8 Best Nurse Practitioner Programs in New Jersey – 2024
Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org
New Jersey’s 6,640 nurse practitioners are free to diagnose and treat patients without physician supervision. In fact, NPs in The Garden State can practice even before they pass their certification exam if they apply for provisional certification. Graduates of accredited nurse practitioner schools in New Jersey earn salaries of approximately $143,250 annually, and their services are so popular that the number of NPs in the state is expected to soar by more than 61 percent over the next decade. Information about the best nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey for 2024 is presented below.
WHAT ARE THE BEST NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS IN NEW JERSEY (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2024?
(Based on our ranking methodology, the following are the 8 Best NP programs in New Jersey for the year 2024.)1) Rutgers University - Newark
The State University of New Jersey, which is better known as Rutgers University, is one of the oldest and most highly respected institutions of higher learning in the United States. “U.S. News & World Report” rates Rutgers’ Master’s of Nursing Science degree as the 20th best program of its kind in the nation, so it should come as no surprise that Rutgers also offers the best nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey. Aspiring advanced practitioners can choose among eight NP options in conjunction with the post-BSN to DNP track. Master’s-prepared registered nurses can also expand their scope of practice by taking one of five post-master’s certificate concentrations.
Post-BSN to DNP Concentrations: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner in Emergency Care, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, Dual Women's Health Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Midwifery
Rutgers’ DNP program has a BSN-to-DNP track and a post-master’s track, but its NP specialties are only associated with the BSN-to-DNP track. Applicants to this program must have a GPA of 3.2 or higher from a nationally accredited BSN program and a current New Jersey RN license. Three-year (fulltime) and four-year (part-time) study plans are offered for each nurse practitioner specialty. All DNP students must complete a mentored, evidence-based project applying what they’ve learned to a clinical situation that they’ve encountered in their specialty; each DNP project requires 500 mentored hours in the student’s clinical environment in addition to the other practicum time that the student is responsible for completing.
The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty entails 71-semester credits, and 540 clinical hours; you will not be admitted into the program unless you have two years of recent acute care experience. The Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner specialties each involve 68-semester credits and 540 clinical hours. The Family Nurse Practitioner specialty consists of 74-semester credits and 675 clinical hours while the Family Nurse Practitioner in Emergency Care specialty requires 77-semester credits and 945 clinical hours. In order to complete the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program, you must earn 74-semester credits and put in 720 clinical hours. The Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner specialty requires 68-semester credits and 630 clinical hours while the dual Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Midwifery specialty needs 78-semester credits and 855 clinical hours.
Post-Master’s Certificate Concentrations: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner in Emergency Care, and Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
In order to qualify for admission into either one of Rutgers’ post-master’s certificate nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey, you must hold a valid RN license in New Jersey and possess an advanced practice certification in another specialty. Your specific study plan will be developed after a gap analysis that compares your past transcripts with the certification requirements in the specialty you’re interested in learning.
The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty calls for 30-semester credits while the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty consists of 24-semester credits; both specialties require 540 clinical hours. In order to complete a Family Nurse Practitioner certificate, you will need to take 30-semester credits, and you will need to take 24-semester credits for the Family Nurse Practitioner in Emergency Care certificate; both specialties require 675 clinical hours.
2) The College Of New Jersey - Ewing
New Jersey is facing one of the most severe nursing shortages in the U.S., and the College of New Jersey’s Department of Nursing was set up in part to help address this shortage. Nurses who want to become a nurse practitioner in New Jersey but who don’t have a bachelor’s degree in nursing science can take advantage of a unique nurse practitioner program called the Henry J. Austin Nurse Practitioner Residency that deploys community hospitals close to Ewing to teach NPs how to care for vulnerable and underserved populations. TCNJ also administers four NP tracks in association with its MSN degree program and two NP tracks as certificate concentrations.
MSN Concentrations: Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner for Certified Nurse Practitioners, and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
TCNJ’s Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty requires 44-semester credits and 585 clinical hours. Full-time students should be able to complete this training in two academic years, including summers; part-time students have up to six years to complete the program.
The MSN-related Family Nurse Practitioner specialty consists of 47-semester credits and 715 clinical hours. The Family Nurse Practitioner for Certified Nurse Practitioners is actually a combination of the FNP MSN-related curriculum and the Adult-Gerontology Certificate training; the specialty requires 30-semester credits and 715 clinical hours, and all parts of the training must be completed within six years.
The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner specialty is offered as a collaboration between The College of New Jersey and Thomas Jefferson University. You must take 23-semester credits at TCNJ and 15 at Thomas Jefferson University. Additionally, you must complete 672 clinical hours.
Post-Master's Certificate Concentrations: FNP – Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Certificate and FNP – Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate
Masters-prepared nurses who would like to expand their clinical competencies are invited to pursue one of TCNJ’s two post-master’s certificate options in Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practice or Family Nurse Practice.
3) Seton Hall University - Nutley
Seton Hall University is one of the oldest Roman Catholic institutions of higher learning in the nation. In 1937, the university’s College of Nursing became the first nursing school in New Jersey to offer a baccalaureate nursing program. Despite its religious affiliation, Seton Hall welcomes students of all faiths. The university offers two online nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey that can be pursued either in conjunction with a Master’s degree in Nursing Science or as standalone certificate pathways.
MSN Concentrations: Adult-Gerontology Primary/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
According to “U.S. News & World Report,” Seton Hall’s online MSN-affiliated nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey are the 17th best of their kind in the entire nation. Applicants must hold nursing licenses in the states where they will end up doing their clinical rotations. Though most of the coursework is taught online, students must attend three campus intensives during the course of their studies.
Seton Hall’s combined Nurse Practitioner specialty can be completed in three to four years. Students can pursue either the Primary Care track or the Acute Care track. Whichever track they choose, students must complete 48-semester credits. Aspiring Primary Care NPs must complete 600 clinical hours while aspiring Acute Care NPs must complete 675 clinical hours. The Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty requires 42-semester credits and 540 clinical hours.
Post-Master's Certificate Concentrations: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Adult/Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
MSN-prepared nurses who want to expand into new professional roles are eligible to enroll in one of Seton Hall’s post-Master’s certificate tracks. Students will be required to complete 39-semester credits to complete the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner track. Students pursuing the Adult/Gerontological Nurse Practitioner track have the option to choose either a primary care or acute care emphasis; both tracks consist of 36-semester credits.
4) Rowan University - Glassboro
Rowan University’s Department of Nursing is focused on boosting the number of primary health care providers in the Garden State. The university was founded in 1923 as a teacher’s college; its name was changed from Glassboro State College to Rowan University in 1992. Students at Rowan who want to become a nurse practitioner in New Jersey have three tracks to choose among; all three options are offered in conjunction with the university’s MSN program.
MSN Concentrations: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Rowan’s MSN-nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey utilize a hybrid format, which integrates online coursework with face-to-face experiences. The program is designed for working nurses who can only attend school part-time. Students will complete an MSN core curriculum consisting of 22 credits before they begin work in the NP specialty area they’ve chosen. The Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner specialties each require 18 additional semester credits while the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty entails an additional 27-semester credits. All nurse practitioner students must complete a minimum of 600 clinical hours.
5) Stockton University - Galloway
Stockton University is part of the New Jersey state system of higher education. Stockton is another one of the New Jersey nurse practitioner schools that’s concerned with helping the Garden State meet its pressing need for primary health care providers. The college currently offers three nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey. One nurse practitioner track is offered as part of the Master’s of Nursing Science degree program and two are offered in conjunction with the post-BSN to DNP program. Those same two NP specialties are also offered as certificate concentrations.
MSN Concentrations: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)
Stockton’s MSN program relies upon Roy’s Adaptation Model of Nursing to teach students how to make effective decisions in critical situations. The AGPCNP program utilizes a hybrid format. In order to finish the program, students must earn 48-semester credits and complete a minimum of 500 clinical hours. The curriculum can be pursued either full-time or part-time.
Post-BSN to DNP Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Stockton’s DNP program is designed to meet the needs of working nurses. Students can enroll either full-time or part-time, and most of the coursework can be done online. The DNP program has a post-BSN and post-MSN track, but only the post-BSN track trains you to become a nurse practitioner. The Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty involves 74-semester credits while the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty consists of 77-semester credits. Both NP specialties entail the completion of 1,000 clinical hours.
Post-Master's Certificate Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)
Stockton’s post-MSN certificate track is designed for MSN-prepared nurses who want to assume more clinically oriented professional roles as well as for advanced practice nurses who are interested in adding to their clinical competencies. The AGPCNP specialty entails 33-semester credits and 504 clinical hours while the FNP specialty involves 40-semester credits.
6) Ramapo College Of New Jersey - Mahwah
A common name among nurse practitioner schools in New Jersey, Ramapo College was founded in 1968 to give economically deprived students from surrounding urban and rural areas better access to higher education. Its MSN program is one of just a handful of graduate degrees the four-year college offers. Ramapo has a single NP option, which is associated with its Master’s of Nursing Science degree program. Ramapo’s NP program was set up to help rectify the shortage of primary care health providers within Bergen County.
MSN Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner
Ramapo accepts nurses who don’t have Bachelor’s of Nursing Science degrees through its innovative RN to MSN transition program. Students will be expected to complete the equivalent of their missing undergraduate coursework before they begin their MSN specializations. The Family Nurse Practitioner specialty is designed to be pursued part-time, and coursework is mostly offered online. The FNP specialty requires 49-semester credits and 720 clinical hours for completion.
7) Monmouth University - West Long Branch
The Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies at Monmouth University is one of the top nurse practitioner schools in New Jersey according to the Nursing Schools Almanac’s website. The university was founded as a junior college in 1933; it received four-year accreditation in 1956 and its university accreditation in 1995. Monmouth offers three popular nurse practitioner specialties both as part of its MSN program and as standalone post-MSN certificate options.
MSN Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Monmouth stands out among nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey for its small class sizes, which allow students to enjoy a highly personalized learning experience. Students have the option of enrolling in online coursework or in classes that use a hybrid format. Hybrid classes alternate between distance learning and campus classes that are offered in the evenings on alternate weeks. Candidates must have a current New Jersey RN license and at least one year of professional experience in order to be admitted into this program. RNs who don’t have a BSN can be admitted into this MSN program, but they will be required to take three undergraduate upper-division nursing courses.
The Family Nurse Practitioner specialty consists of 45-semester credits. The Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner requires 42-semester credits. The Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner entails 48-semester credits.
Post-Master’s Certificate Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Nurses who already have an MSN and who are interested in expanding their scope of practice can do so by enrolling in one of Monmouth’s certificate options. The Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner can be completed with 27-semester credits; the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty with 30; and the Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty with 33.
8) William Paterson University - Wayne
“U.S. News & World Report” recognizes William Paterson University as an outstanding regional university. Its Department of Nursing focuses on preparing health care professionals to deliver culturally sensitive nursing care in a variety of settings. This is another one of the nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey that’s intent upon helping the Garden State alleviate its critical shortage of primary health care providers. Both NP specialties Paterson offers in conjunction with its Master’s of Nursing Science program have a primary care focus. The same two nurse practitioner pathways can also be pursued as certificate concentrations.
MSN Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care and Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care
Applicants must have one year of professional experience before they will be considered for Paterson’s MSN program. The Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner involves 39-semester credits while the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty entails 47-semester credits.
Post Master's Certification Concentrations: Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner
Paterson’s post-masters certificate nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey were set up for RNs with MSN degrees who are interested in pursuing advanced practice certification. All applicants must hold current New Jersey RN licenses. Twenty-seven-semester credits are necessary for completion of the Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner track while Family Nurse Practitioner candidates must complete 35 semester credits.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the Total Number of Accredited NP Programs in New Jersey?
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners reports that currently there are Twenty Seven accredited nurse practitioner programs in New Jersey.| Program Type | # |
| BSN to MSN | 11 |
| BSN to DNP | 3 |
| MSN to DNP | 4 |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 9 |
| Total | 27 |
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