Today we’re talking about the most important factors to consider when deciding which NP programs to apply to, and once you make it through the application process, how to choose which school is best for you. There are hundreds of NP programs out there and not all programs are created equal. Since you’re investing a lot of time and money into attending school, it’s critical to choose a program that aligns with your educational and professional goals.
There are 11 Factors to Consider when Deciding which NP School to Attend:
- Cost
- MSN vs. DNP
- Clinical sites and preceptors
- Number of clinical hours
- Location
- Full-time vs. part-time
- Online, in-person or hybrid
- Accreditation
- Faculty and professors
- Pass rates on national certification exams
- Feedback from students who have already attended the program
Stick around, we’re going to jump into more details for deciding which NP school to attend.
#1 Cost
- There is a huge range of cost for NP school, but most fall within the range of $15,000-$100,000
- Consider not only the cost of tuition, but also additional fees, textbooks, a laptop, school supplies, and even living expenses (see this post for discussion on working while in school)
#2 MSN vs. DNP (see this post for more info)
- Depending on your educational goals, you’ll have to decide whether you want to go for your MSN or DNP degree
- There are more similarities than differences, but it’s important to evaluate your goals to help you make the right choice
#3 Clinical sites and preceptors
- Who is responsible for finding clinical sites and preceptors?
- There seems to be 2 types of schools – the first has a dedicated staff member who sets up clinical experiences for their students, and the second type puts the ultimate responsibility on the student, providing little-no assistance meaning you will need to find preceptors and sites that meet your school’s requirements
- Having a school that finds preceptors and sets up your clinical experiences is HUGE. There is no doubt that you will meet the requirements to graduate and take your certification exam if your school sets all of this up for you
- These programs are often more expensive, but I strongly believe it is worth it. Ask any NP or NP student and they can likely tell you several horror stories from colleagues who encountered great difficulty trying to find their own clinical sites.
- If the school does not set up clinical experiences for you, how will you find suitable preceptors? What are the school’s requirements for clinical sites? Do they provide you with information on potential sites and preceptors?
- Consider what you would do if you cannot find a preceptor or site who is willing to take you on as a NP student. What kind of assistance does the school offer?
#4 Number of clinical hours
- How many clinical hours does the program offer?
- MSN programs typically offer 500-1,000 clinical hours; whereas, DNP programs offer a minimum of 1,000 clinical hours
- Clinical hours are the backbone of your learning as a Nurse Practitioner and this experience really matters
- Usually the more the better. More hours = more clinical experience and better preparation for your first NP job
#5 Location
- How close is the program to your current home? Will you be required to move? Do you want to move to a different city or state?
- Some students may not have a choice to move depending on which programs they are accepted to
- Ideally you’ll be accepted to a program close to your desired location, but if not, are you willing to move?
#6 Full-time or Part-time
- Whether you attend school full or part-time affects the total length of the program and your weekly time commitment.
- How many classes will you be taking per quarter or semester? How much time should you expect to spend on coursework and clinical rotations every week?
- Do you need to work or have other family commitments that affect your ability to attend a full-time program?
- How long will it take you to graduate?
#7 Online, in-person or hybrid
- Most programs offer some distance-learning component as the majority of individuals attending the program are working RNs
- The biggest question to ask yourself is – how do you learn best? Are there particular topics (pharmacology, pathophysiology as examples) that you would learn better in person vs online?
- If the program is online, how often are you expected to go to campus? How do the health assessment courses work?
#8 Accreditation
- Most programs are accredited, but it’s worth checking because most certification boards (both the AANP and ANCC) require that you attend or graduate from an accredited program in order to register for the exam
- The 2 common certification bodies are Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and Accredidation Commision for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
#9 Faculty
- Are the faculty that are teaching you still in clinical practice? If the faculty teaching you are still practicing APRNs, they understand what it’s like in the real world. Having experience working as a NP and providing patient care can make a world of difference in their ability to teach and share relevant clinical pearls.
- The other thing to consider here is if the faculty teaching your courses are APRNs with advanced clinical degrees (DNP or MSN) only or if they have received additional coursework in education. Just because someone has a DNP or MSN does not mean they know how to teach the next generation of NPs.
- Usually this information is hard to find on the university’s website. If it’s important to you, definitely ask. Sometimes you are able to see short bios of the faculty and find this information there.
#10 Pass rates on national certification exams
- While this isn’t one of the most important factors to consider, it’s worth looking at (if readily available on the program’s website) or asking about. What percentage of graduating students pass their board exams on the first try?
- A higher rate of passing on the first try may indicate a quality education or high-achieving students
- According to the AANP (2019 data) and the ANCC (2018 data), 86% of FNP students pass their exam on the first try. This percentage could be used as a potential benchmark for evaluating how well a school prepares their graduates compared to the national average.
#11 Feedback from previous students
- If you know any students who have attended the program you’re interested in, asking for their opinion can be a great way to get insight into the program.
- Ask about the format and quality of courses, clinical experiences, faculty, and general tips and advice.
- Keep in mind here that every program has its flaws so it’s not necessary a deal breaker if you hear some negative feedback, but the positive feedback should outweigh the bad. Overall, you want to hear that the student felt the education and clinical experiences were high-quality and prepared them well for success as a new graduate NP.
My Personal Experience
As you may know, I attended the University of Washington DNP program. I considered all of the above 11 factors when deciding which NP school to attend. There were 3 other DNP programs in both Oregon and Washington that I was considering. I spent quite a bit of time prior to applications researching the different programs. I also sought input from Nurse Practitioner colleagues about how to decide which programs were the best. Knowing how to compare and evaluate the programs was a daunting process.
I wanted to attend a full-time, in person program. After those two criteria were met, for me, the most important factors were the number of clinical hours, the location and clinical sites and preceptors organized by the school. My program offered over 1,000 clinical hours with a broad range of clinical sites (primary care, urgent care and speciality rotations). The best part was that the school had a dedicated faculty member who set up clinical experiences for every single student. I never had to wonder if I would be able to finish all of my hours or find a preceptor. The program was also close to where I lived so I did not have to move which was important to me. After graduating from the University of Washington, I can safely say that the program checked every single box for me, and I am happy with the education I received.
Summary
Deciding which NP schools to apply to and which to ultimately attend is a big decision. I hope that by sharing 11 factors to consider when choosing which NP school to attend, you have a way to evaluate and compare the programs you are interested in.
Let me know if you have any questions below. What are the most important factors for you in deciding which NP school to attend?
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