Best DNP Programs In Milwaukee 2026

• CCNE-accredited
• Public
• Doctorate (professional)

Milwaukee runs a clinical nurse specialist track in adult-gerontology and calls itself the state’s hub for that role, which matters because the clinical nurse specialist is the advanced practice route most schools have quietly dropped. If you want systems-level clinical work rather than a practitioner license, this is one of the few places still building for it. The college holds more than 160 clinical partnerships, and that number is what determines whether a placement exists near you. Skills are trained in a dedicated simulation center before students reach patients. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredits the bachelor’s, the master’s, the doctorate and the post-graduate advanced practice certificate.

In-State Tuition

$8,772

Out-Of-State

$20,772

DNP Awards

35

UG Completion

49%

• CCNE-accredited
• Private nonprofit
• Doctorate (professional)

Marquette takes master’s holders from three different backgrounds rather than only clinical ones: an advanced practice role, nursing administration and leadership, or health care policy. A policy master’s named explicitly as an entry route is unusual, and worth knowing if your work has moved away from the bedside. The curriculum spans translational research, epidemiology, informatics, statistics, advanced clinical practice and health policy. The deadlines are firm and worth marking: 15 November for spring entry and 15 February for fall, with late fall applications considered on a space-available basis if complete by 1 June. There is no summer admission at all, so the calendar has two doors rather than three.

In-State Tuition

$50,070

Out-Of-State

$50,070

DNP Awards

23

UG Completion

83%

• CCNE-accredited
• Private nonprofit
• Doctorate (professional)
• Offered online

2 DNP tracks at this institution, Family nurse practitioner, Nursing practice (general). Ranked once, on the largest.

Concordia publishes both totals for both routes, which makes them easy to weigh against each other. Bachelor’s entry is 70 credit hours and 1,008 clinical and practicum hours over three to four years, online with a mandatory four-day on-campus residency. The psychiatric mental health route from a master’s runs eight semesters, about three years, and requires 1,000 post-baccalaureate residency hours of which 500 must be psychiatric hours completed inside the program. That 500-hour floor is the number to check against what you already hold. Two eligibility limits come first: the online program is not open to international students or anyone needing an F1 visa, and state approval for online licensure varies, so check yours against the school’s disclosure list before you apply.

In-State Tuition

$34,950

Out-Of-State

$34,950

DNP Awards

3

UG Completion

68%

• CCNE-accredited
• Private nonprofit
• Doctorate (professional)

Alverno runs 33 to 40 credits depending on the track you choose and how much clinical work you owe, and a full-time student can finish in 18 months. The hour count is set against your master’s practicum rather than fixed, so it varies from student to student. The distinctive part is funding. Students in the educational leadership track may be eligible for $40,000 through the Wisconsin Nurse Educator Program, a state scheme aimed at the shortage of nursing faculty. That is a large share of the cost of a doctorate this length, and it attaches to a track rather than to merit, so the track you pick changes what you pay. Alverno is a small college in Milwaukee and the doctoral cohort is small.

In-State Tuition

$33,216

Out-Of-State

$33,216

DNP Awards

4

UG Completion

49%