This is a list of schools and programs that focus on the most affordable accelerated options for Online Master’s in Nursing Administration. There has been an influx of accelerated online Master’s in Nursing Administration programs that are currently available in the country. This stems from nurses demanding better access to graduate programs so they can meet their career goals, including moving into leadership roles in healthcare facilities. Employers too are demanding more qualified nurses, providing an acceptance of online programs that is a recent development in the field.
Nurses often work overtime or unusual shift times, making it impossible for them to take on a traditional academic program. They need flexible online options and accelerated tracks so that they can complete their degree in a set amount of time and move forward with their career. This ranking aims to provide working nurses with all of the information they will need in order to make a decision on the degree they would like to pursue.
Methodology: Ranking the Most Affordable Accelerated Online Master’s in Nursing Administration
Fast Online Master’s editors want working nurses and other students to find a program that pays off for them. That’s why we feature only trustworthy, accredited institutions. In the Most Affordable ranking we present programs in order from lowest tuition to highest, according to current IPEDS stats.
1. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley offers an MSN in nursing administration that is ranked among the best Masters in Nursing Administration online programs in Texas. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Nursing Administration Masters online program requires no residencies at UT. Students graduate from UT’s online Masters in Nursing Administration degree program to find rewarding work in research policy, leadership, and health care management, among others.
Founded in 2014 as a state-funded public school, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is recognized to be among the newest public school and the only created in the 21st century. Nearly 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is among the top ten largest schools in the Lone Star State.
Program: MSN – Nursing Administration
2. University of Texas at Tyler
The University of Texas at Tyler offers an MSN in nursing administration that is one of the most innovative Masters in Nursing Administration online programs in Texas. Degree candidates enrolled in this Nursing Administration Masters online program are required to finish 36 graduate semester credits. Additionally, students who wish to graduate from UT’s online Masters in Nursing Administration degree program must complete a clinical practicum of at least 112.5 hours.
The University of Texas (UT Tyler) was established in the 1970s as a state college. At present, UT Tyler’s suburban campus serves nearly 10,000 students each year. The Tyler campus is organized into six colleges/schools offering programs in pharmacy, arts/sciences, nursing, business, education & psychology, and engineering.
Program: MSN – Nursing Administration
3. New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University offers an MSN in nursing leadership and administration that can be completed in only two years, entirely online. New Mexico State University’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program is available for full or part-time online Masters in Nursing Administration degree candidates. Classes for New Mexico State University’s Nursing Administration Masters online program include management of fiscal and human resources, health policy, quality improvement for health care leaders, and advanced field placement, to name a few.
Founded in the late 1880s as Las Cruces College, New Mexico State University now operates as a land and space-grant school with multiple campuses that serve about 24,000 students each year. Highlight -New Mexico State University is organized into eight colleges and schools.
Program: MSN – Nursing Leadership and Administration
4. University of North Carolina at Greensboro
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro offers an MSN in leadership and management that is one of North Carolina’s most affordable Masters in Nursing Administration online programs. Additionally, UNCG’s online Masters in Nursing Administration degree is ranked among the top fifteen in the country, according to US News. Classes for the University of North Carolina’s Nursing Administration Masters online program include financial management in health care, law, policy and the economics of health care, strategic management of health care organizations, and research methods, plus a capstone, to name a few.
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro was founded as an industrial/normal school in 1891. The school serves about 19,450 students each year from its 250 acre campus in Greensboro, North Carolina. One of the largest modern American art museums in the nation, the Weatherspoon Art Museum, is situated on the campus at the University of North Carolina.
Program: MSN in Leadership and Management
5. Lamar University
Lamar University offers an MSN in nursing administration that is ranked among the best Masters in Nursing Administration online program available in Texas. Students enrolled in Lamar University’s online Masters in Nursing Administration degree are mandated to complete 37 graduate semester units over two years. Coursework for Lamar University’s Nursing Administration Masters online program includes theoretical foundations, health care technology, planning, and organizing health care, to name a few.
Founded as South Park Junior College in the 1920s, Lamar University now operates as a member of Texas’s state university system with a student enrollment of approximately 17,450 students each year vying for one of the more than 100 academic degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. The school’s name refers to the Texas Republic’s second president.
Program: MSN – Administration
6. University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte offers an MSN in Nursing Administration that can be completed in only 27 months, studying part-time. This Masters in Nursing Administration online program prepares students to meet ANCC’s CNAA certification requirements. The University of North Carolina’s online Masters in Nursing Administration requires a minimum of 36 graduate semester units. The core curriculum for UNC’s Nursing Administration Masters online program includes a theoretical basis for nursing practice, health policy, and planning and research in nursing & health professions, to name a few.
The University of North Carolina’s Charlotte campus was founded as an extension center of UNC in the mid-1940s. UNC Charlotte is recognized to be the largest higher learning institution in the greater Charlotte metro region. The school maintains three campuses – University Campus, the Research Institute Campus, and Center City Campus.
Program: MSN – Nursing Administration
7. Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University offers an MSN in Leadership in the Healthcare System that is among Florida’s most innovative CCNE-accredited Masters in Nursing Administration online programs. This online Masters in Nursing Administration can be completed in as few as 1.5 years. Jacksonville University’s Nursing Administration Masters online program includes core classes in nursing theory and research, nursing leadership and advanced roles, and information systems, plus an advanced nursing practicum, to name a few.
Established in 1934 as a two-year private institution of higher learning known as Port University, Jacksonville University now operates as a four-year school since 1956. Jacksonville University’s urban campus covers more than 250 acres and serves about 4,000 postgraduate and undergraduate students. Jacksonville University offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate programs.
Program: MSN – Leadership in the Healthcare System
8. Ball State University
Ball State University offers a Nurse Administrator MSN that ranks as one of Indiana’s best Masters in Nursing Administration online programs. Degree candidates enrolled in Ball State University’s online Masters in Nursing Administration program can complete this 36 unit program as a full or part-time student. This CCNE accredited Nursing Administration Masters online program is ranked within the top twenty online programs, according to US News and World Report.
Founded in 1918 as a private normal school, as a public university, Ball State University now operates as a multi-campus school that serves nearly 22,000 undergraduate and post-graduate students. Ball State University is organized into seven colleges/schools that offer more than 200 academic degree programs. Ball State University’s campus includes more than 700 acres and more than 100 buildings.
Program: MSN – Nurse Administrator
9. Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University offers an MS in Nursing Leadership that can be finished mostly online, with minimal on-site requirements. Stony Brook University’s Masters in Nursing Administration online programs require degree candidates to complete 36 graduate credit units, to meet requirements. Coursework for Stony Brook University’s online Masters in Nursing Administration program includes health care policy and advocacy and organizational leadership and role transformation, among others. Stony Brook University’s Nursing Administration Masters online program is CCNE accredited.
Stony Brook University is a member of New York’s university system (SUNY) that was founded as a state college in the 1950s in nearby Oyster Bay. In addition, this sea and space-grant school is one of SUNY’s research centers, with more than 26,550 students each year. Stony Brook University operates three primary campuses in Stony Brook, Southampton, New York, as well as South Korea.
Program: MS in Nursing Leadership
10. University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus offers an MSN in Leadership that US News & World Report recognizes among the best Masters in Nursing Administration online programs in Colorado. UC’s CCNE-accredited Nursing Administration Masters online program requires degree candidates to complete 30 graduate credit units but is designed for working professionals. Graduates of UC’s online Masters in Nursing Administration program are prepared for leadership roles as healthcare administrators, nursing directors, or chief nursing officers, to name a few.
The Anschutz Medical Campus @ the University of Colorado is the school’s health science campus that serves about 4,500 students each year. The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is organized into six colleges/schools – pharmacy, medicine, nursing, dentistry, public health, and graduate school of health sciences.
Program: MSN – Leadership
11. Saint Xavier University
Saint Xavier University offers an MSN in Executive Leadership that US News ranks among the top five Masters in Nursing Administration online programs offered exclusively online. This Nursing Administration Masters online program from Saint Xavier University can be completed in 2.5 years, entirely online. Required coursework for this online Masters in Nursing Administration program includes nursing inquiry and epidemiology & population-based health care, among others.
Established as an all-girls school in the 1840s by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Xavier University (SXU) is a Catholic-affiliated institution of higher education with a student enrollment of approximately 3,900 students each year. Saint Xavier University is organized into four primary schools that offer undergraduate and graduate students each year.
Program: MSN – Executive Leadership
12. Colorado Technical University
Colorado Technical University offers an MSN in Nurse Administration (MSN- NA) that can be completed entirely online in only 1.5 years. Colorado Technical University’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program is ranked among the best by US News & World Report for the past three consecutive years. Additionally, Colorado Technical University’s Nursing Administration Masters online program is CCNE-accredited. There are no campus visits required by Colorado Technical University’s online Masters in Nursing Administration program.
Founded in the mid-1960s as a technical school, Colorado Technical University (Colorado Tech) is a for-profit higher learning institution that serves more than 23,000undergraduate and postgraduate students online and on the university’s urban campus in Colorado Springs. More than 90% of Colorado Technical University’s student enrollment attends classes online.
Program: MSN – Nurse Administration
13. Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University offers an MSN in Nursing Administration & Transformational Leadership (NATL) that is among Georgia’s Masters in Nursing Administration online programs. This fifteen-month Nursing Administration Masters online degree from Kennesaw State University requires nursing degree candidates to complete forty-credit units. Kennesaw State University’s online Masters in Nursing Administration program allows for the transfer of up to 9-semester credits, if eligible.
Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a research institution of higher learning that was founded in the 1960s. Kennesaw State University is a multiple-campus school serving more than 40,000 students in Kennesaw, Marietta, and online. Additionally, KSU offers classes at other Kentucky schools and even in Dallas. Kennesaw State University’s freshman class for 2020, was the largest in the state of Georgia and the second largest overall student enrollment.
Program: MSN – Nursing Administration and Health Policy
14. California University of Pennsylvania
California University of Pennsylvania offers an online Masters in Nursing Administration and Health Policy (MSN) degree program that has received accreditation from the CCNE. Cal U’s Nursing Administration Masters online degree program offers degree candidates a twenty-month completion window, studying part-time. California University of Pennsylvania’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program requires a 150-hour practicum capstone experience for each student.
California University of Pennsylvania was established in the 1850s but became a normal school for training elementary school educators. California University of Pennsylvania is a member school of the state’s system of higher education. In addition, California University of Pennsylvania is a space-grant school with a student enrollment of approximately 7,150 students on its 90+ acre rural campus in southwestern Pennsylvania. California University of Pennsylvania began offering a doctoral program in health science/exercise leadership, criminal justice, and education/administration leadership.
Program: MSN – Nursing Administration and Leadership
15. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center offers an online Masters in Nursing Administration (MSN) that requires degree candidates to complete 33 graduate credit units. Students enrolled in OU’s Nursing Administration Masters online degree program can complete this MSN degree in as few as 21 months, even working full-time, entirely online. Classes for OU’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program include financial management in nursing, essentials of nursing administration leadership, and leadership of innovation in complex systems, among others.
The Health Science Center @t the University of Oklahoma (OU Health) was established in the 1970s and is a public medical school. It currently operates as the health division of the University of Oklahoma, with a student enrollment of approximately 4,000 students each year. The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center’s campus is located near the state’s capital in Oklahoma City and is one of only four centers for health in the nation, with seven colleges at the professional level.
Program: MSN – Nursing Administration
16. Northwest Nazarene University
Northwest Nazarene University offers an MSN in Leadership and Education that is considered among the most innovative of Idaho’s online Masters in Nursing Administration programs. Northwest Nazarene University’s Nursing Administration Masters online degree program can be completed 100% online in as few as two years. Degree candidates enrolled in Northwest Nazarene University’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program must complete 36 graduate credits – exclusively online.
Northwest Nazarene University is a multi-campus school (Northwest Nazarene) established as a holiness school in 1913. As a private Christian school, Northwest Nazarene University is a space-grant school with about 2,000 students studying online and on the Nampa campus. Northwest Nazarene University is comprised of two schools/colleges that offer about 70 graduate and undergraduate programs.
Program: MSN – Leadership and Education
17. King University
King University offers an MSN in Administration that ranks as one of Tennessee’s most innovative online Masters in Nursing Administration programs. King University’s Nursing Administration Masters online degree program requires a total of 35 graduate semester hours, plus 395 clinical hours in fieldwork. Coursework for King University’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program includes healthcare informatics, financial issues for nurse managers, and transformational strategies, among others.
Established as a private higher learning institution, King University is a Presbyterian affiliated school that serves about 3,000 students each year. King University operates three Tennessee campuses and another ten locations throughout Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. King University is comprised of six colleges/schools offering programs in arts/sciences, Christian Mission, nursing, education, health/professionals sciences, or business/tech/economics.
Program: MSN – Administration
18. University of St. Francis
The University of St. Francis’s offers an MSN in Nursing Administration that is ranked among the best Illinois online Masters in Nursing Administration programs. Students enrolled in the University of St. Francis’s Nursing Administration Masters online degree are prepared to ethically management nursing services across medical facility types. The credit. Units required to complete this Masters in Nursing Administration online program from USF are 42 to 51, depending on the student’s previous education.
The University of St. Francis was established as a junior college in 1920, having evolved from a local high school. The University of St. Francis’s affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church begins with its inception. The school’s student enrollment nears 4,000, with about ¾ of the students attending classes throughout the country. Several Illinois elected officials and a number of professional athletes call the University of St. Francis their alma mater.
Program: MSN – Nursing Administration
19. Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University offers a CCNE-accredited MSN in Nursing Administration ranked in Indiana among the best online Masters in Nursing Administration programs that can be completed in less than two years. Indiana Wesleyan University’s Nursing Administration Masters online program requires all degree candidates to complete 245 practicum hours. However, coursework for Indiana Wesleyan University’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program must be completed within 48 months of initial enrollment.
Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) is a member of the Wesleyan Church’s university system. The university was established in 1920 and has about 3,000 students on its Marion campus of more than 300 acres. In addition to its Marion campus, Indiana Wesleyan University maintains academic facilities across the nation in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.
Program: MSN – Nursing Administration
20. Nebraska Methodist College
Nebraska Methodist College offers an MSN Nurse Executive track that is one of the best CCNE-accredited online Masters in Nursing Administration programs. Nebraska Methodist College’s Nursing Administration Masters online program has a completion time of 21 months, with asynchronous coursework and practicum requirements. Graduates of Nebraska Methodist College’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program prepare grads to sit for the AANC nursing executive certification.
Nebraska Methodist College was established as a private institution of higher education focusing on health sciences in 1891. The school’s urban campus in Omaha is home to approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year. Nebraska Methodist College offers two Doctor of Education degree programs in Leadership in Health Care and Public Health Policy that can be completed entirely online.
Program: MSN – Nurse Executive
21. Gardner-Webb University
Gardner-Webb University offers an MSN in Administration that requires either a culminating project or thesis to graduate. Students enrolled in Gardner-Webb University’s online Masters in Nursing Administration program can complete the degree in 24 months. GWU’s Nursing Administration Masters online program includes classes in theoretical basis for advanced practice and methods of advanced research, among others. Required graduate credits for this Masters in Nursing Administration online program range from 30 to 36 graduate units, depending on previous education and experience.
Gardner-Webb University (GW) was founded as a private high school in 1905. The school’s online platform and a 200-acre campus in Boiling Springs (and a second facility in Charlotte) serve about 3,550 students every year. Gardner-Webb University offers more than 75acadmic programs from its six academic colleges/schools.
Program: MSN – Administration
22. Benedictine University
Benedictine University offers an MSN Nurse Executive Leader track that requires nursing professionals to complete 36 graduate credits. Benedictine University’s online Masters in Nursing Administration program offers a flexible online format for working learners. Classes for Benedictine University’s Nursing Administration Masters online program also has a practicum requirement of 70 clock hours. This Masters in Nursing Administration online program includes classes in financial management, nursing leadership, and systems thinking, to name a few.
Established as a Roman Catholic school known as St. Procopius College in 1887, Benedictine University’s 100+-acre main campus is located in Lisle, within the greater metro Chicago area, with a satellite facility in Mesa AZ. Ben U became a college in 1971 and a four-year higher learning institution in 1996.
Program: MSN – Nurse Executive Leader
23. Liberty University
Liberty University offers an MSN Nurse Administration track that is considered one of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s best online Masters in Nursing Administration programs. Liberty University’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program allows for up to 50% of the required 36 credits to be transferred, if eligible. Students enrolled in this CCNE-accredited Nursing Administration Masters online program can complete this graduate degree in as few as 18 months.
Liberty University was founded in the 1970s as a Baptist college. Liberty University has grown to one of the largest evangelical schools in the world, with a student enrollment that exceeds 100,000 students each year. Liberty University is comprised of seventeen colleges/schools but operates with a conservative Christian orientation – requiring enrolled undergraduate students to complete bible-studies classes.
Program: MSN – Nurse Administration
24. Excelsior College
Excelsior College offers an MSN Leadership and Administration of Health Care Systems track that is ranked among the Empire States’ most innovative best online Master’s in Nursing Administration programs. Students enrolled in EC’s Masters in Nursing Administration online program can potentially transfer up to 16 credits if they meet eligibility requirements. The capstone course for Excelsior College’s Nursing Administration Masters online program must also complete a minimum of 247.5-hour practicum.
Founded as Regents College in the capital region of New York in 1971, Excelsior College is organized into three schools/colleges that serve more than 25,150 students each year. The college offers programs in undergraduate studies, graduate studies, and from the school of nursing. Excelsior College primarily serves working learners and adult students through a robust distance learning platform.
Program: MSN – Leadership and Administration of Health Care Systems
25. Queens University of Charlotte
The Queens University of Charlotte offers a CCNE-accredited MSN Nurse Administrator track that is ranked among the most innovative of accelerated Online Master’s in Nursing Administration programs. Degree candidates enrolled in this Masters in Nursing Administration online program can complete the 37 credits in only 24 months. Classes for the Queens University of Charlotte’s accelerated Nursing Administration Masters online program include leadership principles, financial management, and population health nursing, to name a few.
The Queens University of Charlotte was established as a private female institute in 1857. The Queens University of Charlotte became a college in 1912 and a four-year university in 2002. The Charlotte campus and online platform serve about 2,100 undergraduate and graduate students each year. The Queens University of Charlotte offers about 100 academic programs at the graduate and baccalaureate programs.
Program: MSN – Nurse Administrator
Why Should I Get My Online Master’s in Nursing Administration?
An online masters in nursing administration degree avails many advantages, practically and personally. These benefits can range from easier class scheduling and flexibility to self-paced options, to the ability and convenience of attending class from home.
For anyone who is a nurse seeking a nursing administration masters online, they understand the rigors of a twelve-hour shift or working six to nine days a week (or at least it can feel like it). So the benefit of being able to attend class from home, the place where you sleep from time to time, is invaluable.
Pursuing a masters in nursing administration online can also mean less expense and time out of your already busy schedule as a medical professional. Not having to pack a lunch, drive to a class, or spend time attending lectures can save hours, energy, and help you to perform better at work and in your studies.
What Can I Do with a Online Master’s in Nursing Administration?
Those in the medical field, such as nurses, fill many different roles and perform countless duties and skilled procedures. So what kind of masters in nursing administration jobs will be available upon earning your MSN?
Here is a quick look at a few of the available jobs for masters in nursing administration today, and the opportunities awaiting graduates.
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Nurses who want to take the next step in caring for the young can qualify to work as pediatric nurses with an MSN.
- Clinical Nurse Researcher – Lab rats and those who are passionate about the science of medicine will be able to pursue jobs as clinical nurse researchers with an advanced online nursing administration master’s degree.
- Family Nurse Practitioner – Taking care of families and being more responsible for the overall health and care is the charge of family nurse practitioners. These roles are both financially and personally rewarding.
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner – Psychiatric care involves more specialized training and education. Nurses interested in this area of medicine can work as psychiatric nurse practitioners with an advanced degree.
These are only a few of the many exciting, rewarding, and new opportunities that can be opened up by earning an accelerated online nursing administration master’s degree.
What is a Nursing Administrator?
The simple answer to the question of what is a nursing administrator is that there is no simple answer. So what is a nurse administrator, and what does a nurse administrator do? Are they nurses, administrators, both?
That might actually be the best answer to the what is a nursing administrator question because they are 100 percent nurses and 100 percent a part of the management team too. That is also why it is so difficult to nail down the nursing administrator job description.
What does a nursing administrator do? They care for patients, coworkers staff, manage schedules, staff issues, and resolve problems. They authorize procedures, assist wherever they are needed, and help to ensure the overall operation of the facility. Now, try to fit that on a nurse administrator job description, but these are the vital members and backbone of many nursing teams.
What is a nursing administrator? Imagine WonderWoman or Superman, only in scrubs.
How Much Can I Make with a Online Master’s in Nursing Administration?
The medical professional has historically always paid well, and when it comes to a nursing administrator salary, that doesn’t change. Nurse administrator salaries, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, cite that the median health services managers and nurse administrator salary range were $104,280 per year.
While the range of nurse administrator salaries will be influence by many factors (e.g. region, cost of living, state taxes, etc.), the job market for nurses has never been stronger. Along with those impressive nursing administrator salary packages, graduates will also be welcomed by a world of opportunities that exists in the medical field.
A master in nursing administration salary is a considerable rise in earnings, in addition to responsibility. That means earning that masters in nursing administration salary will require hard work, but that is what nurses do. The difference now is that with a master’s in nursing administration, you can be compensated better for those long hours and your dedication.
Thinking about an accelerated online nursing administration master’s? There are plenty of options, and you can attend class without interrupting your current work schedule too. Step one begins by finding the right program or school, and from there, the rest is up to you.
Related:
TOP 25 MOST AFFORDABLE ACCELERATED ONLINE MASTER’S IN NURSING PROGRAMS
