DNPPrograms.com

  • FAQ
    • What is a DNP Degree?
    • Accreditation of DNP Programs
    • Choosing a DNP Program
    • DNP vs. NP
    • DNP vs. PhD
    • Paying for your DNP
  • Specialties
    • Clinical Nurse Specialist
    • Nurse Anesthetist
    • Nurse Educator
    • Nurse Executive
    • Nurse Midwife
    • Nurse Practitioner >
      • Family
      • Gerontological
      • Neonatal
      • Pediatric
      • Psychiatric/Mental Health
      • Women’s Health
  • States
    • Alabama
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • District of Columbia
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • Washington
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming
  • Browse DNP Programs
    • Affordable Online DNP Programs
    • Best DNP Program Rankings
    • Best Online DNP Programs
    • Best Online MSN to DNP Programs
    • Fastest Online DNP Programs
  • BSN to DNP Programs
    • Best Online BSN to DNP Programs
    • BSN to DNP Programs with No GRE Requirement
    • Fastest Online BSN to DNP Programs

DNP Programs in Indiana

IUPUI or Purdue? Public or private? Our Indiana DNP guide can help you decide! It contains a complete directory of programs, rankings of the best and most affordable DNPs in Indiana, details on online & hybrid IN doctorates, and notes on BSN to DNP options. Want to compare specialties? Skip ahead to our detailed listings.

Top Indiana DNP Programs

To come up with this list of the best DNP programs in Indiana, we examined national rankings for nursing graduate degrees & specialties, prioritizing any school that achieved a strong DNP ranking from U.S. News & World Report. In the final analysis, we also considered quality factors such as certification pass rates, clinical opportunities, and research funding.

1. Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis

IUPUI’s School of Nursing deserves the #1 spot. It’s nationally ranked in multiple areas of nursing, including a top 15 place for Nursing Administration and a top 35 place for Online Graduate Nursing Programs. It’s an NLN Center of Excellence in two categories. It’s stuffed with prestigious faculty (e.g. NLN fellows, AANP fellows, members of the National Academy of Medicine, etc.). It offers post-doctoral fellowships and nursing scholarships to graduate students. And it has developed a DNP program that’s especially relevant to nursing leaders and executives.

We’re particularly impressed with the School’s research credentials and its clinical connections. Thanks—in part—to NIH funding, the School is able to run multiple centers, including the Indiana University School of Nursing Champion Center for Cancer Control Research (CCCR) and the Center for Enhancing Quality of Life and Chronic Illness (CEQL). It has clinical partnerships with 200+ healthcare providers in central Indiana and close ties to hospitals on the IUPUI campus (e.g. IU Health University Hospital, IU Simon Cancer Center, Riley Hospital for Children, etc.). DNP students may also be able to take advantage of networking opportunities at the Center for Professional Development and Lifelong Learning.

2. Purdue University-West Lafayette

Thanks to affordable tuition rates and respectable rankings (e.g. top 80 for DNP and MSN), Purdue’s hybrid DNP program is our top choice in Indiana for aspiring nurse practitioners. You’ll find the DNP in Purdue’s School of Nursing, which is an NLN Center of Excellence and a leader in interdisciplinary healthcare education. DNP students have the opportunity to connect with the Nursing Center for Family Health and rural Family Health Clinics. They’re encouraged to collaborate with colleagues in the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, the Purdue University Homeland Security Institute, and the Center on Aging and the Life Course on internship experiences. And they can tailor their program with areas of sub-specialization (e.g. rural health, public health/homeland security, etc.).

Thinking about your capstone? Have a look at the School’s primary research areas. The School covers the gamut, from adult care to healthcare systems and organizations. We’re also pleased to report that Purdue has a specific DNP scholarship for its students. On its NP program pages, the School of Nursing states that it has high certification pass rates, but it doesn’t say what they are. We recommend you ask the program coordinator for exact numbers.

3. University of Southern Indiana

We give USI’s versatile DNP program a big thumbs-up! It comes from a College of Nursing and Health Professions with solid rankings (especially for Online Graduate Nursing Programs), superb NP certification pass rates, and glowing reviews. Graduate nursing students on messageboards and independent sites praise the rigor of the program, the helpfulness of the nursing staff & faculty, and the quality of their degree. We also like the fact that the College’s Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness is involved in a whole host of initiatives, including the MAGIC Project, iDecide, and the USI Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP).

To foster clinical expertise, the College has a high-tech Clinical Simulation Center, three Community Health Centers in Evansville, and two Dedicated Education Units at local hospitals. It also runs a Nurse Practitioner Residency Program for FNP and PMHNP graduates who want to work in primary care settings serving rural and underserved populations in southwestern Indiana. According to student reviewers, the College doesn’t arrange practicum sites and preceptors, but it can assist with suggesting locations. Check with the DNP program coordinator for details.

Most Affordable DNP Programs in Indiana

To find the cheapest DNP programs in Indiana, we ranked all of the universities in our listings by the per credit tuition rate for the doctorate. In the case of public universities, this was usually the in-state tuition rate. Out-of-state students may be expected to pay much more. You’ll also need to consider the total number of credits—some DNP programs are much longer than others.

1. Purdue University

DNP Tuition & Fees

Even with fees, Purdue University still had the lowest in-state graduate tuition rate in Indiana—it’s remarkably cheap! Having said that, the out-of-state rate is comparable to pricey private universities and the international rate is even higher. (Purdue Northwest and Purdue Global have separate tuition rates for their DNP programs.)

2. Indiana State University

DNP Tuition & Fees

At Indiana State, the graduate tuition rate for in-state students is very affordable, and the out-of-state rate for students in online programs is only ~$120 more per credit. However, there are fees for distance learning (e.g. online education delivery fee per graduate course), certain nursing courses, and the DNP itself (e.g. per semester program fee).

3. University of Southern Indiana

DNP Tuition & Fees

For USI’s number, we combined the in-state graduate tuition rate (which is similar to Purdue’s) and the mandatory per credit hour DNP program fee. The out-of-state tuition rate will be much higher. DNP students may also be accountable for extra fees (e.g. university services fee, online learning fee for any online courses, etc.).

Online DNP Programs in Indiana

Almost all of the DNP programs in our Indiana listings are online or hybrid. Before you commit to one, we suggest you read the fine print on the DNP program page and talk to the program coordinator. BSN to DNP pathways, in particular, often have campus components. For example:

  • Online BSN to DNP Programs in IN: Programs that fall into the “primarily online” category include IUPUI’s MSN-DNP Dual Degree, which has 2 on-campus intensives; IWU’s Post-Baccalaureate DNP, which has 3 on-site residencies; and Valparaiso University’s BSN to DNP, which has 4 mandatory visits.
  • Hybrid BSN to DNP Programs in IN: Some BSN to DNP programs lean more heavily on face-to-face instruction. Examples include Saint Mary’s College (e.g. one weekend visit campus each semester), UI (e.g. certain on-campus classes that meet one day per week), USI (e.g. 2-3 days of on-campus coursework most semesters), Marian (e.g. on-campus and online instruction), and Purdue (e.g. limited on-campus time).

If you already have your MSN and APRN certification, you’ll find that post-master’s DNP programs are a little more flexible. Because Schools of Nursing don’t have to worry so much about clinical training, they can afford to offer most of the coursework online.

  • Online Post-Master’s DNP Programs in IN: Check with Purdue University Global and Indiana State to see if campus trips are required for their programs. Many schools incorporate at least one visit. We’re talking about IUPUI (e.g. 2 on-campus intensives), IWU (3 on-site residencies), UI (e.g. intensives each August), PNW (e.g. one-week summer intensive for a nursing course), Valparaiso (e.g. 3 campus visits), and Goshen (e.g. 2 residencies).
  • Hybrid Post-Master’s DNP Programs in IN: This category might include offerings from Purdue (e.g. a blend of online and campus-based instruction) and USI (e.g. on-campus intensives each August and April).

Coming from out-of-state? You’ll also need to ensure you are eligible to apply for the online program in the first place. For example, Indiana State has a map of states in which its DNP program is available. Ask the program coordinator about distance learning restrictions and state authorization.

Note: Interested in programs from neighboring areas? Have a look at the listings of Online DNP Programs. They are organized by state.

BSN to DNP Programs in Indiana

You can have your pick of Indiana BSN to DNP programs in our listings. From Nurse Anesthesia to the AG CNS, there is something to suit almost every aspiring APRN.

  • Multiple Nurse Practitioner Specialties: Consider schools like Purdue, Saint Mary’s College, UI, and USI. All of them offer FNP and AGNP training, but USI has an AG CNS track, Purdue has a PC PNP track, and UI has an NNP track. Aspiring PMHNPs can compare USI and Purdue side-by-side.
  • FNP Only: Alternatively, you could look at schools that have made a specialty of the FNP. These tend to be private universities that offer the BSN to DNP in a hybrid format (e.g. Valparaiso, IWU, and Marian).
  • Nurse Anesthesia: The University of Evansville’s relatively new program is a full-time, on-campus DNP. Marian’s program is also full-time, but it’s delivered in a hybrid format, with some online instruction. (The University of Saint Francis has closed their program.)

Finally, we want to mention IUPUI’s unusual MSN-DNP Dual Degree. This accelerated, online program is designed to allow BSN students to earn an MSN and DNP in a shortened timeframe. It’s focused on nursing leadership—there are no NP tracks included in the curriculum.

Note: Looking for more options? Consult our listings of on-campus and online BSN to DNP programs.

Indiana Nursing Organizations

  • Indiana State Board of Nursing
  • Coalition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Indiana (CAPNI)
  • Indiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists (INANA)
  • Indiana Organization of Nurse Executives (IONE)

Below you'll find a list of all of the Doctor of Nursing Practice programs available in Indiana.

Full list of Indiana DNP Programs

13 schools

Goshen College

Goshen, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Online Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
The DNP program at Goshen College is part of a consortium with Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) in Virginia. Both schools are affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA, and their DNP programs emphasize servant leadership along with problem-solving and cross-cultural understanding (though there are no required religion courses). Given the distance between the colleges, the program is understandably online, with most of the coursework asynchronously delivered by Goshen and EMU professors. Prospective enrollees should be practicing as either APRNs or nurse leaders and executives. The post-master's DNP can be completed in a standard nine semesters or an accelerated six. Both course plans spread the DNP project across the final three semesters, during which students develop, implement, and share their work. Students must complete a residency at the beginning and the end of the program.

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana
Accreditation: ACEN
Doctor of Nursing Practice[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Indiana State University's DNP degree is offered online and can be pursued on a full-time or part-time basis. Students are required to complete a total of 1,200 hours of supervised clinical preceptorship. Up to 700 hours of formal clinical hours can be transferred from a student's master's degree program toward fulfilling the DNP clinical-hour requirements. The completion of a DNP scholarly project is required in order to graduate from the program. Students are given the freedom to work on a scholarly project that reflects and supports their interests and area of expertise. However, the university encourages scholarly projects that focus on rural or underserved populations. The university's DNP program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc.

Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP[BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
DNP[MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
MBA or MHA to DNP Transition Track[MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post-MSN to DNP - Advanced Clinical Track[MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post-MSN to DNP - Executive Leadership[MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
The Doctor of Nursing Practice at Pursue University is a post-master's program that is offered on-site at the Indianapolis campus. There are, however, selected courses that are offered online. Applicants must have an unencumbered RN license in their state of practice and completed graduate-level informatics and statistics coursework within three years of applying to the program. The curriculum includes courses such as Strategic Resource Management in Nursing and Health Systems, Evidence-based Research and Translation Science, and Influencing Public Health Policy. Full-time students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds can apply for the Educational Opportunity Fellowship, which awards an average of $500 to $1,500 per year. The university's DNP program is CCNE-accredited.

Indiana Wesleyan University

Marion, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Doctor of Nursing Practive[MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post-Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post-Baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice - Psychiatric Mental Health NP (PMHNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
The Doctor of Nursing Program at Indiana Wesleyan University is delivered via interactive online workshops and three required one-week onsite residences at the Marion campus. In this post-master's DNP program, students learn about the administration of healthcare systems, the development and implementation of health policy, direct care of individual clients, and the management of care for populations. All students are required to take the Global Healthcare course, which will provide them with a global health care setting experience. While supervised by experienced faculty, students travel to one of three destinations (China, Haiti or Zambia) that most appropriately support their educational goals.

Marian University

Indianapolis, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-BSN Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post-BSN Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Marian University's post-bachelor's DNP program has two tracks for aspiring advanced practice nurses: Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Anesthesia. Both are hybrid tracks designed to be taken full-time (though the FNP can be taken part-time), meaning they're ideal for nurses in the Indianapolis area with flexible schedules. The FNP track can be completed in seven semesters, while the CRNA track spans nine semesters and uses a cohort model. Both tracks have summer starts. Marian promises an education steeped in the Franciscan tradition, but there are no religious requirements. Instead, the curriculums emphasize service. The CRNA program has extra requirements, with students finishing 2,000 clinical hours, unlike the 1,000 for the FNP track. Many of those hours come in an onsite simulation lab.

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Purdue University Global is offered online and has multiple start dates for greater flexibility. Both post-BSN and post-MSN candidates are considered for the program. There are three pathways to the DNP degree at Purdue University Global: Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Executive Leader. The culminating experience is the completion of a capstone project, which should demonstrate the student's ability to apply their research findings in developing new systems and producing real-world outcomes in their chosen practice setting. The core curriculum covers topics such as: Epidemiology and Social Determinants of Population Health, Transforming the Health Care Organization, and Ethics, Policy, and Advocacy for Population Health.

Purdue University-Northwest

Hammond, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Translation Science[MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
The post-master's DNP at PNW is focused on translation science. The area is a strength of the College of Nursing, which houses the Indiana Center for Evidence Based Nursing Practice. When current RNs enter the three-year, part-time program, they encounter an advanced practice nursing core, a DNP leadership core, and a larger evidence-based practice core. After finishing core work in the first two years, their third is devoted to residencies in health policy and knowledge translation as well as to a practice inquiry project. The program is online, with the exception of a weeklong intensive in West Lafayette during the summer. Students complete up to 500 practicum hours in their home states.

Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Collaborative DNP[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
DNP[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post BSN-DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post BSN-DNP - Primary Care Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post BSN-DNP - Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post BSN-DNP - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Purdue University offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice program that is open to three types of prospective students: post-baccalaureate RNs, nursing students currently pursuing their MS degrees, and advanced practice nurses who have completed their MS degrees. The BS to DNP option is delivered in a hybrid format, while the MS to DNP option can be pursued entirely online. The university's DNP curriculum is based on AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice and can be pursued on a part-time or full-time basis. It covers topics such as: Human Factors in Healthcare Engineering, Applied Biostatistics for Outcome Evaluation, and History, Ethics, and Innovations in Healthcare Delivery Systems. Purdue University's DNP program has CCNE accreditation until 2025.

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-PCNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post-BSN to Doctorate of Nursing Practice[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Saint Mary's College offers two tracks to a Doctorate of Nursing Practice, one for nurses with a bachelor's degree and another for nurses with a master's degree. All students take innovative courses in social entrepreneurship, patient-focused communication and data analytics. The six-semester capstone project requires students to implement an innovation project. All applicants must have a recent statistics course and an unencumbered RN license. Applicants for the post-BSN program must have a BSN with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and they complete the program in 12 semesters.

University of Evansville

Evansville, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
Doctor of Nursing Practice: Nurse Anesthesia[BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Evansville's DNP is exclusively for BSN-trained nurses looking to jump into a career in nurse anesthesia. Applicants must have at least a year of critical care experience. They'll also need licensure in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois because they'll complete clinical rotations in all three states. The program, which is new as of January 2021, can only be taken on a full-time basis and requires three years to complete.

University of Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN-DNP in Adult Gero Nurse Practitioner (AGNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
BSN-DNP in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
BSN-DNP in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Executive Doctor of Nursing Practice[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Students accepted to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Indianapolis can pursue the program completely online, with the exception of on-campus orientation sessions during the first two days of class. The DNP program is designed as a post-master's program and can be completed in six or eight semesters (including summers sessions). Coursework covers advanced practice nursing, evidence-based practice, and organizational leadership/policy. Clinical hours are focused on leadership activities rather than direct patient care. Additional courses are required for students with an aggregate, organizational or systems focus. The completion of an evidence-based practice project is a requirement for graduation.

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Adult Geriatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
BSN to DNP - Adult Gerontologic Clinical Nurse Specialist[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
BSN to DNP - Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP[online][BSN to DNP option]
Cost Info
BSN to DNP - Family NP[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
BSN to DNP - Psychiatric Mental Health NP[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Advanced Nursing Practice[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Organizational and Systems Leadership[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Southern Indiana is a post-master's degree that offers two areas of concentration: Advanced Nursing Practice and Organizational and Systems Leadership. Full-time students can expect to complete the program in five semesters (including one summer session). For part-time students, program completion typically takes eight semesters (including two summer sessions). The university's DNP program follows a hybrid delivery format. Online courses and discussions are complemented with two three-day on-campus Intensives scheduled in August and April of each year. Coursework covers subject areas such as: Health Care Policy and Strategic Planning, Analytical Methods for Population-based Care, and Resource Utilization in Health Care. The CCNE accreditation for the university's DNP program is valid until 2024.

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, Indiana
Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP)[online][BSN to DNP option]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Post-MSN/Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)[online][MSN required]
Admissions InfoCost InfoCurriculum Info
Valparaiso University offers a CCNE-accredited Doctor of Nursing Practice program that is open to both post-bachelor's (BSN to DNP) and post-master's (MSN to DNP) applicants. The BSN to DNP program has a Family Nurse Practitioner emphasis and can be completed with seven semesters of continuous full-time enrollment. The post-master's DNP program follows an online hybrid format, with courses offered both asynchronously and synchronously. Campus attendance is mandatory during the orientation session at the beginning of the program. On-site presence may also be necessary for meetings with a student's program advisor as well as to present final projects. The DNP curriculum includes courses in epidemiology, organizational and systems leadership in healthcare, and evidence-based practice for APRNs.

Copyright © 2023 · Degree Prospects, LLC · About This Site | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use