10 Easiest Online MSN Programs To Get Into 2027

A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is the rare graduate credential where the admissions picture is moving in applicants' favor. Easier accredited programs publish grade point average (GPA) floors as low as 2.3 through provisional admission, several have dropped work-experience minimums, and a handful treat the familiar 3.0 benchmark as a preference rather than a cutoff. The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) has nearly vanished, and where it survives it usually functions as a way in for applicants below the GPA line rather than a hurdle for everyone else.

Below are ten programs at nonprofit and public universities, each holding accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Read on for what each asks of applicants, which entry pathway it serves, how much of the work is genuinely online, and where the degree leads.

Are MSN Programs Hard To Get Into?

Less so than the rest of graduate nursing, and the national numbers are unusually clear on this. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) surveys nursing schools every year, and its 2025-2026 survey, released in May 2026, found that 669 schools enroll 146,718 master's students, up 6.8% in a single year and rising for the second consecutive year.

The revealing figure is applications. Master's programs were the only level where applications fell, down 0.9%, while entry-level bachelor's applications rose 17.1%, doctor of nursing practice applications rose 18.1%, and doctoral research applications rose 50%. More seats, fewer applicants competing for them.

Rejections follow the same pattern. Of a record 93,176 qualified applications turned away from nursing schools nationwide, 6,496 came from master's programs. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs turned away 9,859 despite enrolling roughly a third as many students. On a per-student basis, a master's program is among the least likely places in nursing education to be told no.

Two caveats keep this honest. First, demand concentrates heavily on one track: nurse practitioner majors account for 66.3% of master's enrollment, so NP seats remain the most contested while administration, education and informatics tracks sit at roughly 10%, 10% and 2%. Second, meeting a published minimum is not the same as being admitted. Several programs below say outright that they rank applicants and interview only the strongest. The floors tell you whether to apply, not whether you will get in.

What Makes an MSN Program Easier To Get Into?

Selectivity at this level comes down to specific published policies rather than institutional prestige. These are the levers worth checking on any program's own admissions page.

• A conditional or provisional admission pathway: This matters more than the headline GPA. A program with a 3.0 minimum and a documented provisional route for applicants in the 2.5 to 2.99 band is more accessible than one with a flat 2.75 and no flexibility.
• Wording that says "preferred" rather than "required": A preferred GPA signals holistic review. One program below pairs a preferred 2.5 with an offer to interview applicants who fall below even that.
• No bachelor's in nursing required: The RN-to-MSN bridge is the single largest expansion of eligibility available, admitting nurses with an associate degree or diploma. Bridge length varies enormously, from one 12-week course to 25 credit hours.
• No work-experience minimum: Many NP tracks require one to two years of practice as a registered nurse (RN). Programs that waive it let newly licensed nurses move straight into graduate study.
• No entrance exam: Most MSN programs no longer ask for the GRE at all. A few still require it specifically from applicants below the GPA cutoff, which inverts its traditional role.
• Few or no letters of recommendation: Requirements range from none to three. Three professional references is a real barrier for a nurse who has changed employers or been out of school a decade.
• Multiple start dates and rolling review: More cohorts a year means more open seats at any given moment and fewer applicants per cycle.

10 Easiest Online MSN Programs To Get Into

The programs below appear alphabetically rather than in order of preference. Each was confirmed on the university's own website and each holds current programmatic nursing accreditation. 

1. Baker University

Baker is a private nonprofit university in Baldwin City, Kansas, affiliated with the United Methodist Church and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, with CCNE accreditation for its baccalaureate and master's nursing programs. Its RN-BSN, RN-MSN, MSN and post-master's certificate programs are all offered fully online, with tracks in Nursing Education and Nursing Administration.

The published minimum is a 3.0 in nursing and overall, but Baker states plainly that applicants below that level may apply for conditional admission, with conditionally admitted students required to hold a B average through the bridge coursework. The ADN to MSN pathway admits RNs holding an associate degree from an accredited program, and classes begin in January and August. Cohorts are deliberately small, with limited admissions each term, and students have eight years to finish.

2. Cumberland University

Cumberland is a private nonprofit university in Lebanon, Tennessee, with CCNE accreditation for its MSN. The program is fully online and can be finished in as few as 18 months, with tracks in Nurse Executive Leadership and Administration or Nurse Educator.

Cumberland is the only program here that advertises no entrance exam at all, which removes both a hurdle and a fee. The admission floor needs care: marketing pages across the university's site state a 2.5 GPA, while the current 2025-2026 academic catalog requires a 2.75 on the BSN. Treat 2.75 as the operative number and confirm with graduate admissions. Beyond that, Cumberland asks for a completed undergraduate statistics course, two letters of professional recommendation and a personal goal statement, with background check, basic life support certification and immunization verification due after admission.

3. Franklin University

Franklin is a private nonprofit university in Columbus, Ohio, built specifically for adult learners, and its master's nursing program holds CCNE accreditation. Coursework is 100% online.

Franklin's distinguishing feature is the shortest bridge found anywhere in this research. Nurses holding an associate degree or diploma qualify for the MSN after completing a single 12-week bridge course with a final grade of B or better, where comparable programs require 20 to 25 credit hours of baccalaureate coursework first. No BSN is awarded, since the bridge substitutes for it. Tracks include Generalist, Nurse Administrator and two NP specializations, though the NP tracks carry a higher GPA requirement than the rest. Franklin also offers a tuition guarantee that locks the rate for the duration of the program, plus reduced tuition for employees of partner organizations. Confirm the current GPA minimum for your chosen track directly with the university, since the figures circulating on third-party listings vary.

4. Indiana University East

IU East is a public regional campus in Richmond, Indiana, with an accredited MSN offering concentrations in nursing education, nursing administration and family nurse practitioner. Be clear on the format before applying: this is a hybrid program, not a fully online one. Indiana University states that over 80% of the program is available online, with some classes meeting synchronously online up to four times a semester.

The admissions lever is explicit and generous. IU East requires a 3.0 BSN GPA for full admission, then states that applicants below a 3.0 but above a 2.5 will be considered for provisional admission based on the entirety of their application materials. Provisionally admitted students convert to full standing by completing the first six credits of MSN coursework. Two references are accepted by email address through the online application, which is lighter than the three-letter requirement elsewhere. Two restrictions apply: a valid, unrestricted Indiana RN license, and work experience that varies sharply by track, with at least one year required for education and administration and at least two years for the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) concentration.

5. Mercy College of Ohio

Mercy College is a private nonprofit institution in Toledo sponsored by Mercy Health, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, with CCNE accreditation for its MSN. The program is fully online and designed around working nurses, with tracks in Nursing Leadership and Nursing Education.

Mercy publishes the lowest admission floor encountered anywhere in this research: a 3.0 cumulative GPA for full admission, or a 2.3 cumulative GPA for provisional admission. It is also the rare school that covers two entry pathways under one roof, since the RN to MSN route serves nurses holding an associate degree or diploma, crediting 32 to 39 credits of prior coursework and applying the same 2.3 to 2.9 provisional band. Associate to master's takes as few as three years, and no BSN is awarded along the way, though the program satisfies baccalaureate equivalency. Provisional students follow an Academic Success Plan that includes scheduled meetings with a writing tutor, and employees of Bon Secours Mercy Health receive a tuition reduction. 

6. Robert Morris University

Robert Morris is a private nonprofit university in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, and its master's nursing program holds CCNE accreditation. Online options include Nursing Education and Nursing Leadership, the latter with concentrations in care coordination, global healthcare, nursing informatics, nursing management and simulation, plus an MSN and MBA dual degree combining the nursing school with the university's business school.

Robert Morris publishes the most permissive admission wording found in this research. A minimum nursing program GPA of 2.5 is preferred, and if the GPA falls below 2.5, the applicant may be given the option of participating in an interview for admission consideration. Preferred rather than required, with a route below even that line, and the identical language governs both the BSN-entry MSN and the RN-MSN track. The application asks for transcripts, a current resume or curriculum vitae and an unencumbered RN license, with no letters of recommendation listed among the requirements.

7. Southern University and A&M College

Southern is a public historically Black university in Baton Rouge, and its BSN and MSN programs hold CCNE accreditation and approval from the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. Its School of Nursing is the largest producer of African American nurses in Louisiana and among the top three nationally.

Applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of no less than 2.70 may be considered for conditional admission at the discretion and on the recommendation of the graduate nursing admissions committee. Southern also draws a useful distinction that most schools blur: provisional admission covers applicants missing documents who otherwise meet every criterion, while conditional admission covers a BSN GPA below 3.0 but at least 2.70. Clearing conditional status requires a B or above in all graduate-level courses across the first nine hours attempted. Southern's RN to BSN program is documented as fully online, but confirm the delivery format for your specific MSN track with the School of Nursing before applying.

8. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

The Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing is part of a public health sciences center, and its master's degree in nursing holds CCNE accreditation. The program page states that delivery is online with no requirements to attend class on campus, though one of the school's own FAQ pages describes a hybrid format, so verify this with the program office.

The GPA requirement is calculated narrowly, which is the entry's real advantage. The program requires a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA in nursing coursework, with provisional admission available to applicants between 2.85 and 2.99 in nursing coursework. Because the calculation covers nursing courses rather than an entire transcript, weaker general-education grades do not count against you. Provisional students must reach a 3.0 across the first three courses of the major to progress. The structure is part-time by design and full-time study is not available: 33 credit hours across six consecutive semesters at six credits each. Applicants need a BSN from an accredited program, an unencumbered RN license in their state of residence and a passing NCLEX-RN result before coursework begins.

9. University of North Carolina at Pembroke

UNC Pembroke is a public university in the UNC system, and its McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing admits MSN applicants holding a BSN from an NLN- or CCNE-accredited school. Concentrations include Nurse Educator, Clinical Nurse Leader, Clinical Prevention and Population Health, and Family Nurse Practitioner.

The RN-MSN Pathway opens all of those concentrations to nurses holding an associate degree or diploma, delivered online with some on-campus classes. Two policies set it apart. One year of nursing practice is recommended rather than required, which is notably softer than the hard one- and two-year minimums elsewhere. And there is no expiration on previous coursework in the RN-BSN portion, so credits earned a decade or more ago still count, where many programs impose five- or ten-year recency limits. The bridge runs 63 semester hours of general education plus 25 semester hours of RN-BSN coursework, and students may stop out with the BSN instead once those requirements are met. At roughly $9,711 in-state for the 39-credit sequence, it is also one of the most affordable online RN to MSN pathways. Two things to weigh: the 3.0 GPA floor is the highest on this list, and an unencumbered North Carolina license or multistate privileges under the Nurse Licensure Compact is required.

10. University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

UW Oshkosh is a public university whose baccalaureate, master's and doctoral nursing programs all hold CCNE accreditation. Its MSN Nurse Educator emphasis carries the clearest online statement on this list: the curriculum is 100% online, courses are offered asynchronously, and students complete clinical hours in their home areas. A Clinical Nurse Leader emphasis and a fast-track RN to BSN to MSN option are also available.

The program requires a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA, with applicants between 2.70 and 2.99 considered for admission under probationary status, and GRE scores required specifically from those applicants. That policy is the clearest example of how the exam now works at this level: it is the route in for a weaker transcript rather than an obstacle for everyone. UW Oshkosh also states that registered nurse experience is very helpful but not required, which opens the door to newly licensed nurses. Be realistic about the rest, though: three professional references are required, and the school states that applicants are screened and only the most qualified are invited to interview. A current unencumbered Wisconsin license is needed, and applicants licensed elsewhere are directed to contact the graduate nursing office.

How We Rank Schools

To create this list, we review data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), along with program-level details published by each university.

• Programmatic accreditation: Every program holds current CCNE or ACEN accreditation, which state boards, certification bodies and doctoral programs require.
• Institutional status: We include nonprofit and public universities only.
• Published admissions policy: We weigh GPA floors, conditional and provisional pathways, entrance exam requirements, recommendation letters and work-experience minimums as each program states them on its own site.
• Entry pathway breadth: Programs that admit nurses without a bachelor's in nursing rank higher, since they serve a far larger pool of applicants.
• Delivery transparency: We favor programs that state clearly how much of the work is online and where attendance is required, rather than describing a hybrid program as online.
• Source verification: Every admissions requirement, accreditation status and delivery format comes from the school's own website, academic catalog or institutional announcements.

Learn more about our ranking methodology.

Typical Admissions Requirements for an MSN Program

MSN admissions follow a recognizable template, and knowing it helps you spot where a given program is more flexible than its peers.

• A nursing credential: Most programs require a BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited institution. Bridge programs accept an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a hospital diploma instead.
• An active RN license: Universally required, and frequently restricted to a specific state. Several programs on this list admit only residents licensed in their own state, so check this before anything else.
• A minimum GPA: Commonly 3.0, with published floors reaching 2.3 through provisional admission. Note whether the calculation covers your whole transcript, your nursing coursework alone, or the last 60 credit hours.
• An undergraduate statistics course: Required by most programs, often with a minimum grade of B- or C and sometimes completable during the first year of study.
• Letters of recommendation: Anywhere from none to three, typically from professional colleagues or former faculty.
• A goal statement and resume: Nearly universal, and the place where a provisional applicant makes a case that the transcript does not.
• Work experience: One to two years of RN practice for most NP tracks, less or none for education, administration and informatics tracks.
• Clearances after admission: Background check, drug screening, immunization records and basic life support certification, usually required once admitted rather than during the application.

MSN Entry Pathways Compared

Three distinct routes lead to an MSN, and they serve different applicants with markedly different admissions bars. Knowing which one you fall into narrows the search considerably.

• BSN to MSN: The standard route for nurses who already hold a bachelor's in nursing. Admissions floors are the most varied here, and this is where the conditional and provisional pathways cluster.
• RN to MSN bridge: For licensed nurses holding an associate degree or diploma. Students complete baccalaureate-level bridge coursework, then move into graduate study, usually without being awarded a BSN along the way. The bridge is where programs differ most, running from Franklin's single 12-week course to UNC Pembroke's 25 credit hours.
• Direct-entry MSN: For applicants with a bachelor's degree in another field and no nursing background. This pathway is worth understanding precisely because it does not belong on a list like this one.

Direct-entry programs are the exception to nearly everything above. Their published GPA minimums sit at or above 3.0 almost without exception, and several describe their admissions as highly competitive and selective in their own materials. They are also the least online of the three routes, for a structural reason: direct-entry is a prelicensure degree, so it carries the full load of supervised clinical hours and hands-on skills validation that licensure requires, which cannot happen remotely. Programs that market themselves as online direct-entry are hybrid, combining online coursework with in-person labs and clinical rotations near a campus. That makes them a reasonable path into nursing for a career changer, but not an easier one. 

What You'll Learn in an MSN Program

Every MSN shares a core, then diverges sharply by specialization. The core covers advanced nursing theory, evidence-based practice and research methods, healthcare policy, nursing informatics, population and community health, ethics, and organizational leadership. Expect a graduate statistics or research course early, which is why so many programs require undergraduate statistics as a prerequisite.

What follows depends entirely on the track. Nurse practitioner specializations add advanced health assessment, pathophysiology and pharmacology, then supervised clinical practicum hours running into the hundreds. Nurse educator tracks cover curriculum design, instructional technology, learner assessment and program evaluation, with a teaching practicum in an academic or clinical setting. Administration and leadership tracks move toward financial management, human resources, quality improvement and strategic planning. Informatics tracks concentrate on data management, clinical systems and analytics. Even the non-clinical tracks carry practicum requirements, typically in the range of 100 to 600 hours, which are arranged in your own region rather than at the university.

How Long Does It Take To Earn an MSN

A BSN-to-MSN program typically runs 18 months to three years depending on course load. Cumberland finishes in as few as 18 months full-time, while Texas Tech El Paso is deliberately part-time at 33 credits across six consecutive semesters, which is the tradeoff for a schedule that fits around full-time work.

Bridge pathways add time at the front end, and how much varies more than any other factor. Franklin's single 12-week course is the shortest; UNC Pembroke requires 25 semester hours of RN-BSN coursework plus completed general education; Mercy College puts associate-to-master's at about three years total. Nurse practitioner tracks run longest because of clinical hour requirements, which commonly reach 500 to 750 supervised hours and cannot be compressed. Factor in certification too: after graduation, NP tracks require a national certification exam and state APRN licensure before you can practice in the role.

How Much Does an Online MSN Cost?

The spread is wide, and public-versus-private matters more than online-versus-campus. Public universities like UNC Pembroke and Texas Tech El Paso sit at the low end, particularly for in-state students, with UNC Pembroke's 39-credit sequence among the least expensive accredited options anywhere. Private nonprofits generally run higher per credit, though several on this list compete on price deliberately, and Baker charges a notably low rate for the bridge portion of its ADN to MSN pathway.

A few cost factors are specific to this degree. Bridge coursework adds credits and therefore cost, so a long bridge can erase the savings of a cheaper per-credit rate. Tracks with heavy clinical hours carry expenses beyond tuition, including liability insurance, background checks, immunizations, travel to practicum sites and certification exam fees. Watch for tuition guarantees, which Franklin and others offer to lock the rate for your program's duration and protect against mid-degree increases. Most importantly, because MSN students typically keep working, this degree rarely carries the lost-income cost that makes accelerated prelicensure programs so expensive in practice.

Financial Aid for Online MSN Programs

Graduate nursing students have access to funding that few other fields can match, and employer support is the single most underused source.

• Federal aid: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for unsubsidized Direct Loans and Grad PLUS Loans. Graduate students are not eligible for Pell Grants, so federal support at this level means loans rather than grants.
• Employer tuition assistance: Hospital systems routinely fund graduate nursing education, sometimes with a service commitment attached. Several schools here are built around this, including Mercy College, which extends a tuition reduction to Bon Secours Mercy Health employees, and Franklin, which discounts tuition for partner-organization staff.
• Nurse Faculty Loan Program: Administered through participating schools, this program cancels up to 85% of the loan over four years of full-time teaching at a school of nursing, which makes the nurse educator tracks on this list unusually well funded.
• Nurse Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment: The Health Resources and Services Administration funds tuition and fees, or repays a share of existing nursing education debt, in exchange for service at a critical shortage facility.
• Military and veteran benefits: The GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program and active-duty tuition assistance all apply to accredited graduate nursing programs.
• Resident tuition for online students: Some public universities charge in-state rates for online enrollment regardless of where you live, which can reverse the usual public-private cost comparison entirely.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Nurses working for nonprofit hospitals, public health departments and government agencies may qualify for forgiveness of remaining federal balances after 120 qualifying payments.

Career Outlook With an MSN

Where an MSN leads depends on the track, so the numbers below cover the three destinations the programs above actually feed.

For advanced practice roles, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners earned a median annual wage of $134,920 as of May 2025, held about 399,000 jobs in 2025, and are projected to grow 36% through 2035, much faster than average, adding roughly 144,000 positions and generating about 32,200 openings a year. Nurse practitioners specifically earned a median of $132,300 and are projected to grow 41%. A master's degree is the typical entry-level education for all of these roles, which makes the MSN the credential rather than an advantage.

For leadership and administration tracks, the BLS reports that medical and health services managers earned a median of $123,860 in May 2025 across 640,400 jobs, with 24% growth projected through 2035 and about 62,300 openings a year. Note that a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education here, so the MSN functions as a competitive edge and a path to senior roles rather than a requirement.

For nurse educator tracks, postsecondary nursing instructors held 96,100 jobs in 2025, projected to reach 112,600 by 2035, roughly 17% growth, with a median annual wage of $80,250. The pay is lower than clinical practice, but demand is structural: AACN notes that nearly 17,000 applications were turned away from graduate nursing programs in 2025, which limits the pool of future faculty precisely because most full-time teaching roles require a master's or doctorate. One caveat worth knowing before you commit: a doctorate is typically expected for university faculty positions, while community colleges more often accept a master's.

FAQs About the Easiest Online MSN Programs To Get Into

A few questions come up repeatedly from nurses weighing graduate study, and the answers below address the ones the sections above do not.

Can You Get Into an MSN Program With a GPA Below 3.0?

Yes, and at more schools than most applicants expect. Mercy College of Ohio admits provisionally at 2.3, Indiana University East at 2.5, Robert Morris prefers 2.5 and will interview applicants below it, and Southern University and UW Oshkosh both set conditional floors at 2.70. Conditional admission almost always comes with a condition attached, usually a B average across your first nine credits, so treat it as a trial period rather than a formality.

Is the GRE Still Required for MSN Admission?

Rarely, and its role has changed. Most programs have dropped it outright, and Cumberland advertises no entrance exam at all. Where it survives, it often applies only to applicants below the GPA cutoff: UW Oshkosh requires GRE scores specifically from those seeking probationary admission between 2.70 and 2.99. In practice the exam is now more often a way around a weak transcript than a barrier in front of a strong one.

Do You Need Nursing Experience Before Starting an MSN?

It depends on the track, and the difference is substantial. Nurse practitioner concentrations commonly require one to two years of RN practice, with Indiana University East asking two years for its FNP track and one for education and administration. Non-clinical tracks are more forgiving. UW Oshkosh states that RN experience is very helpful but not required, and UNC Pembroke recommends a year rather than requiring it.

Which MSN Specialization Is the Least Competitive?

The non-clinical tracks, by a wide margin. Nurse practitioner majors make up 66.3% of master's enrollment nationally, while administration and education account for about 10% each and informatics around 2%. That concentration means NP seats draw the most applicants per opening, while leadership, education and informatics tracks tend to have more room and lower published floors. Choose the track for the career you want, but know that the admissions math differs.

Can You Earn an MSN While Working Full Time?

Usually yes, which separates this degree from accelerated prelicensure nursing programs. Several programs here are built for it: Texas Tech El Paso is part-time only at six credits a semester, UW Oshkosh runs fully asynchronous with clinical hours completed locally, and Mercy College and Baker both deliver entirely online. NP tracks are the harder case, since several hundred supervised clinical hours have to fit around someone else's schedule.

Explore Online MSN Programs

A transcript below 3.0, an associate degree instead of a BSN, or no interest in sitting an entrance exam will not keep you out of accredited graduate nursing study, and the ten programs above show how differently schools set and soften their requirements. Explore Learn.org to find more on advanced practice roles, specialization comparisons and what graduate nursing study asks of working nurses.