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Online RN to MSN Programs in New York
Only two New York colleges offer 100% online RN to MSN programs, and they’re both private. Each college will have its own specific admissions requirements, so we recommend you examine the profiles in our school listings to get a 360º view of the program. Here are a few more points to bear in mind:
- Excelsior College: Excelsior College specializes in online programs with convenient coursework and relevant practice experiences in the student’s geographic area. It participates in SARA, but it’s best to view the Disclosures by State in the transparency section to confirm that you’re eligible to apply for the RN to MS. For example, Excelsior will not accept anyone who lives in Washington State.
- Mercy College: Mercy is fairly flexible in its approach—you can take online courses, hybrid courses, or even in-person classes. Or you can just opt for 100% online. Like Excelsior, Mercy also participates in SARA. According to the program website, out-of-state RNs do not have to obtain a New York State RN license unless their State Board of Nursing does not permit students enrolled in out-of-state programs to do their practicum in their resident state.
Plus there are hybrid alternatives for folks who live near a university. For instance, UR and Stony Brook University’s programs are a judicious blend of online classes and on-campus meetings. Daemen’s program is also hybrid if you’re earning the BS as part of the path to MS. So you may have more choices than you think!
Cheapest RN to MSN Programs in New York
Our ranking of the most affordable New York RN to MSN programs was calculated using per credit graduate tuition rates. But it’s just an estimate. Each program in our school listings has a different number of total credits, different fee structures, and even different rates. For example, online tuition rates for Mercy College’s undergraduate courses are much lower than the tuition rates for its graduate coursework. In some cases, schools may also accept transfer credits and a portfolio review on selected bridge courses.
- Stony Brook University (SUNY): In-State (Out-of-State is comparable to Daemen)—View Tuition Rates | Upstate Medical University (SUNY): In-State (Out-of-State is comparable to Daemen)—View Tuition Rates
- Excelsior College: View Tuition Rates
- Le Moyne College: Nursing Education & Nursing Administration (FNP is higher)—View Tuition Rates
Unfortunately, there aren’t many public options for in-state students beyond Stony Brook and Upstate Medical University. Having said that, a number of the private schools in our listings offer great tuition discounts and scholarships (e.g. UR). Don’t be afraid to ask the program coordinator about how you can reduce the total cost.
New York’s Healthcare Landscape
New York has been making great strides in healthcare. If you look at America’s Health Rankings, you’ll notice that childhood poverty has been on the downturn, the supply of primary care physicians has increased, and cancer is being beaten back. To reduce the number of avoidable hospitalizations among Medicaid patients, the state government has implemented the Medicaid Waiver Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program. Meanwhile, it has also been running a State Health Innovation Plan (SHIP), which aims to promote an “advanced primary care model.”
The most dramatic moves have occurred in New York City. In 2019, the Mayor launched NYC Care, a $100 million health insurance program designed to cover 600,000 uninsured residents, including those unable to afford coverage and those living in the United States illegally. This was an expansion of the city’s existing MetroPlus plan that covered hospital bills for low-income residents. In NYC Care, participants can also receive insurance for regular medical visits to doctors outside of hospitals.
But it’s not all sweetness and light. In recent times, New York has also been experiencing low immunization coverage among children, a depressing increase in drug deaths, and a high rate of heart disease. Any RN who has worked in the area won’t be surprised to see the county map on the BCBS’s National Health Index. Counties around New York City, Vermont, and southern New York are relatively healthy (e.g. Westchester, Ulster, Dutchess, Warren, Saratoga, etc.) but the rest of the state, including Long Island, is falling behind.
A major issue for the NYNSA is the closure and consolidation of hospitals, especially in rural areas and communities away from big university hubs. According to the U.S. Rural Health Report Card, the age-adjusted mortality rate in New York rural counties is still 20% higher than the rate in urban counties. Barriers to primary care access, a lack of resources, lower rates of preventative care (e.g. vaccinations and reproductive health services), and—as always—staff shortages are just some the challenges that forward-thinking nurses are trying to address.
Jobs for New York RN to MSN Graduates
Career Outlook for RN to MSN Graduates
What does all of this mean for aspiring APRNs and nurse leaders? In one word: jobs. You’ll see this most clearly on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)’s pages for Nurse Practitioners and Nursing Instructors & Teachers, Postsecondary. New York often has the highest employment levels of advanced nurses in the country.
- NYC Area: The New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area alone employs 13,000+ nurse practitioners. Many of them work in the Best Hospitals in New York, especially those that are affiliated with universities (e.g. New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Cornell). The presence of those schools is just one reason why employment levels for postsecondary nursing instructors in New York City are also extremely high.
- Urban: But you don’t have to be in New York City to find opportunities. Cities with expanding medical centers are also great sources of jobs for NPs. In Rochester, the University of Rochester Medical Center has implemented a prestigious cancer stem cell research program, built a Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, and created a network of new Urgent Care centers. In Syracuse, St. Joseph’s Health has acquired the New York Heart Center and continues to be known as a top heart surgery hospital. Rochester alone employs 1,000+ nurse practitioners, Syracuse 500+, and Albany 600+.
- Rural: Interested in helping to improve rural healthcare? As you might expect, many NPs in New York’s rural areas are deeply involved in primary care and psychiatric services. In fact, nearly 70% of NPs in rural areas work in federally designated primary care health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). New York doesn’t have nearly as many rural counties as say, Texas, but according to data.HRSA.gov, it has 18 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and 90 Federally Qualified Health Center sites located outside of urbanized areas. With more and more rural APRNs in New York reaching retirement age, demand for committed nurses will increase.
Career Resources for Future APRNs
New York Nursing Job Boards
- The NPA Career Center: Job listings for New York NPs
- NYONEL Career Center: Job listings for New York nurse leaders
New York APRN Salary & Wage Data
- Annual Mean Wages for New York Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations: Categories can include “Nurse Practitioners,” “Nurse Midwives,” and “Nurse Anesthetists”
- Annual Mean Wages for New York Nursing Instructors & Teachers, Postsecondary
- AANP National Compensation Survey: Available to AANP members
New York Nursing Organizations
APRN Licensure
NY Nursing Associations & Coalitions
- National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN): New York Chapters
- National Black Nurses Association (NBNA): New York Chapters
- New York Professional Nurses Union (NYPNU)
- New York State Action Coalition (NYSAC)
- New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)
- Nurse Practitioners of New York (NPNY)
- The Nurse Practitioner Association New York State (NPA)
NY Nursing Specialty Organizations
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association – New York Chapter (APNA New York)
- Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses – New York (AWHONN – New York)
- New York State Association of Nurse Anesthetists (NYSANA)
- New York State PeriAnesthesia Nurses Association (NYSPANA)
- New York State Emergency Nurses Association (NYS ENA)
- New York League for Nursing (NYLN)
- Nursing Students’ Association of New York State (NSANYS)
- New York Organization of Nurse Executives and Leaders (NYONEL)
- New York State Association of Licensed Midwives (NYSALM)
- New York State Association of School Nurses (NYSASN)
- New York State Association of Occupational Health Nurses (NYSAOHN)
New York RN to MSN School Listings
6 Schools FoundDaemen College
Nursing Department
Amherst, New York
Nursing School Overview
Daemen is a small, private college in Amherst with an intimate feel. The ratio of faculty to students in the Department of Nursing is low and nursing alumni say the professors get to know you by name. That tight-knit feeling extends to the community. Nursing professors continue to practice in the Western New York area and students are encouraged to offer input on clinical site selections. Each person has access to an individual faculty advisor for on-campus appointments. If you're interested in the RN-BS-MS track, the Department states that it has a liberal credit transfer policy and allows for multiple start dates (fall, spring, or summer). It also offers a 50% tuition grant to RNs with an associate degree during the BS. Perhaps most importantly, Daemen gets results. It publishes exam pass rates (e.g. 100% pass rate on AANP) and employment results (e.g. 96% of graduates obtained jobs) on its program website.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
Daemen offers two pathways to the MS. RNs with an associate degree or diploma in nursing can earn a BS and MS in a shortened period of time. RNs with a non-nursing bachelor's degree can tackle 5 undergraduate competencies and then head straight into the master's (no BS is awarded in this pathway). RN-BS-MS candidates must have a 3.25 GPA or better, one year of clinical experience, and a current professional nursing license in New York State. A letter of intent or letters of reference may also be submitted to strengthen the application. RN-MS applicants will need to submit official transcripts, a current resume, and evidence of education. Daemen's nursing faculty will then review all the documentation to assess what coursework is required. Folks who are earning the BS can study full-time (2 semesters) or part-time, online or hybrid. A couple of graduate courses can be substituted for undergraduate credits. The 36-credit MS takes 2-3 years to complete, depending on whether you choose full-time or part-time. Along with core requirements and AGPCNP courses, this master's includes a thesis or project.
Excelsior College
School of Nursing
Albany, New York
RN to MS - Nursing Education
Offered Online
RN to MS - Nursing Informatics
Offered Online
Nursing School Overview
Excelsior is a private, non-profit college in Albany that specializes in online learning - it was established to help adult learners, including veterans and mid-life careerists. The School of Nursing has been an NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education for quite some time, and it publishes detailed exit & one-year surveys that detail nursing program outcomes. One independent reviewer said he/she was thrilled with the instructors and rigor of the MS. Because it's an online school, Excelsior tends to charge lower per credit tuition rates than other private colleges in New York, and it offers a greatly reduced rate to military. RN to MS candidates may also be able to take advantage of scholarships, payment plans, and tuition discounts from corporate & organizational partners. Having said all that, Excelsior has been in the news in recent years due to a class-action lawsuit about the quality of its associate degree in nursing. This has led to downsizing and budget cuts. Talk to recent alumni, Excelsior, and your mentors before you make a decision.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
Excelsior's 100% online program is designed for RNs who wish to earn a BSN and an MS in an accelerated time-frame. Applicants will need to have an active and unencumbered U.S. RN license and an associate degree or diploma in nursing. This degree or diploma must have been earned from a New York State (NYSED)-approved program, a program with specialty accreditation, or a regionally accredited institution. You'll receive 30 credits for prior education and successful completion of NCLEX-RN; talk to the program coordinator about the possibility of transferring further credits. Once admitted, you'll be expected to complete general education credits and BSN coursework, including 5 graduate-level courses. After that, you'll be able to sink your teeth into the MS major and the capstone course. This capstone consists of a 247.5-hour practice experience, discussion, reflective journal, scholarly paper, and project presentation. One important note - Excelsior cannot accept applicants who live in the state of Washington.
Mercy College
School of Health and Natural Sciences
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Online RN to BSN to MSN
Offered Online
RN to MSN Bridge Program - Nursing Administration
Offered Online
RN to MSN Bridge Program - Nursing Education
Offered Online
Nursing School Overview
Mercy is a private college with a main campus in Dobbs Ferry, and additional locations in New York City. On top of offering online courses, the School of Health & Natural Sciences seeks to accommodate working professionals in other ways. Part-time study is available. Schedules are flexible. And Mercy has partnered with Suburban Hospital Alliance member hospitals, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), and 119 Local Heath Care Workers to offer an affiliate tuition discount. The online graduate nursing programs tend to have a small enrollment (e.g. 21) and a goodly portion of minority students (e.g. 55%). One independent reviewer who took both online and on-campus courses also noted that the faculty and advisors went out of their way to make sure students were being helped.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
Mercy offers two online pathways to the MS. RNs with an associate degree in nursing can apply for the Online RN-BS-MS. And RNs who have a non-nursing baccalaureate degree and an associate degree in nursing can opt for the Online Bridge Program. All candidates are expected to have a 3.0 GPA on any undergraduate work, but students with lower GPAs will considered on a case-by-case basis. Students in the Bridge Program only need to take 3 upper-level courses in nursing and earn a grade of B or above. In contrast, the RN-BS-MS pathway begins with the BS portion, which includes 4 nursing courses (300-level and 400-level) and general education credits. In addition, up to 3 courses (9 graduate credits) are substituted for undergraduate credits. The BS portion can take 2 years to complete (2-3 courses per semester). Once you've finished your undergraduate work, you can proceed to the MS. The master's degree is 36 credits and can be completed in 2 years on a full-time schedule and 3 years on a part-time schedule. All courses are offered online, on-site, or in a hybrid form. Both concentrations include a capstone & 120-hour practicum.
Stony Brook University
School of Nursing
Stony Brook, New York
Nursing School Overview
Stony Brook is a public research university, a lynchpin in the State University of New York (SUNY) System. That means tuition rates are fairly affordable for in-state residents. The School of Nursing has a reputation for being competitive, well-respected, and strong in distance learning - Stony Brook often achieves a top 15 ranking for Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs from U.S. News & World Report. It has an active Office of Research and Innovation and close ties to the Stony Brook University Hospital. In the past, it has also received funding for a special Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Program. Scholarship winners receive money for tuition, books, and expenses and help to provide care to underserved populations after graduation. Better yet, graduate reviews on independent sites are positive. Former nursing students say Stony Brook provides a great educational value for a reasonable state fee, nursing faculty are clinically competent and supportive, class sizes aren't huge, and the campus is culturally diverse.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
As the title suggests, Stony Brook's hybrid program is geared toward RNs with an associate degree or diploma in nursing who wish to earn the BS in nursing on the way toward an MS. However, we want to point out that RNs with a non-nursing bachelor's degree are allowed to submit a clinical practice portfolio to be evaluated for key competencies. RN Baccalaureate applicants are expected to have a minimum 3.0 GPA, 1 year of clinical experience as an RN in the relevant area of interest, and at least 57 college credits with a grade of C or better (including specific science prerequisites). Stony Brook will also want to see 3 letters of recommendation and a personal statement. In the BS portion, you'll take a variety of upper-level undergraduate and graduate-level credits in nursing subjects (43 credits in total). RN Baccalaureate students are also required to submit a clinical practice portfolio to be evaluated for 28 advanced placement credits. The remaining courses will be devoted to your choice of MS concentration. You'll notice that Stony Brook has a lot of NP specialties on offer!
University of Rochester
School of Nursing
Rochester, New York
Nursing School Overview
UR is one of the biggies in our list - a private research university in Rochester that often achieves a top 40 ranking of the Best Nursing Schools in the country. The School of Nursing is located on the campus of the University of Rochester Medical Center, home to the Strong Memorial Hospital and all kinds of clinical institutes and labs. You'll see that nursing faculty are involved in a great deal of research work (e.g. Center for Nursing Research on Aging), as well as clinical services, clinics & wellness programs. The School is also willing and able to help with clinical placements. It has a network of nearly 500 NP preceptors, all of whom have links to a wide variety of clinical sites. Quality, as always, comes with a price - UR is expensive. However, it does offer a large number of scholarships & discounts, especially for the RN to BS portion of the program and the FPMHNP & Nursing Education specialties. Nurses who live or work in the 18-county Western NY region are eligible for a 50% Finger Lakes Regional Scholarship; nurses who are part of a UR affiliate organization are eligible for the 55% Affiliate Professional Development Grant; and UR employees are eligible for the School of Nursing Tuition Grant, which can bring tuition rates down to nothing.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
UR's hybrid program is open to RNs with an associate degree or diploma in nursing. A cumulative 3.0 GPA is preferred on any undergraduate work. If you're interested in NP specialties, you may need to provide evidence of relevant clinical experience, but UR is willing to consider candidates without it. The application should also include evidence of CPR certification, 2 letters of reference, a professional goal statement, a resume, a writing sample, and statistics credits (UR has an online statistics course available to make up these credits). There are no required standardized test scores, but you have the option to submit your GRE scores. Overall, the RN to BS to MS will help you save a maximum of 20 undergraduate credits over the course of the part-time program. Assuming arts and sciences credit requirements have been met, you can finish the BS portion (32 nursing credits) in as few as 16 months. BS coursework is mostly online, with monthly in-person class sessions. The length of the MS portion will depend on your choice of concentration: Nursing Education is 36 credits and NP specialties are 45-55 credits. UR states that a full-time load for NP programs might take 2 years (six semesters). Part-time students may be able to finish in 3-4 years.
Upstate Medical University
College of Nursing
Syracuse, New York
Nursing School Overview
Like Stony Brook, Upstate is a SUNY System university, which means you'll be looking at public tuition rates. It's also the only nursing school in the region that is part of an academic medical university. The College of Nursing shares its campus with Upstate University Hospital and the university is closely affiliated with many regional hospitals in central New York, including Binghamton Hospital. In other words, this is a program that emphasizes real-world practice - the College boasts that it has 100+ clinical sites and a nearly 100% job placement rate after graduation. Scholarships and stipends are available for master's programs, especially the FPMHNP, but it's best to check with the program coordinator to make sure accelerated students can apply. Locals should also know that the Upstate University Hospital Nursing Department offers tuition assistance to staff who wish to pursue an academic degree at the university. Independent reviews of the nursing program are almost always raves. Students say the program is rigorous and focused on advanced practice, coursework is challenging, and professors are helpful and understanding.
RN to MSN Admissions & Curriculum
Upstate's streamlined program allows RNs with a non-nursing bachelor's degree to achieve a master's degree without having to earn a BS in nursing. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA (a higher GPA may be necessary to be competitive for admission), a current New York State RN license, CPR certification, and 3 letters of recommendation. Preference is given to students with at least one year of medical/surgical experience at the time of application. Once you're accepted, you'll only need to take 5 courses to complete the undergraduate bridge coursework. The program starts in spring. Students who have completed their associate's degree or diploma in nursing by the end of December may apply for acceptance to the spring semester, take the 5 courses over the spring and summer, and matriculate into the master's program in the fall. The MS portion is 50-53 credits and can be completed part-time (6 credits per semester) or full-time (9 credits per semester). On average, full-time students finish in 2-3 years. Part-time students finish in 3-5 years. North Country students in the FPMHNP and FNP may be able to take some courses on the Jefferson Community College campus, depending on the degree intake.
