, and every student pays the same tuition regardless of residency.

• Program(s): MSN-NP; RN-to-MSN
• Campus: Ewing, NJ
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: CCNE
• Tuition: $1,024 per credit hour
• Admission Requirements: BSN with a minimum 3.0 GPA, or a non-nursing bachelor's for the bridge; RN license; transcripts; two recommendation letters; an essay; resume/CV; one course each in statistics and health assessment; GRE or an existing master's degree
• Minimum Time Commitment: 24 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 97.06%

Monmouth University (West Long Branch) offers an MSN with NP specializations in family, psychiatric mental health, and adult-gerontology primary care. It also runs a post-master's certificate, an RN-to-MSN direct-entry program for RNs without a BSN, and a bridge option for RNs holding a bachelor's in another field. Students must pass most specialization courses with at least a B.

• Program(s): MSN-NP; RN-to-MSN Direct Entry; RN-to-MSN
• Campus: West Long Branch, NJ
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $1,267 per credit
• Admission Requirements: BSN, non-nursing bachelor's for the bridge, or a nursing diploma/associate degree for direct entry; RN license; one year of RN experience; one year of specialty experience; a health assessment course; transcripts; two recommendations; an essay
• Minimum Time Commitment: 24 months
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 76%

Felician University (Rutherford), the only Franciscan university in New Jersey, offers an MSN with an FNP track requiring 40 credit hours and 650 fieldwork hours. Required courses include primary care, advanced health assessment, pharmacology, and clinical pathophysiology. Felician also runs post-master's certificates in adult oncology NP, FNP primary care, adult-gerontology NP primary care, and nursing administration.

• Program(s): MSN-NP
• Campus: Rutherford, NJ
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $1,060 per credit
• Admission Requirements: BSN with at least a 3.0 GPA; New Jersey RN license; courses in health assessment, nursing research, and statistics; transcripts; two recommendations; personal statement
• Minimum Time Commitment: 24 months
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 80.6%

Choosing a Program in New Jersey

Narrow your options by tuition, length, and curriculum, then confirm the program is accredited and check its NCLEX pass rate. Those two checks tell you whether the school reliably prepares students to pass the licensing exam and practice.

Why Nurse in New Jersey

New Jersey is heading into a nursing shortage. By 2030, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services projects the state will have roughly 90,800 nurses against a need above 102,000, one of the largest shortfalls in the country behind only Texas and California. That gap, plus high pay, points to steady demand.

New Jersey is also a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state. It fully implemented the compact in November 2021, so nurses whose primary residence is New Jersey can hold a multistate license and practice across participating states, including telehealth, without paying separate renewal fees in each one.

Salaries and Job Outlook

New Jersey RNs average about $101,960 a year, well above the national median of $93,600 (BLS). Nurse practitioners average roughly $145,000, far above the national NP median of about $129,000. The BLS projects 6% RN job growth from 2022 to 2032, in line with the national rate. Pay runs highest in the southern metros (Atlantic City and Hammonton, Vineland and Bridgeton, Ocean City) plus Trenton, with around $77,000 to $84,000 average RN wages across those areas as of 2022. Southern New Jersey also employs the most RNs in the state.

Becoming a Nurse in New Jersey

Pick a program that fits your career path, complete it through the New Jersey Board of Nursing, and pass the NCLEX-RN. Once licensed, RNs must meet continuing education requirements to keep practicing.

RN Requirements

Earn an ADN or BSN from an accredited program. Most ADN programs take about two years and BSN programs about four, though timing varies by school. Pass the NCLEX-RN and complete a criminal background check before applying for licensure. RNs must earn 30 continuing education hours every two years to renew.

APRN Requirements

Earn an MSN or doctor of nursing practice from an accredited program. If you have not taken a pharmacology course within five years of applying, you must complete one. Before licensure, pass a certification exam in a state-recognized specialty; New Jersey accepts certifications from agencies accredited by the American Board of Nursing Specialties or the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. APRNs renew every two years with 30 continuing education hours.

Nurses licensed in another state or territory can apply to New Jersey by endorsement if they graduated from an approved U.S. program and remain in good standing. Undergraduate programs generally run two to four years depending on the degree, and parttime study extends that timeline.