DNP Programs: The 2025 Deadline That Never Became Law

Doctor of Nursing Practice programs train nurses to the highest level of practice-focused leadership. In 2018, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) targeted 2025 to be the deadline by which DNP would become the required entry-level for nurse practitioners. That date has already passed, but there is no state that changed its NP’s licensing rules. A professional recommendation that was hoped to shift the nursing standard has never become a mandate.

Below we’ve broken down things that stand with DNP programs today: whether the doctor of Nursing is required to practice as a Nurse practitioner, how to weigh a DNP against MSN, what the degree Is (and what it isn’t), and how many programs currently exist across the United States.

Is the DNP Required to Be an NP?

As of mid-2026, no state board of nursing in the United States requires a Doctor of Nursing Practice for licensure as a nurse practitioner. A Master of Science in Nursing still remains the standard credential that allows candidates to sit for national certification and apply for state licensure in every jurisdiction.

The idea that a doctorate might eventually become mandatory traces back to 2004. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) endorsed a position statement calling for advanced practice nursing as a whole, not just Nursing practitioners, to move from the master's to the doctorate level by 2015. That deadline passed without any shift in regulation. In 2018, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties focused specifically to NP education and set the goal of moving to the DNP degree as the entry-level preparation for NPs by 2025. NONPF reaffirmed that commitment in April 2023.

The two national NP certification bodies, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board, continues to permit MSN-prepared candidates to sit for NP certification exams. In its own discussion paper on Doctor of Nursing Practice, the AANP also treats the transition as an evolving conversation rather than a settled requirement. The APRN Consensus Model, the framework guiding licensure, accreditation, certification, and education for advanced practice nurses countrywide, similarly does not mandate a practice doctorate.

A professional recommendation and a state law differ sharply. Only legislatures and state boards of nursing have the power to amend licensure rules, and neither has done so. As of 2026, MSN-prepared Nurse Practitioners continue to remain fully licensed, certified, and employable across all states in the country.

The only exception among APRN roles is the certified registered nurse anesthetist. The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs required all nurse anesthesia students to enroll in a doctoral program starting in 2022. Every newly certified CRNA now graduates from a doctoral program. Nurse practitioner education followed a different course.

DNP or MSN: The Actual Decision

Every nurse practitioner’s path starts the same way: an active RN license first, usually after nursing school and a passing NCLEX-RN score, followed by a graduate NP program. Since the DNP is not required, the real decision is determined by personal timeline, financial resources, and long-term career goals.

A typical MSN program takes about 2 years of full-time study after a BSN and remains the faster of the two MSN routes, less expensive route to NP certification and licensure. A DNP usually adds 1-2 extra years of that and includes coursework beyond direct clinical training, such as quality improvement, systems leadership, health policy, and evidence based practice. Many DNP programs now also build toward the 750 direct patient care clinical hours recommended by the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, a number that’s higher than what most MSN programs require.

When the DNP Makes Sense

The DNP path tends to attract nurses who target leadership trajectories in future. Some health systems and academic medical centers now favor or specifically request DNP-prepared candidates for certain roles, and a growing share of schools have phased out their MSN NP tracks in favor of DNP-only admission. It’s also common to find Academic institutions requiring doctorate for full-time faculty appointments. earning the DNP also removes any doubt about returning to school in future if requirements ever change.

It’s also worth highlighting that DNP-prepared NPs do not automatically earn higher wages than MSN-prepared NPs in identical clinical roles. Normally, compensation depends on specialty, geography, experience, and productivity and not degree level. So, treat the DNP as a long-term career investment rather than a guaranteed pay raise.

What a DNP Is (and Isn't)

A Doctor of Nursing Practice is a practice-focused terminal degree in nursing. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) describes DNP programs as “preparing nurse leaders at the highest level of nursing practice to improve patient outcomes and translate research into practice.” The program builds on standard graduate coursework with added training in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, systems leadership, among other related areas.

That’s different from a PhD or Doctor of Nursing Science, which trains nurse scientists to generate new knowledge through original research. The DNP prepares advanced practitioners to translate existing evidence into clinical settings, lead quality initiatives, and influence health policy. A DNP program ends with a scholarly or capstone project that addresses a real practice problem, unlike a PHD which ends with a dissertation that defends the original research.

A DNP is not required to diagnose, prescribe, or practice independently. Those rights come from a Nursing Practitioner's state license and national certification, not from the degree itself.

How Many Programs, and Where

As of AACN's count in mid-2026, 452 schools are currently enrolling students in DNP programs in the U.S, with more than 90 additional programs in various planning stages, including 9 entry-level, 43 post-baccalaureate, and 37 post-master’s programs.. Programs now exist in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

In 2025, post-baccalaureate DNP programs were offered in 322 schools; post-master’s DNP programs in 414 schools; and entry-level DNP programs (prelicensure) in 7 schools.

Enrollment has grown alongside the program count. In 2024 - 2025, DNP enrollment rose from 42,767 to 44,976 students. During the same period, the Graduate numbers dropped slightly from 12,336 to 12,207, a reminder that enrollment growth and graduation output do not always move together.

Accreditation has kept pace too. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the main accrediting body for DNP programs, has accredited 387 DNP programs since it began reviewing them in 2008. More than 108,000 nurses have earned a DNP since AACN's original 2004 position statement. Anyone comparing individual programs, including checking which nursing schools employ DNP- and MSN-credentialed faculty, can start with a broader overview of nursing school options and requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the DNP now required to become a nurse practitioner?

No. As of 2026, no state requires a DNP for NP licensure, and both major NP certification bodies still accept MSN graduates for the same exams.

What happened to the 2025 deadline?

NONPF set a goal in 2018 for all entry-level NP programs to move to the DNP by 2025 and reaffirmed it in 2023. The year arrived without any state adopting it as a licensing requirement, so the deadline passed as a professional recommendation rather than a rule.

Is a DNP harder or more expensive than an MSN?

Generally, yes on both counts. A DNP usually adds one to two years of study beyond an MSN, along with added tuition and coursework in leadership, policy, and quality improvement, on top of clinical training.

Does a DNP guarantee higher pay than an MSN?

Not automatically. Pay differences between MSN- and DNP-prepared NPs vary by employer, specialty, and region. Many employers pay both credentials the same for equivalent clinical roles, though DNP preparation can open doors to leadership or academic positions that pay more.

Can I start with an MSN and add a DNP later?

Yes. Post-master's DNP programs exist specifically for nurses who are already NP-certified and want the doctorate later, without repeating core NP clinical coursework. AACN's data shows more schools currently offer post-master's DNP tracks than post-baccalaureate ones.

The Bottom Line

The DNP was supposed to become nursing's new normal for nurse practitioners by 2025.

It hasn't, at least not as a legal requirement. NONPF's 2018 commitment, reaffirmed in 2023, aimed to move all entry-level NP education to the doctorate, but no state board of nursing adopted it and both national certification exams still accept MSN-prepared graduates. Meanwhile, DNP programs have grown on their own momentum.

More than 450 schools now enroll DNP students across all 50 states, driven by employer preference and evolving curriculum standards rather than any mandate.

For someone choosing between an MSN and a DNP today, the decision comes down to timeline, cost, and career goals rather than a legal requirement.

Direct patient care roles remain fully open to MSN graduates, while leadership, faculty, and policy-focused paths increasingly favor the doctorate. Either way, the 2025 deadline that once looked inevitable never became law.