Best master of science in nursing (MSN) programs in Virginia

A master of science in nursing (MSN) degree enables experienced registered nurses (RNs) to enter advanced fields such as clinical nursing leadership, nursing administration, nursing education, or family practice nursing. At least a dozen Virginia universities offer accredited MSN programs. As an example, The University of Virginia offers MSN degrees in specialized nursing fields like adult gerontology, acute care, and psychiatric and mental health.

A select few MSN programs, known as “direct-entry” programs, admit non-nurses and train them for initial RN licensure before embarking on advanced nursing study. Virginia has two esteemed public universities with a direct-entry MSN degree program: Virginia Commonwealth University and The University of Virginia. Students focus the first year of study on general nursing topics in preparation for the NCLEX-RN national licensure exam, before progressing to specialized subfields.

Many MSN graduates pursue licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) in their chosen field of specialization. The three most common APRN roles are nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, and nurse anesthetist. Virginia has a select workforce of 160 nurse midwives who provide comprehensive care for expecting and new mothers. They typically earn $65,000 per year. The state’s 3,000 nurse practitioners work in a broad range of areas including neonatal nursing, family practice nursing, and gerontology. These professionals earn a median annual salary of $88,000; the top 25% earn $100,000 or more per year. Nurse anesthetists not only administer anesthesia but also care for patients before, during, and after medical operations. Virginia’s 1,200 nurse anesthetists are very handsomely compensated, with a median annual salary of $157,000.

To help those interested in pursuing a master of science in nursing, we have compiled below a list of the top MSN programs in Virginia.