For RNs ready to lead
Nursing Administration Programs & Leadership Careers
Compare MSN, DNP and certificate programs in nursing administration and leadership, see what each step from charge nurse to chief nursing officer takes, and find programs in your state.
Choose your degree path
Rankings of the programs that prepare nurses for management and executive roles.
MSN in Nursing Administration
The core leadership master's for BSN-prepared RNs.
MSN in Nursing Leadership & Management
Leadership-named master's programs, online first.
RN to MSN Leadership
Bridge programs for ADN and diploma RNs.
DNP in Executive Leadership
Doctoral programs for CNO and system roles.
MSN/MBA Dual Degree
Nursing and business in one program.
Graduate Certificates
Post-master's leadership certificates.
The nursing leadership career ladder
What each role does, what it pays and what it takes to get there.
Programs by state
Nursing administration and leadership programs at colleges in each state, with licensing and practicum notes.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- 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
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About The Nurse Administrator
The Nurse Administrator helps working RNs move into management and executive leadership. Our rankings draw on federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data and on each program's own published details, and we update them as programs change. More about us.