The Best Virginia Nurse Practitioner Programs

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who hold graduate degrees and specialty licenses and provide primary and specialty care across the lifespan. They are the most widely employed APRNs in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Health Professions. This guide covers how NP programs work, what admission takes, and two strong options in the state.

Top Nurse Practitioner Programs in Virginia

Marymount University runs its MSN in person and online one day a week so working nurses can keep their jobs. The CCNE-accredited program covers 45 credits and 700 clinical hours across five full-time or seven part-time semesters, and typically enrolls about 25 students for closer faculty mentorship.

• Programs: MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
• Campus: Arlington, VA
• Type: Private (Catholic)
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $1,140 per credit
• Admission requirements: Virginia RN license, BSN from an accredited program, two years of RN experience, resume, recommendation letters, official transcripts, essay
• Minimum time commitment: 30 to 42 months
• Onsite requirements: Yes
• Median earnings two years after graduation: $98,210 for MSN graduates (College Scorecard)

Radford University offers an FNP track, a nursing administration track, and a post-master's PMHNP certificate. The FNP program prepares graduates as clinicians, educators, and leaders, and reports a 96% post-graduation employment rate.

• Programs: MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner; Nursing Administration; post-master's PMHNP certificate
• Campus: Radford, VA
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $21,316 per year
• Admission requirements: Unrestricted RN license, BSN with 3.0 GPA from an accredited school, completed statistics course, three recommendations, resume, personal essay, minimum 2,000 RN practice hours
• Minimum time commitment: 48 months part-time, 50 credits and 605 clinical hours
• Onsite requirements: Yes (two to three campus intensives)

How Nurse Practitioner Programs Work

NP programs combine classroom learning (in person, online, or hybrid) with clinical training at a healthcare site. Core coursework covers advanced nursing, pharmacology, and health assessment, followed by specialty courses such as family care, adult-gerontology, or neonatal care. You pick a specialty at enrollment and graduate with either an MSN or a DNP.

Nurses who already hold a BSN finish traditional NP programs in two to three years. RNs with an associate degree can take four to six years through a bridge program. Specialty and full- versus part-time enrollment also affect the timeline.

Applying to a Program in Virginia

Requirements vary by program type and whether you pursue an MSN or DNP, but expect to submit transcripts, recommendation letters, and essays, and possibly entrance exam scores.

• Admission materials: BSN for traditional programs or ADN for bridge programs; proof of one or more years of RN experience; transcripts showing prerequisites such as health assessment, statistics, and nursing research; standardized entrance exam, though an existing MSN can stand in for exam scores
• Minimum GPA: 3.0
• Other requirements: Recommendation letters, personal statement, resume or CV

Why Accreditation Matters

An accredited program signals that the curriculum meets the standards set by bodies like the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Accreditation keeps you on track to meet specialty competencies and pass the national certification exam, and it is what makes you eligible for federal financial aid and credit transfer. Every Virginia program in this guide is accredited.

Pay and Demand

As of May 2024, Virginia NPs earn a mean of about $122,180 a year, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though pay varies by specialty, location, and experience. Nationally, NPs earn a mean of roughly $132,000 against $98,430 for RNs, reflecting the more complex clinical decisions and greater responsibility NPs carry. Becoming an NP takes about two to three years for BSN-prepared RNs and four to six for ADN-prepared nurses.