The Best FNP Programs in New York for Working RNs (2026)

University of Rochester's School of Nursing runs its Nurse Practitioner track as one branch of a broader master's program built for working nurses, with multiple entry points including a traditional master's, a direct-entry option for nurses new to the field, and advanced certificate pathways for nurses who already hold a graduate degree. The school is ranked the #1 nursing school in Upstate New York and #11 nationally among master's nursing programs by U.S. News, and 91% of its faculty stay in active clinical practice while they teach.

Tuition runs $65,870, and 40% of applicants get in, a selective bar backed up by results: 85% of students graduate and 91% of graduates pass their national certification exam on the first attempt. Set against a national FNP salary of $132,300 a year, per BLS wage data, versus $88,900 for a staff RN, that $65,870 tuition is recouped in about 1.5 years of the $43,400 annual pay jump. The 89.8 Hakia Score reflects that combination of national ranking, high pass rates, and a real return on the investment. It fits a working RN who wants a nationally recognized program and can clear a 40% admit rate.

Stony Brook's DNP is built around a 1,000-hour scholarly clinical practice minimum and an on-site executive cohort model layered on top of online coursework. The baccalaureate-entry pathway runs 87 credits, but as of this cycle the school is only accepting advanced-standing applicants who already hold a master's degree as a nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife; that track runs a minimum of 42 credits plus at least 500 additional scholarly practice hours on top of what they completed at the master's level. Applications open August 1, 2026 for a Summer 2027 start.

In-state tuition is $7,070 and out-of-state is $28,880, against a 49% admit rate and a 76% graduation rate; the 86 Hakia Score reflects a strong public-school value profile. Measured against the $43,400 gap between a $132,300 national FNP salary and an $88,900 staff RN salary, per BLS wage data, in-state tuition pays for itself in under two months and even the out-of-state rate pays back in about eight months. This program fits a New York RN who already practices as a nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife and wants a DNP without repeating coursework; a BSN-only nurse looking for a first entry into FNP practice should confirm current admission status before applying.

Hofstra runs its Family Nurse Practitioner track as an on-campus MS at the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies in Hempstead, New York, a name that reflects its tie to the Northwell Health system. The FNP track sits alongside separate NP specialty options in adult-gerontology acute care, psychiatric-mental health, and CRNA preparation, plus advanced certificate pathways for nurses who already hold an NP credential in a different population focus.

Tuition is $56,545 and the program admits 68% of applicants, with 69% of students graduating. The 83.8 Hakia Score is the ranking basis here, weighing that mix of cost, selectivity, and outcomes. Against the $43,400 gap between a $132,300 national FNP salary and an $88,900 staff RN salary, per BLS wage data, that tuition pays back in about 16 months of the higher paycheck. It fits an RN who wants an on-campus program in the New York City metro area with access to the Northwell Health clinical network.

Hofstra's DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner prepares graduates to deliver preventive, acute, and chronic care to patients across the lifespan. Admission requires a BSN with a 3.0 GPA, an unencumbered New York RN license, a minimum of two years of current clinical nursing experience before starting clinical coursework in the fall of year two, verified health assessment and statistics coursework, current BLS and ACLS certification, three letters of recommendation, a pre-admission interview, and a 90-minute CASPer situational-judgment test. Nurses who already hold an MS as an AGACNP, FNP, or PMHNP can apply through an advanced-standing track that requires New York licensure and board eligibility, subject to a gap analysis against APRN Consensus Model coursework in pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology.

Tuition is $56,545, with a 68% admit rate and a 69% graduation rate; the 82.1 Hakia Score reflects a rigorous, holistic admissions process layered onto a terminal practice doctorate. Set against the $43,400 gap between a $132,300 national FNP salary and an $88,900 staff RN salary, per BLS wage data, that tuition pays back in about 16 months once a graduate is working as an FNP. It fits an RN who already has at least two years of frontline clinical experience and wants the DNP credential rather than an MS.

University at Buffalo's Family Nurse Practitioner program is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) track that trains RNs to deliver primary care across the lifespan, with added coursework in assessing and treating addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions plus epidemiology and health care leadership content built into a population-focused curriculum. The degree runs 97 credits in a hybrid format, some requirements online, with full-time and part-time options that stretch completion to 3 to 5+ years depending on pace.

In-state tuition runs $7,070 a year, about a quarter of the $27,670 out-of-state rate, a small figure next to the $132,300 national median family nurse practitioners earn versus $88,900 for a staff RN. Buffalo, a public university, admits 74% of applicants and graduates 75% of students in the DNP program, and its Hakia Score of 82.1 reflects that combination of low in-state cost and program breadth. The $75 application fee and 3-to-5-year runway suit RNs who want a doctoral credential while keeping New York State residency.

Pace University's Family Nurse Practitioner concentration is a 49-credit Master of Science built for working RNs, combining online coursework with on-campus classes across the New York City and Westchester locations. Clinical training centers on 760 precepted direct care hours in primary care settings, backed by simulation work in Pace's 15,000-square-foot Center for Excellence in Healthcare Simulation, and most students complete the program in three years on a part-time schedule.

Tuition runs $51,602, a cost RNs can weigh against the $132,300 national median for family nurse practitioners, a $43,400 jump over the $88,900 median for staff RNs. Pace, a private nonprofit, admits 76% of applicants and graduates 60% of students, and its Hakia Score of 80.8 reflects strong clinical-hour depth weighed against that completion rate. The program fits RNs already working in or near New York City who want in-person clinical placements rather than a fully remote track.

Le Moyne College's Family Nurse Practitioner program is a 46-credit MSN that requires on-campus attendance only once a week, on Mondays, to accommodate students working full time as RNs. The curriculum includes 810 clinical hours and offers three completion paths: two years full-time, three years part-time, or a post-master's certificate for RNs who already hold a graduate nursing degree. Le Moyne also runs a direct-entry FNP-to-DNP pathway for BSN-prepared nurses, embedding the same 810 clinical hours into a four-year full-time or five-year part-time doctoral track.

Tuition is $39,090, and Le Moyne is CCNE-accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the credential graduates need to sit for national FNP certification. The Syracuse college admits 83% of applicants and graduates 73% of students, and its Hakia Score of 79.5 reflects that accessible admissions rate paired with a heavy clinical-hour load. Eligible New York residents, and residents of certain bordering states, can access full tuition, book, and fee coverage through the school's Caring Gene Career Pathways Training Program, which changes the math on the $39,090 sticker price against a $132,300 national median FNP salary.

Molloy University's graduate nursing division awards a Master of Science in Nursing with advanced practice clinical specialties, including the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration, through a mix of hybrid, remote, traditional, and online course delivery depending on the specialty. Students work with a faculty adviser from their specialty area throughout the program, and Molloy runs three separate entry pathways into its Doctor of Nursing Practice program for RNs who want to continue past the MSN. The Rockville Centre campus also holds an International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning endorsement, the only Long Island institution to hold it.

Tuition is $38,100, and Molloy is CCNE-accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the credential RNs need to be eligible to sit for national FNP certification. The university admits 82% of applicants and graduates 70% of students across its graduate nursing programs, and its Hakia Score of 78.9 weighs that accreditation and pathway flexibility against a smaller reported enrollment base. Molloy fits RNs on Long Island who want small class sizes and a clear route from MSN to DNP without switching institutions, an easier calculation once the $132,300 national median FNP salary is set against the $38,100 tuition figure.