- 6 schools: 2 Online, 2 Mostly Online, 2 Hybrid
Six Illinois universities prepare adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners across 19 tracks, covering RN-to-MSN, BSN-to-MSN, BSN-to-DNP, MSN-to-DNP and post-graduate certificate routes. Delivery ranges from fully online through mostly online to hybrid. Tuition runs from roughly $26K for a post-doctoral certificate to $106K for a BSN-to-DNP, and published completion times fall between 1.7 and 4 years.
Highlights include:
- Bradley runs all four of its pathways with no required campus attendance
- DePaul’s online certificate admits RNs with any graduate degree, with no NP certification required
- UIC faculty arrange every clinical site and preceptor in both pathways
- Rush admits certified APRNs into a 38-credit doctoral plan
- North Park carries 765 direct patient-care hours in every pathway it offers
Compare Illinois AGPCNP Programs
| School | Online Format | Campus Commitment | Cost Per Credit | Degrees | Best For |
| Bradley University | Online | None | $1,158 | RN-to-MSN, MSN, BSN-DNP, certificate | No-travel study |
| DePaul University | Online | None named | $852 per quarter hour | MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, certificate | Quarterly starts |
| Loyola University Chicago | Hybrid | Immersions, frequency not published | $1,295 | BSN-DNP, certificate | Oncology specialty |
| North Park University | Mostly Online | One three-day immersion | $876–$941 | MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, certificate | Clinical hour volume |
| Rush University | Mostly Online | Five visits minimum | $1,493 | BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP | Certified APRNs |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Hybrid | Recurring on-campus coursework | $1,129 | BSN-DNP, post-DNP certificate | Faculty-arranged clinicals |
Cost per credit is derived and inclusive of mandatory per-credit fees, rounded to the nearest dollar. All six schools charge the same rate regardless of residency. DePaul bills by the quarter hour, about $1,278 per semester-hour equivalent; full rate breakdowns sit on each school profile.
What’s the Best AGPCNP Program for You?
Best Fully Online Option
Bradley University and DePaul University require no campus attendance in any AGPCNP pathway. Bradley adds an RN-to-MSN bridge for associate-degree and diploma nurses, and DePaul offers four start terms a year.
Best Doctoral Value
North Park University’s BSN to DNP is $58K in tuition, the lowest doctoral figure in Illinois, and its MSN to DNP sits lower still at $53K.
Best Route for Certified APRNs
Rush University compresses the doctorate to 38 credits and about $57K for nurses already holding an advanced practice role, the fewest credits to a DNP in the state.
Best Placement Support
UIC faculty arrange every practicum site and preceptor in both the DNP and the post-DNP certificate, removing the preceptor search for students who can commute to Chicago, Rockford or Urbana.
Best for Oncology-Focused Practice
Loyola University Chicago is the only Illinois school publishing an AGPCNP track with an oncology specialty, at 72 credits and roughly $93K.
Illinois DNP AGPCNP Programs
All six schools run doctoral routes, and ten tracks compete here. Rush and North Park each publish separate BSN-entry and MSN-entry plans, DePaul admits MSN holders with up to 12 transferred quarter hours, and Bradley, Loyola and UIC admit at the BSN level only. Loyola adds an oncology specialty variant. Tuition spans $53K to $106K and published completion runs three to four years, with UIC part-time only.
| School | Estimated Tuition (resident) | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| North Park (MSN-DNP) | $53K | 3 years | 1,115 hrs |
| North Park (BSN-DNP) | $58K | 3.5 years | 1,115 hrs |
| Rush (MSN-DNP, APRN entry) | $57K | 3–3.5 years | 756+ hrs |
| Rush (MSN-DNP, non-APRN entry) | $88K | 3–3.5 years | 1,008 hrs |
| Rush (BSN-DNP) | $106K | 3–3.5 years | 1,008 hrs |
| UIC (BSN-DNP) | $85K | 4 years | 1,000 hrs |
| Bradley (BSN-DNP) | $80K–$83K | 3.3 years | 1,000 hrs |
| DePaul (BSN-DNP) | $84K | Not published | Not clearly stated |
| Loyola (BSN-DNP) | $89K | Varies | Not clearly stated |
| Loyola (BSN-DNP, oncology) | $93K | Varies | Not clearly stated |
Doctoral totals include DNP project and non-specialty practice hours; published direct patient-care hours are 765 at North Park, 756 at Rush, 675 at UIC and 600 at Bradley.
- Lowest doctoral cost: North Park — $53K for MSN entry, $58K from a BSN
- Fewest credits to the degree: Rush — 38 credits for certified APRNs, with a gap analysis performed after admission
- Most direct patient-care hours: North Park — 765 hours in the AGPCNP practicum sequence, identical across both doctoral plans
- No campus travel: Bradley and DePaul — neither names any on-campus attendance for the doctorate
Illinois MSN AGPCNP Programs
Three schools offer AGPCNP preparation at the master’s level. DePaul’s MSN admits BSN nurses and associate-degree RNs who hold a non-nursing bachelor’s. Bradley runs two entry points, one for BSN-prepared nurses and one for RNs holding an associate degree, diploma or a non-nursing bachelor’s. North Park runs a single BSN-entry MSN. Resident tuition spans $43K to $65K, and North Park’s plan carries 765 clinical hours against Bradley’s 600 and DePaul’s 500.
| School | Estimated Tuition (resident) | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| North Park (MSN) | $43K | 2.7 years | 765 hrs |
| Bradley (BSN-to-MSN) | $54K | 2.3 years | 600 hrs |
| Bradley (RN-to-MSN) | $65K | 3 years | 600 hrs |
| DePaul (MSN) | $57K | Not published | 500 hrs |
- Lowest master’s cost: North Park — $43K with 765 clinical hours
- Routes without a BSN: Bradley — the RN-to-MSN admits associate-degree and diploma RNs; DePaul admits associate-degree RNs who hold a non-nursing bachelor’s
- Fastest master’s plan: Bradley — 2.3 years from a BSN, seven semesters
- Illinois license at application: North Park — an unencumbered Illinois RN license is an admission condition, not a graduation one
Illinois Post-Graduate Certificate AGPCNP Programs
Five schools publish post-graduate certificates, and eligibility separates them more sharply than price. Bradley and North Park admit MSN-prepared nurses without requiring prior APRN certification, and DePaul accepts RNs with any graduate degree. Loyola and UIC both require a completed DNP on the transcript, which closes those routes to master’s-prepared nurse practitioners adding a second population focus. Three of the five price the credential in advance.
| School | Estimated Tuition (resident) | Duration | Clinical Hours |
| UIC | $26K–$41K | 1 year | 500–675 hrs |
| North Park | $34K | 1.7–2.7 years | 765 hrs |
| Bradley | $37K | 1.7 years | 600 hrs |
| DePaul | $37K | 60 weeks | Not clearly stated |
| Loyola | Not clearly stated | Varies | Not clearly stated |
- Lowest certificate cost: UIC — $26K at 23 credits, rising to about $41K for DNP holders without current APRN certification
- Widest eligibility: DePaul — any graduate degree plus an RN license, with federal aid available; Bradley requires an accredited MSN but no APRN certification
- No federal aid: North Park and UIC — both certificates are excluded from federal financial aid
- Doctoral prerequisite: Loyola — applicants must show a completed DNP, and credits are set by gap analysis after admission
More Online AGPCNP Options
Illinois options carry geographic strings. UIC and Loyola place students only within commuting range of their campuses, North Park requires an Illinois RN license at application, and Rush asks for at least five trips to Chicago while excluding residents of several states. Bradley and DePaul are the no-travel routes in the state, but both leave the preceptor search to the applicant and publish no placement guarantee. Nurses who cannot meet those conditions commonly look at national providers such as Walden University and Purdue Global. Neither school’s Illinois authorization nor its placement terms are covered by the data on this page, so confirm both directly before applying.
- Walden University: $785 per quarter credit ($960 for DNP courses); MSN, RN-to-MSN, BSN-DNP, MSN-DNP, post-master's certificate
- Purdue Global: $420 per quarter credit; post-master's certificate only
FAQ
How many AGPCNP programs are in Illinois?
Six Illinois universities offer AGPCNP preparation: Bradley, DePaul, Loyola University Chicago, North Park, Rush and UIC. Between them they publish 19 tracks across master’s, doctoral and post-graduate certificate levels.
Which Illinois AGPCNP programs are fully online?
Bradley and DePaul are classified Online, with no campus attendance in any pathway. North Park and Rush are Mostly Online, with finite campus attendance. Loyola and UIC are Hybrid.
Which Illinois AGPCNP program has the lowest tuition?
UIC’s post-DNP certificate is the lowest published figure at roughly $26K in tuition, though it requires a completed DNP. Among degree programs, North Park’s MSN is lowest at $43K and its MSN to DNP is the cheapest doctorate at $53K.
Which Illinois schools offer the AGPCNP DNP?
All six. Rush and UIC offer only doctoral routes in this population focus, so neither publishes an MSN-level AGPCNP.
Do Illinois AGPCNP programs require campus visits?
Four of the six do. North Park requires one three-day skills immersion, Rush a minimum of five visits, UIC recurring on-campus coursework, and Loyola immersions at its Health Sciences Campus at a frequency it does not publish. Bradley and DePaul require none.
Can I complete clinicals near home?
It depends heavily on the school. Bradley, DePaul, and North Park expect students to find their own local preceptors, with North Park’s faculty assisting if the search fails. UIC and Loyola arrange placements themselves but restrict them to their campus regions. Rush places students in the Chicago area and states that out-of-state students may complete practicum in their home states, without publishing who secures those sites.
Do I need an Illinois RN license to apply?
North Park requires a current, unencumbered Illinois RN license at application for all four pathways. Loyola requires eligibility for Illinois endorsement at application and an Illinois license before rotations begin, and UIC requires a license in the state where clinicals occur. Bradley and Rush ask only for a current U.S. RN license. DePaul requires a license in the practicum state and does not allow practicums in nine states.