RN to MSN Programs in New York

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.

1. 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
2. Excelsior College: View Tuition Rates
3. 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

• New York Office of the Professions: Nursing

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)