Top Online Family Nurse Practitioner Programs (2025)
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According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP 2021), the largest clinical focus area for nurse practitioners is family practice, at 65.3 percent. This means that about two out of three licensed nurse practitioners will study to become family nurse practitioners (FNPs).
These statistics predict good news in the wake of a shortage of primary care doctors, estimated to hit 46,900 to 121,900 by 2032 (AAMC 2023). Nurse practitioners (NPs) are helping to bridge that gap.
Family NPs must earn a graduate degree in nursing, such as a master of science in nursing (MSN) or doctor of nursing practice (DNP), with a family nurse practitioner specialization. MSN-prepared registered nurses (RNs) may alternatively pursue a post-master’s FNP certificate.
Earning an FNP degree empowers nurses to expand their scope of practice to help more patients and ready themselves to pursue advanced degrees such as a doctor of nursing practice (DNP). The majority of US states grant full practice authority to nurse practitioners, meaning NPs can evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe medications without being supervised by another health provider (AANP 2025).
Online Family NP Program Rankings (2024-2025)
Aspiring FNPs may choose from a large variety of online master’s, post-master’s certificate, and doctoral-level programs. In fact, there are more online FNP programs than there are any other types of NP programs, which stands to reason, given that FNPs represent two-thirds of all practicing NPs.
Typically, in online FNP programs, students complete coursework online, sometimes visiting campus for immersion experiences. Many programs do not require any campus visits at all. All online FNP programs require clinical preceptorships, which in most cases may be completed at an approved facility local to the student.
The comprehensive NPSchools.com database includes 1,166 online NP programs at the MSN, DNP, and post-master’s certificate levels that were actively accepting students at the outset of the 2024-2025 academic year. To qualify for inclusion, each program had to require nine or fewer total campus visits. Programs are ranked by their school’s AdvanceU score, which factors in cost, admissions flexibility, and program variety.
The tuition numbers below represent the estimated total tuition cost for the entire program, not per semester or year.
At NPSchools.com, we have done our best to ensure the accuracy of the data on our website; however, please contact us if we have missed any programs, or if there is erroneous information that needs to be corrected.
Family NP Career & Salary
Nurse practitioners are the third-fastest growing career in the United States, with a 46 percent growth rate, slated to add 135,500 new positions from 2023 to 2033 (BLS 2024). This figure includes FNPs and other NP specializations.
Nurse practitioners earn an average annual salary of $126,260 (BLS 2024) with the following percentiles:
- 10th percentile: $94,530
- 25th percentile: $106,960
- 50th percentile (median): $126,260
- 75th percentile: $140,610
- 90th percentile: $168,030
Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) play a crucial role in the healthcare sector, providing primary care services to families and individuals and are compensated competitively. This figure can vary depending on the location, years of experience, and additional certifications.
Sara Navratil
WriterSara Navratil is a freelance writer and a Certified Canfield Success Principles Trainer. She’s the owner of Sara Liza Life, a company dedicated to helping people rewrite their lives. She enjoys researching and writing about healthcare-related topics, including information on online NP programs. When not working she likes to read, bake, and spend time with her family.