Top Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs 2022

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A Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) that specializes in the comprehensive care of women throughout their lives. 

Because a WHNP cares for women throughout the entirety of their lives, the responsibilities will vary and the scope of practice is generally much wider than other NP specialties but may include conducting well-woman gynecological exams, educating on birth control options, addressing infertility concerns, sexually transmitted disease diagnosis, treatment, and education, managing women through the perinatal period, menopause education and more.

Women’s Health NP Program Ranking Methodology

Our ranking algorithm uses the latest and most robust U.S. government data sets, specifically the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Scorecard. We take into consideration factors such as graduation rate, student-faculty ratio, program focus and more to help you find the right nursing program for you.

Top Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Programs 

1. University of Pennsylvania

Earning a NP degree from an Ivy League school opens many doors for students. This program focuses on the primary health care needs of women from adolescence through the advanced years, but also includes gender-related studies. 

Interestingly, all students in the Women’s Health/Gender Related graduate programs can elect courses with experiences in Thailand or Honduras. 

Students also have the unique opportunity to participate in “Mountains of Hope,” as part of a cancer prevention coalition, and students and faculty from Penn’s Women’s Health Care Studies Program provide education, care, and services in West Virginia. 

• Tuition: Full time: $75,222
• Online Options: Not specified
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Program Length: Full time: 24 Months Part Time: 36 Months
• Contact Information: (215) 898-4271 or [email protected]

2. Duke University

Duke University offers the ONLY Women’s Health NP program in North Carolina and also offers short-term clinical placement at a variety of international clinical sites. 

With two possible start dates, one in the fall and the other in spring, this program is a distance-based format with on-campus intensive inter-professional group learning experiences each semester to complement online learning and clinical practicum experiences.

• Tuition: $11,460 per semester or $1,910 per credit hour
• Online Options: Yes
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Program Length: 36 Months
• Contact Information: (919) 684-3786

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3. Vanderbilt University

This highly competitive program only admits 15 students per year in order to provide top-notch education to students. This program is offered via a modified distance learning module so that students do not have to relocate to Nashville or give up employment. 

However, students that are located in the Nashville area will have access to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which is one of the nation’s top academic medical centers in the country. 

• Tuition: $1,793 per credit hour
• Online Options: Yes
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges  (SACSCOC)
• Program Length: Full time: 12 Months
• Contact Information: 615-322-3800 or [email protected]

4. Emory University

Emory’s Women’s Health NP program is online with the exception of students attending campus 1 to 2 times a semester for simulations, procedural skills labs, and competency validations. Online content delivery allows schedules to be tailored to meet students’ individual needs.

• Tuition: $23,550 per semester or $1,963 per credit hour
• Online Options: Yes
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges  (SACSCOC)
• Program Length: 4 semesters (approximately 16 months)
• Contact Information: [email protected]

5. Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University’s Women’s Health NP program is globally recognized for its leadership in nursing, education, and nursing research. Ranked amongst the best nursing schools in the country – this program is ranked 10th among U.S. nursing schools in NIH-funded research. 

• Tuition: $2,263 per credit hour
• Online Options: Partially online
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Program Length: 4 semesters (12 months)
• Contact Information: 216.368.5981 and [email protected]

6. Loyola University Chicago

The Women’s Health NP program at Loyola University Chicago is a hybrid learning format with both online and in-person instruction. Clinical placements for students in these programs are in the Chicago area, and students must have a RN license in the state of Illinois before they begin the clinical portion of the program.

• Tuition: $1,130 per credit hour
• Online Options: Yes, hybrid
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Program Length: 4 semesters 
• Contact Information: [email protected]

7. University of Cincinnati – Main Campus

Unlike some Women’s Health NP programs, the University of Cincinnati’s program is entirely online. There are no on-campus requirements and the only in-person requirements are clinical hours. 

Unfortunately, the University of Cincinnati’s online graduate nursing program is not currently available to students located in Arizona, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Tennessee.

• Tuition: $8,195 per semester
• Online Options: Yes
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Program Length: 24 months
• Contact Information: (833) 556-7400

8. Carlow University

Carlow University offers the only WHNP graduate program in Western Pennsylvania. Students have the ability to enroll part-time or full-time in this program and it is offered at three different locations including Oakland, Greensburg, and Cranberry. 

• Tuition: $918 per credit
• Online Options: Yes
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Program Length: 28 months
• Contact Information: [email protected] or (412) 578-6059

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9. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the only academic medical center in Brooklyn and boasts that more than 70{6f90f2fe98827f97fd05e0011472e53c8890931f9d0d5714295052b72b9b5161} of its nursing students are members of minority groups. 

Nursing students collaborate with other experts: physicians at University Hospital, practitioners from our School of Health Professions and researchers seeking breakthroughs at our School of Graduate Studies as well as access to an eight-bed Simulation Center

• Tuition: $5,655 per semester
• Online Options: Not specified
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Program Length: 24 months
• Contact Information: (718) 270-1000  

10. Frontier Nursing University

With a distance education model approach, the Women’s Health NP program at Frontier Nursing University allows students to study from anywhere in the country. Furthermore, the flexible program offers classes in 11 week semesters with multiple start dates throughout the year. 

• Tuition: $636 per credit hour
• Online Options: Yes
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Program Length: 24 months
• Contact Information: (859) 251-4725 or [email protected]

Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner FAQs

• Are Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners In Demand?

  • Women’s Health NPs are in very high demand. Patients want practitioners that are specialized in their care, and a women’s health NP is highly specialized in all things related to a woman’s body. 

• Can a WHNP Deliver Babies?

  • WHNPs do not typically deliver babies; however, they can. Some states will allow them to deliver independently while others will require an MD or Certified Midwife to be present at the time of birth. Women’s Health NPs focus more on providing gynecologic care, low and high-risk pregnancy management, family planning, sexually transmitted infection diagnosis, and treatment, and primary care to women. Their scope of practice includes health care management, disease prevention, and health promotion.

• How Do I Become a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner?

  • To become a WHNP, you first must graduate from an accredited nursing program and earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing and pass the NCLEX. Then after gaining the appropriate bedside experience, you will need to apply and gain acceptance to a Women’s Health NP program. Finally, become a certified NP by passing your national examination.

• How Many Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners Are There?

  • According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, there are more than 325,000 certified NPs in the country. Of this, only 2.9{6f90f2fe98827f97fd05e0011472e53c8890931f9d0d5714295052b72b9b5161} are certified in Women’s Health which is approximately 9,425 practitioners. 

• What Courses Will You Take in a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program?

  • Women’s Health NP programs will require students to take basic NP courses (those that are required of every NP program regardless of specialty) and then the bulk of classes are tailored specifically to women’s health across the lifespan. Students can expect to take the following courses:
    • Advanced Health Assessment
    • Advanced Pathophysiology 
    • Advanced Pharmacology
    • Antepartum Complications and Comprehensive Postpartum Care
    • Epidemiology and Biostatistics
    • Evidence-Based Practice
    • Gynecologic Health 
    • Midwifery Care During Pregnancy
    • Primary Care of Women
    • Principles of Independent Practice
    • Psych Concepts for APRN
    • The Role of the Nurse Practitioner
    • Women’s Health Issues
    • Women’s Health Practicum

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