Most Affordable Online DNP Programs in 2023

As you might expect from a quality, fully-accredited public school, Fort Hays State University offers its Doctor of Nursing Practice program with one of the most affordable tuition rates available. The four-year BSN to DNP option features coursework completed almost entirely online with only a few, brief campus visits required. Students also complete substantial practice hours in-person at program-approved clinical sites in Kansas. Admission requirements include a current RN license and BSN degree earned with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Current RNs with nursing masters can opt for the MSN to DNP program. Most coursework is completed online with no required preceptored clinicals. The program does require a one-day visit to campus each year.  Along with affordable tuition rates, FHSU offers several financial aid opportunities, including Nursing Department Scholarships and a forgivable loan program. 

Program Highlights:

• Tuition: $400/credit
• Credits: 75 (BSN to DNP); 30 to 33 (MSN to DNP)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• BSN to DNP (Partially-online)
• MSN to DNP (Fully-online coursework with one required campus visit annually and in-person clinical hours)

Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s DNP program prepares graduates for advanced nursing practice as FNPs in underserved rural communities. Current RNs entering the program with a BSN degree and patient care experience complete 73 credit hours over three years of full-time or five years of part-time study. Didactic coursework is completed online, but students must attend a six-day residency on NOSU’s Alva campus before the start of their 1,020 clinical practicum hours. Current RNs holding an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner degree and certification in an advanced practice specialty may be admitted with advanced placement status allowing them to earn their DNPs with 37 to 39 credit hours of coursework. All DNP students return to campus at the end of their programs for the oral defense of their DNP scholarly projects. 

Program Highlights:

• Tuition: $388.50/credit (in-state); $642.50/credit (out-of-state)
• Credits: 73 (37-39 for Advance Placement students)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• BSN to DNP (Partially-online)

New Mexico State University offers three Doctor of Nursing options with coursework accessed and completed entirely online. Current RNs with a nursing bachelor’s degree choose between BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner tracks. Both tracks require three years of full-time study that culminate in the completion and defense of a DNP scholarly project. The MSN to DNP program allows nursing master’s degree holders to earn their DNP degree with two years of full-time study, also culminating in a DNP scholarly project. All didactic coursework is completely online in a combination of synchronous and asynchronous formats. DNP students must also complete 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practice typically attended at program-approved sites in their local communities.  Along with exceptionally competitive tuition rates, DNP students may be eligible for a range of financial aid opportunities, including scholarships, grants, student loans, and work-study.

Program Highlights:

• Tuition: $436/credit
• Credits: 74 (BSN to DNP); 36-45 (MSN to DNP)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (Fully-online coursework with in-person clinical hours)
• BSN to DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Fully-online coursework with in-person clinical hours)
• MSN to DNP Population Health Leadership (Fully-online coursework with in-person clinical hours required of some students)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) (BSN to DNP Partially-online; MSN to DNP Fully-online)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• PhD in Nursing (Fully-online with one on-campus orientation session)
• Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (Fully-online)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (CRNA to DNAP) (Partially-online)
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) (BSN to DNP Partially-online; Post-master’s DNP fully-online coursework with one to two campus visits)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) (BSN to DNP Partially-online; Post-MSN DNP Fully-online)
• PhD in Leadership Studies (Fully-online)

Ashland University, a private Christian institution located in Ashland, Ohio, offers six doctoral degree options featuring online study. Current RNs with a nursing bachelor’s degree choose one of two BSN to DNP concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner or Health Systems Leadership. Students with a nursing master’s and RN licensure complete either the Advanced Practice or Health Systems Leadership MSN to DNP program. Along with online coursework, all DNP students complete substantial in-person residencies at clinics, hospitals, or other healthcare facilities in their local areas. 

Students in Ashland’s Executive Doctorate in Leadership Studies program complete core coursework over four semesters through a combination of online and face-to-face classes followed by the writing and defense dissertations. Ashland’s hybrid-formatted Doctor of Ministry degree program takes three to six years and combines core religion, research, and writing courses with coursework in a specialization track: Transformational Leadership, Black Church Studies, or Chaplaincy.  Students can also choose the Independent Design track that allows them to focus on their own unique academic interests.  

Program Highlights:

• Tuition: $710-$965/credit
• Credits: 32-77 (varies by program)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• BSN to DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (Fully-online coursework with in-person clinical hours)
• BSN to DNP Health Systems Leadership (Fully-online coursework with in-person clinical hours)
• MSN to DNP Advanced Practice (Fully-online coursework with in-person clinical hours)
• MSN to DNP Health Systems Leadership (Fully-online coursework with in-person clinical hours)
• Executive Doctorate in Leadership Studies (Partially-online)
• Doctor of Ministry (Partially-online)

Post online DNP students at Post University choose from programs in educational leadership, executive leadership, professional leadership, and informatics leadership. Since these programs are focused on nursing management, leadership, and technology, they do not require on-campus residencies. All requirements can be completed remotely except for the 1,000 clinical practice hours, and currently employed RNs can complete those hours at their place of employment.

All DNP tracks at Post require 42 credits for graduation, and most students complete their programs in two years. Core classes include health services research, health statistics, health policy, and quality management. Each track also requires the completion of two capstone project classes.  Post's programs feature flexible curriculums that allow students to tailor their degrees to fit their career needs.

Applications must include resumes, personal statements, and transcripts that reflect a 2.5 or higher GPA. You also need a master's degree in nursing or an outside field. Those with non-nursing masters may qualify for all tracks except for educational leadership. Incoming students can apply for several internal scholarships, some worth up to $10,000 per year.

Program Highlights:

Doctor of Nursing Practice

• Credits: 42
• Cost Per Credit: $770
• Est. Total Tuition: $32,340
• Length: 2 years
• Format: Fully online coursework with in-person clinicals
• Accreditation:  Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) (Fully-online)