Not every top nursing school offers a dedicated Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) track. Here, we compare nursing schools that offer a dedicated AGACNP program, looking at accreditation status, certification exam preparation, tuition and total cost, clinical placement support, program flexibility and format, and program length and credit requirements.
Graduates of an AGACNP program sit for one of two national exams: the AGACNP-BC through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the ACNPC-AG through the AACN Certification Corporation. For a full picture of what the role involves, see our Acute Care Nurse Practitioner career guide.
Quick Answer
- Most affordable: University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), $744 per credit
- No relocation required: University of Pittsburgh, designed specifically for working nurses who stay in their home community for clinicals
- Fastest to complete with stated timeline: Emory University, as few as four semesters full-time
How We Evaluated These Programs
Choosing the right AGACNP program means looking past name recognition. Here’s what we weighed for every school on this list:
- Accreditation. CCNE and ACEN accreditation confirm a program meets national nursing education standards, which matters directly for your ability to sit for certification. We noted accreditation status for every program, and where it wasn’t confirmed, we say so rather than guess.
- Certification exam preparation. Graduates sit for either the AGACNP-BC through ANCC or the ACNPC-AG through AACN Certification Corporation. We looked at how directly each curriculum ties to these two exams.
- Tuition and total cost. Per-credit tuition alone can be misleading, a low rate on a longer program can cost more overall than a higher rate on a shorter one. We looked at total program cost, not just the sticker price per credit.
- Clinical placement support. Some programs arrange your clinical placements for you. Others expect you to find and secure your own, sometimes with approval, sometimes entirely on your own. This is a real difference in workload, especially for working nurses.
- Flexibility and format. Every AGACNP program requires some in-person time, none of these are fully online, but they vary widely in how much: monthly campus visits, periodic intensives, or a residency requirement that means relocating.
- Program length and credit requirements. We noted total credits, clinical hours, and typical time to completion, since these vary more than you’d expect between otherwise similar programs.
| Section | School | Accred. | Tuition | Clinical Support | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Campus/Hybrid | Johns Hopkins | CCNE | $2,098/credit | Approved facilities | MD/DC residency by sem. 3 |
| On-Campus/Hybrid | Rush | CCNE | $1,493/credit | Collaborative (student + faculty) | Hybrid, 75% online / 25% on-campus |
| On-Campus/Hybrid | Maryland | CCNE | $926 (in-state) / $1,643 (out) | Collaborative (Track Director + Placement Team) | Hybrid |
| On-Campus/Hybrid | Michigan | CCNE | $2,164 (res) / $3,989 (non-res) | School-arranged (dedicated placement team) | Campus-based |
| On-Campus/Hybrid | Penn | CCNE | $7,822/CU | Placed by school | Hybrid |
| On-Campus/Hybrid | UVA | CCNE | $22,600 (res) / $36,906 (non-res) /yr | Student-arranged, approved | Hybrid, ~monthly on-campus |
| On-Campus/Hybrid | Yale | CCNE | $57,370/yr | School-arranged (Preceptor Liaison and Clinical Support Unit + faculty) | Campus-based |
| Online | Case Western | CCNE | $2,449/credit | Coordinator-assisted (dedicated preceptor coordinator on staff) | Online + intensives |
| Online | Duke | CCNE | $2,345/credit | Arranged near home | Online + intensives |
| Online | Emory | CCNE | $2,320 (MSN) / $2,110 (DNP) per credit | Collaborative (student + faculty + Placement Team) | Online + intensives |
| Online | Georgetown | CCNE | $2,652/credit | Local, near home | Online, local placements |
| Online | UAB | CCNE | $744/credit | School-assisted (5,000+ clinical affiliates) | Online + intensives |
| Online | Pittsburgh | CCNE | $16,070/term | Arranged, varies by state | Online + short immersions |
| Online | South Carolina | CCNE | $44,961 (res) / $77,755 (out) total | Student’s workplace, school assists if needed | Online + immersions |
| Online | Vanderbilt | CCNE | $2,057/credit | Arranged if under 1 yr RN experience | Modified online |
Top On-Campus or Hybrid AGACNP Programs
These programs include in-person coursework, clinical experiences, campus immersions, or other required on-campus components. They may be a fit for applicants who are willing to relocate or commute and who want the most hands-on classroom and lab time.
Johns Hopkins University
- Baltimore, MD
- Online + Campus
Modality: Online plus campus immersions; students must be local by semester 3
Credit hours: 70 credits, 840 clinical hours, 160 project hours
GRE/GMAT: GRE scores are accepted but not required
Tuition: $2,098 per credit
Program Overview:
Johns Hopkins offers AGACNP preparation through an online DNP program. The curriculum draws on the resources of the Hopkins medical institutions. While much of the coursework is online, students must be based in Maryland or Washington, D.C., for clinical coursework by the third semester, making the program less distance-friendly. Students complete practicums at approved facilities and are eligible for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification.
At $2,098 per credit, this is on the pricier side of this list, a real cost consideration alongside the Maryland/DC residency requirement.
Rush University
- Chicago, IL
- Hybrid + Online + In-Person + Campus
Modality: Hybrid; 75 percent online and 25 percent in-person, with weekly on-campus sessions, student conferences, and clinical evaluations
Credit hours: 62 term hours for BSN-to-DNP; 30 term hours of post-master’s study for APRNs; 59 term hours of post-master’s study for non-APRNs
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $1,493 per credit hour
Program Overview:
Rush’s AGACNP program is CCNE-accredited, supported by faculty who practice at a top-tier academic medical center. The DNP prepares graduates to work with acutely and critically ill adults across academic medical centers, community hospitals, and specialty practices, and its hybrid structure keeps most coursework online while reserving weekly sessions for hands-on skills training. A postdoctoral AGACNP certificate is available for nurse practitioners who already hold a doctorate. Graduates are eligible for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification.
Students work collaboratively with faculty to arrange clinical experiences, a shared process rather than fully school-arranged or fully self-arranged.
At $1,493 per credit hour, this is one of the more affordable CCNE-accredited options on this list.
University of Maryland, Baltimore
- Baltimore, MD
- Hybrid
Modality: Hybrid
Credit hours: 80 credits, 810 clinical hours, 275 practicum hours
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $926 per credit for in-state; $1,643 for out-of-state
Program Overview:
The University of Maryland School of Nursing offers AGACNP preparation at the DNP level. Admission requires at least two consecutive years of full-time, inpatient, acute care nursing experience caring for adults at the time of application, with ICU or emergency department experience preferred but not required. There’s also a post-master’s option that is 45 – 80 credits and 1,085 clinical hours. Graduates are prepared to sit for AGACNP certification.
Students collaborate with a Track Director and the school’s Clinical Placement Team to identify preceptors and request sites.
At $926 per credit in-state, this is one of the most affordable programs on this list, though out-of-state students pay nearly double at $1,643.
University of Michigan
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Modality
Modality: Campus-based
Credit hours: 44-46 credits and 504 clinical hours for MSN program; 68-72 credits and 364-504 clinical hours and 362 residency hours for DNP program
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $2,164 per credit for Michigan residents; $3,989 for non-residents
Program Overview:
CCNE accredits the University of Michigan AGACNP program. Faculty actively practice in acute care. Students spend the first term in the classroom building advanced assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills before moving into clinical training. The program can fit registered nurses with acute or critical care experience who want either a master’s or a doctoral credential. Graduates are prepared to sit for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification.
Clinical placements are arranged by the school’s dedicated placement team, students are not responsible for finding their own sites.
At $2,164 per credit for Michigan residents, this is one of the more moderately priced CCNE-accredited programs on this list, though non-residents pay nearly double at $3,989 per credit.
University of Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia, PA
- Hybrid
Modality: Hybrid
Credit hours: 12 course units for the AGACNP curriculum
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: Assessed per credit unit (CU) each semester. One CU is $7,822.
Program Overview:
Penn’s AGACNP program is an MSN program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). It places students in clinical rotations across Penn Medicine and other regional facilities, from academic medical centers to subacute settings. Applicants need one year of work experience, and the program expects completion of an introductory statistics course. Graduates are eligible for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification. Penn also offers a combined MSN and DNP option. Penn is one of the few schools here where clinical placement is confirmed as school-arranged.
Penn’s per-unit pricing works out to a high total cost. At $7,822 per course unit across 12 units, this lands toward the pricier end of this list despite the shorter credit count.
University of Virginia
- Charlottesville, VA
- Hybrid + In-Person
Modality: Hybrid with in-person sessions roughly once a month
Credit hours: 73 credits and 1064 clinical hours
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $22,600 per year for full-time Virginia residents; $36,906 for non-residents
Program Overview:
UVA’s BSN-to-DNP AGACNP specialty focus is CCNE-accredited and offered as a DNP degree. Clinical placements run across the Charlottesville area, central Virginia, and beyond. Students can find their own clinical sites with approval. Graduates are eligible for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification.
At $22,600 a year for in-state students, and nearly double that for non-residents, UVA sits toward the higher end of this list. Clinical placement is also more legwork here than at some other schools: students find their own sites, then get them approved, rather than having placements arranged for them.
Yale University
- Orange, CT
- Campus
Modality: Campus-based
Credit hours: 52.6 credits and 968 clinical hours
GRE/GMAT: Not required if cumulative undergraduate GPA is 3.0 or higher
Tuition: $57,370 per year for new students; $55,821 per year for continuing students
Program Overview:
Yale’s AGACNP specialty is CCNE-accredited and prepares nurses to assess and manage acute and complex chronic illness across the full continuum of adult acute care. All AGACNP faculty are board-certified acute care nurse practitioners who practice in acute and critical care settings.
In this MSN program, students can add optional concentrations, such as research, diabetes, oncology, or gender and sexuality health justice, and may study full-time or part-time. A post-master’s certificate is also available for nurse practitioners certified in another specialty. Graduates are eligible for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification.
At $57,370 a year, Yale is the most expensive program on this list, by a wide margin. What justifies the cost for some applicants: every AGACNP faculty member is a board-certified acute care nurse practitioner still practicing in acute and critical care, and the program’s optional concentrations, in research, diabetes, oncology, or gender and sexuality health justice, let students specialize in ways most other programs on this list don’t offer.
Clinical placements are arranged by the AGACNP Preceptor Liaison and Clinical Support Unit in conjunction with faculty, students are not responsible for finding their own sites.
Top Online AGACNP Programs
These programs deliver didactic coursework online or via distance learning and bring students to campus for periodic intensives. All online NP programs require in-person clinical experiences and skills evaluations, so none of these programs are fully online.
Case Western Reserve University
- Cleveland, OH
- Online + Campus
Modality: Online format with periodic on-campus intensives
Credit hours: At least 39 credit hours and 700 clinical hours
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $2,449 per credit hour
Program Overview:
Case Western’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing offers the AGACNP as an MSN major. A recent year of adult intensive care (ICU) nursing experience is required before beginning the program. Full-time and part-time plans are available, and the curriculum sequences advanced practice core courses as prerequisites or co-requisites to the clinical courses.
Clinical training draws on a research-rich environment anchored by major Cleveland health systems. Graduates are prepared to sit for AGACNP certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
At $2,449 per credit, this sits on the higher end among the per-credit programs on this list.
Duke University
- Durham, NC
- Online + Campus
Modality: Online plus campus intensives
Credit hours: 48 credits and 752 clinical hours
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $2,345 per credit hour
Program Overview:
Duke’s AGACNP program is CCNE-accredited and designed for working nurses, with online coursework, clinical placements arranged near students’ homes, and on-campus skills intensives.
Duke requires at least 12 months of full-time, independent acute-care nursing experience and prepares graduates for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification. Students may add a second specialty, and a post-master’s certificate route is available for nurse practitioners moving into acute care from another population focus.
At $2,345 per credit, Duke sits toward the higher end of this list on cost. Where it stands out is clinical placement: Duke arranges these near each student’s home, a real advantage over the several schools here that leave placement entirely up to the student.
The school maintains a dedicated clinical preceptor coordinator role to support students through the placement process.
Emory University
- Atlanta, GA
- Online + Campus
Modality: Online plus campus intensives
Credit hours: 49 credits and 840 clinical hours for MSN; 74 credits, 1,140 clinical hours, and 120 practicum hours for DNP
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $2,320 per credit hour for MSN; $2,110 per credit hour for DNP
Program Overview:
Emory’s AGACNP program is CCNE-accredited and delivers 840 hours of directly supervised clinical practice. Clinical placements are in high-acuity specialty areas, including critical care, trauma surgery, general surgery, and hospital medicine.
The MSN program prepares students to manage acutely ill and complex chronically ill adults, and graduates are eligible for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification. Emory also offers the specialty at the DNP level and as a postgraduate certificate. Full-time students typically finish the MSN in four semesters, while part-time students take six or seven semesters.
Securing a placement is a collaborative effort between the student, faculty, and the school’s Clinical Placement Team. Students may identify preferred sites, though placement isn’t guaranteed.
Cost sits mid-range at $2,320 per credit for the MSN track and $2,110 for DNP.
Georgetown University
- Washington, DC
- Online
Modality: Online with asynchronous and live online coursework with local clinical placements
Credit hours: 40 credits and 750 clinical hours for MSN
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $2,652 per credit
Program Overview:
Georgetown’s AGACNP program is CCNE-accredited and delivered through the school’s distance-based online platform, so students complete didactic work remotely and clinical hours near home. The program is designed for registered nurses with at least one year of full-time experience in an intensive care unit, emergency department, or progressive care unit.
Georgetown also offers the specialty at the BSN-to-DNP level, giving applicants a choice based on where they are in their careers. Graduates are eligible for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification.
At $2,652 per credit, this is the highest standard per-credit rate on this list, excluding Penn’s per-unit pricing.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Birmingham, AL
- Online + Campus
Modality: Online plus campus intensives
Credit hours: 45 credit hours for MSN; 79 credit hours for DNP
GRE/GMAT: Required only for applicants with a GPA below 3.2. UAB accepts a minimum combined GRE score of 297 or a GMAT score of 480, and waives the requirement for applicants who have completed a graduate degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Tuition: $744 per credit hour
Program Overview:
UAB’s AGACNP program is CCNE-accredited and offers a synchronous online format that keeps students connected to faculty in real time between on-campus intensives. Students admitted to the track may also elect additional coursework for the Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) role, which prepares them to work alongside surgeons throughout the perioperative period. Graduates are eligible for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification.
The school provides support and assistance finding clinical placement sites and preceptors from a network of more than 5,000 clinical affiliates.
At $744 per credit, UAB is the most affordable program on this list.
University of Pittsburgh
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Online + Campus
Modality: Online coursework with short on-campus immersions
Credit hours: 51 credit hours and 780 clinical hours
GRE/GMAT: Optional, but may be considered supplemental information in the admission process
Tuition: $16,070 per term full-time
Program Overview:
Pitt Nursing’s AGACNP MSN is designed for working nurses, combining online coursework with brief on-campus immersions so students don’t have to relocate. Clinical placements are arranged in the student’s own community through Pitt’s Clinical Management Office, though placement availability varies by state.
Graduates are prepared to sit for AGACNP certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
Pitt is the only program on this list priced per term rather than per credit, at $16,070.
University of South Carolina
- Columbia, SC
- Online + Campus
Modality: Online plus campus immersions
Credit hours: 48-51 credits and 784 clinical hours
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $44,961 total program cost for residents; $77,755 for out-of-state students; $51,071 with nursing scholarship
Program Overview:
South Carolina’s AGACNP program is CCNE-accredited and admits BSN-prepared nurses with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and at least 2,400 hours of nursing experience within the previous 24 months. The program offers summer and fall entry on a rolling admissions basis. Coursework is online only, and several classes require on-campus immersions. Graduates are eligible for AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG certification.
Most students complete clinicals through their current workplace. The college offers placement assistance only if that’s not an option.
At $44,961 to $77,755 for the total program, depending on residency, South Carolina is the second most expensive option on this list. A nursing scholarship can bring that down to $51,071. What earns it a spot despite the cost: rolling admissions with both summer and fall entry, which gives applicants more flexibility on when to start than most programs here offer.
Vanderbilt University
- Nashville, TN
- Online
Modality: Modified online format with asynchronous, online didactic coursework and on-campus intensives for simulation and immersive training
Credit hours: 44 credits and 630 clinical hours for MSN; 62 credits for DNP
GRE/GMAT: Not required
Tuition: $2,057 per credit hour
Program Overview:
The modified distance format in Vanderbilt’s programs allows experienced RNs to complete the program without relocating. Students with at least one year of RN experience are eligible for the distance format and need not relocate; those with less than a year complete their clinical rotations in the Nashville area, arranged by the placement team.
The curriculum prepares graduates to sit for AGACNP certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. The specialty is available through MSN, MN plus Post-Master’s Certificate, Post-Master’s Certificate, and BSN-to-DNP pathways.
At $2,057 per credit, cost sits roughly mid-pack among this list’s per-credit programs.
What to Look For Beyond This List
If you’re weighing a program not covered here, prioritize confirmed CCNE or ACEN accreditation first, since it directly affects your path to certification. Then compare total program cost, not just per-credit tuition, and ask directly whether the program arranges clinical placements or leaves that to you.