RN to NP Programs: Paths for ADN and BSN Nurses

Your starting credential decides which Nurse Practitioner pathway fits your schedule and career goals. According to the AACN, more than 650 nursing schools nationwide offer over 2,000 graduate programs designed for nurses at different educational stages.

If you are getting ready to apply and want to practice speaking about your bedside experience, Confetto runs AI mock interviews for nursing and NP applicants with follow-up questions on your clinical background. Start your free week.

Before you apply, review our guide to NP school requirements to see how your current transcript and clinical hours line up. The table below compares the main graduate nursing routes tracked by the AACN.

If you entered nursing with an associate degree (ADN) or a nursing diploma, you have two ways to reach a graduate NP program. You can enter a direct RN to MSN bridge program, or you can complete an RN to BSN degree completion program first and apply to graduate school afterward.

According to the AACN Degree Completion Fact Sheet (updated May 2026), 155 RN to MSN programs operate nationwide, up from 70 programs in 1994, with 17 new programs in the planning stages based on AACN's 2025 survey. (AACN's general Master's Education pathway page states that more than 170 programs are available.) In fall 2025, 8,130 students were enrolled in RN to MSN programs and 2,352 graduated.

A common myth is that an RN to MSN program lets you skip bachelor's-level nursing coursework. The baccalaureate content missing from ADN and diploma programs is built into the front end of the RN to MSN curriculum. You must master this upper-level undergraduate nursing content before moving into graduate courses, and the embedded coursework must meet accreditation standards set by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Upon completion, many RN to MSN programs award both the baccalaureate and master's degrees.

While the majority of RN to MSN programs are taught in traditional classrooms, some are delivered largely online or in a blended classroom and online format. Programs generally take 2 to 3 years depending on the school and your prior coursework.

If you prefer to earn your bachelor's degree first, especially if you work at or plan to apply to a Magnet hospital or academic health center that requires or prefers a BSN on your resume right away, you can take the two-step path. Currently 701 RN to BSN programs operate nationwide, including programs offered at least partially online. An RN to BSN takes 1 to 2 years, and hundreds of articulation agreements exist between ADN or diploma schools and four-year universities. In 2025, 90,369 students were enrolled in RN to BSN programs, following increases of 1.6% (1,409 students) from 2023 to 2024 and 2.0% (1,830 students) from 2024 to 2025.

• Choose a direct RN to MSN bridge if you want a single continuous program of 2 to 3 years and have verified whether the school confers a BSN along the way.
• Choose the RN to BSN first if you want the widest selection of online options across the 701 available programs or want to use an existing articulation agreement from your ADN or diploma school.

If you already hold a BSN, your main decision is whether to pursue a master's degree or go straight into a practice doctorate. Both routes can prepare you for national certification and state licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN).

The Baccalaureate to Master's Degree is the traditional post-baccalaureate option. It builds on undergraduate nursing competencies and lets you concentrate in a clinical specialty. Most post-baccalaureate master's programs take 18 to 24 months of full-time study. While most universities grant a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), some award a Master of Nursing (MN) or an MS in Nursing. The MSN, MN, and MS in Nursing are comparable credentials that prepare graduates at the same competency level.

At the same time, nursing education is shifting toward the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). On October 25, 2004, AACN member schools endorsed the Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing, voting to move advanced nursing practice preparation from the master's degree to the doctorate. In 2018, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) called for moving entry-level NP preparation to the DNP degree by 2025, a stance NONPF reaffirmed in an April 2023 statement.

Unlike a PhD or Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS), which are research-focused doctorates requiring original research and a dissertation, the DNP is a practice-focused doctorate. DNP curricula build on traditional master's content by adding coursework in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, systems leadership, policy advocacy, and informatics.

According to the AACN DNP Fact Sheet (updated May 2026), more than two-thirds of nursing schools with APRN programs now offer or plan to offer a post-baccalaureate DNP. Across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 452 nursing schools currently enroll students in DNP programs, and more than 90 additional DNP programs are in the planning stages (9 entry-level, 43 post-baccalaureate, and 37 post-master's). In 2025, 322 schools offered post-baccalaureate DNP programs. By our calculation from the DNP Fact Sheet, 71.2% of the 452 schools enrolling DNP students in 2025 offered a post-baccalaureate (BSN to DNP) track.

National DNP enrollment grew from 42,767 students in 2024 to 44,976 in 2025 (a 5.2% increase by our calculation), while annual DNP graduations went from 12,336 to 12,207 over the same period. More than 108,000 nurses have graduated with a DNP since 2004.

When you choose a graduate program, make sure the track prepares you for an APRN clinical role rather than an indirect-care master's role. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) definition cited on AACN's DNP Education page, APRNs are registered nurses with advanced education who diagnose and manage common acute and chronic diseases, order diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, and perform minor procedures.

The APRN Consensus Model, endorsed by the AACN Board of Directors in July 2008 and developed with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), aligns Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE) across four recognized APRN roles: certified nurse practitioner (CNP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), and certified nurse-midwife (CNM).

• Nurse Practitioners (NPs): The largest segment of the APRN workforce. NPs provide initial, ongoing, and comprehensive primary and acute care, including taking histories, performing physical exams, and diagnosing, treating, and managing acute and chronic conditions. They practice autonomously across family practice, pediatrics, geriatrics, psychiatric/mental health, and women's health care.

Regardless of whether you start with an ADN or a BSN, every student must complete three steps to practice as an APRN:

1. Graduate from an accredited graduate program in your chosen APRN role and population focus.

2. Pass a national certification examination.

3. Obtain a state license to practice in one of the four APRN roles.

Some graduate nursing tracks prepare nurses for valuable roles that are not NP tracks, such as Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL, certified through the Commission on Nurse Certification), Nurse Administrator (certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Organization for Nurse Leaders), Nurse Educator, Public Health Nurse, or Nurse Informaticist. Verify that the program you select explicitly leads to NP national certification and state APRN licensure.

Before submitting an application, confirm the program's accreditation and timeline. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is the leading accrediting agency for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in the U.S. and began accrediting DNP programs in Fall 2008. To date, CCNE accredits 387 DNP programs (up from 354 in January 2023). CCNE also sets the accreditation standards requiring embedded baccalaureate bridge coursework in RN to MSN programs.

Curricula across accredited schools align with AACN's competency framework, The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, which members endorsed in April 2021 and updated in April 2026. A revised white paper on the DNP was also released on October 8, 2026.

Many graduate nursing schools process applications through NursingCAS, the centralized application service for nursing. According to the AACN Nursing Education Pathways page, the NursingCAS application cycle is open for programs beginning Summer 2027 through Spring 2028.

Use our team's 5-step checklist below to compare RN to NP programs in the official directories before you apply:

1. Search the AACN Member Program Directory: Filter the online directory for the 155 schools offering RN to MSN bridge programs, the 701 schools offering RN to BSN programs, and the 452 schools enrolling DNP students.

2. Verify CCNE accreditation: Check CCNE's directory to confirm your target school's APRN track is accredited and that any RN to MSN track meets CCNE standards for front-end baccalaureate bridge coursework.

3. Confirm BSN conferral on bridge tracks: If you are an ADN or diploma nurse applying to an RN to MSN program, ask admissions in writing whether the school awards the baccalaureate degree en route or upon completion.

4. Match the track to APRN certification and degree level: Ensure the curriculum prepares you for a national NP certification exam in your population focus (such as family, pediatrics, geriatrics, psychiatric/mental health, or women's health) rather than a non-APRN master's role, and compare whether the school is among the 322 institutions offering a BSN to DNP or offers an 18 to 24 month post-baccalaureate master's.

5. Map your NursingCAS deadlines and interview prep: Log into the NursingCAS portal for Summer 2027 through Spring 2028 start dates to confirm exact deadlines and interview invitations for your cohort.

Once your transcripts, RN license verification, and references are in, the admissions interview is where you explain why you are moving from bedside RN care to autonomous advanced practice. You can review common prompts in our guide to FNP and NP program interview questions and our broader list of nursing school interview questions.

In your interview, be ready to explain three areas: how the scope of an NP differs from an RN, how you will manage the transition through embedded bridge or doctoral coursework, and how your clinical RN experience prepares you to diagnose and manage patients.

Read the practice question and our team's example answer below to see how an ADN nurse can address the RN to MSN bridge and the NP role in under two minutes. Then head to our nursing school interview practice page to rehearse out loud. Start your free week.

Why are you choosing a direct RN to MSN bridge program instead of completing a BSN first, and how has your work as an RN prepared you to step into an autonomous Nurse Practitioner role?

• AACN: Degree Completion Programs for Registered Nurses Fact Sheet
• AACN: Master's Education Pathways
• AACN: DNP Education Pathways
• AACN: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Fact Sheet
• AACN: About the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
• AACN: APRN Consensus Model
• AACN: Nursing Education Pathways & NursingCAS