Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Minnesota, Ranked (2026)
Minnesota awards about 355 nursing doctorates a year, a large figure for a state with only two doctoral programs. The two PhD in nursing programs in Minnesota both sit in Minneapolis. Walden University runs an online PhD in Nursing and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities runs a hybrid one, and the two operate at very different scales. If that output number is what brought you here, check which school it's coming from before you read it as evidence that a Minnesota nursing PhD is easy to get into. It isn't the same story at both.
Last updated
Programs ranked
2
Universities
2
Nursing faculty median
$81,280
Faculty jobs in MN
1,340
How We Ranked the Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Minnesota
Campus and online programs are scored on separate models, because they compete on different
things, and this page lists both together with each one's score from its own model. Research
funding comes from NIH RePORTER, doctoral scale from federal IPEDS completions, and the
curriculum, funding and deadline figures from each school's own pages.
The full scoring model is here.
Walden awards 46 nursing PhDs a year, which is most of Minnesota's annual total of 51. It is a for-profit built for scale and rolling entry, not a research apprenticeship, and the two Minneapolis programs barely overlap.
Where it wins. Rolling admission and part-time study mean you don't wait for a December deadline or quit your job, and at $820 a quarter credit the 61-credit degree runs about $50,000 at list price. Three entry points, including straight from a BSN.
What you give up. No federal nursing research money runs through Walden, so you're writing a dissertation without a funded lab to join. The published window stretches to eight years, and the four residencies cost $1,420 each even taken virtually.
Funding. Up to a $5,000 grant for students starting an eligible PhD program; no tuition-plus-stipend funding is offered.
Research. Healthcare Administration, Interdisciplinary Health, Leadership, Nursing Education, Population Health.
Every published detail for Walden University
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
Online
Entry points
BSN-to-PhD, MSN-to-PhD, post-master's
GRE
Not required
Minimum GPA
3
Applications close
Rolling
Part-time study
Available
Dissertation
Required
On campus
Four academic residencies (virtual or in-person option)
Every dollar of Minnesota's NINR nursing research funding, $3.39 million across eight awards, sits at this school and none of it at Walden. That, not price, is the reason to be here: $1,827 a credit buys access to funded science.
Where it wins. HyFlex lets you decide course by course whether to sit in the room or join by video, so a nurse in Duluth can do this without moving. Every admitted student is eligible for a 25% research assistantship, and there's a dedicated pathway for American Indian and Alaska Native nurses.
What you give up. Five PhD graduates a year against 119 DNPs means the research doctorate is the small program in a large practice school, and your cohort will be tiny. The assistantship is tied to following the full-time plan, so part-time study costs you the funding.
Funding. 'All admitted PhD in Nursing students are eligible for financial assistance, contingent on their following the relevant full-time program plan. Financial assistance may be provided through a 25% graduate research assistantship (RA) and/or School of Nursing Scholarships.'
Research. Health Promotion among Vulnerable Populations, Prevention and Management of Chronic Health Conditions, Symptom Management, Health/Nursing Informatics and Systems Improvement.
Every published detail for University of Minnesota
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
Hybrid
School
University of Minnesota School of Nursing
Entry points
BSN-to-PhD, MSN-to-PhD, post-master's
GRE
Not required
Minimum GPA
3
Applications close
December 1
Part-time study
Available
Dissertation
Required
On campus
All students gather on campus for a four-day Doctor of Nursing Philosophy Immersive Experience (DIvE) in the last week of August at program start and again in the last week of May
What Nursing Faculty and Nurse Researchers Earn in Minnesota
Postsecondary nursing instructors in Minnesota have a median wage of $81,280, $1,030 above the national median of $80,250. Registered nurses in the state have a median of $101,510, itself above the national RN median of $97,550. Put those together and Minnesota nursing faculty earn $20,230 less than Minnesota RNs at the midpoint, which is a wide gap by any reading. About 1,340 instructors are employed statewide against roughly 70,110 registered nurses, so faculty openings are rare next to floor jobs. The faculty range runs from $61,760 at the tenth percentile to $123,810 at the ninetieth, and that floor is high enough that the bottom of the scale is less punishing than the gap suggests.
Is Walden University's Online PhD in Nursing Worth It?
Walden University's PhD in Nursing is fully online, run out of Minneapolis, and it scores 70.7 here, ahead of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities at 55.1. That ranking is about access, not prestige. Walden takes part-time students, admits BSN holders directly and doesn't require the GRE, and those three things are what most working nurses are actually filtering for.
What the score doesn't tell you is how long the degree takes. The median Minnesota nursing PhD runs 61 credits and about 5.1 years to finish. Part-time enrollment is what stretches it, and that's the trade. A degree you can fit around a job is also a degree you're fitting around a job, and five years is a long time to keep that arrangement upright.
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities runs its PhD in Nursing as a hybrid, so you'll be in Minneapolis for part of it. It also takes part-time students, also admits from a BSN and also skips the GRE. Minnesota holds $3,390,503 in NIH nursing research awards from FY2021 through FY2025, so if a funded research seat is what you want out of the degree, ask each school what it currently has running.
Questions About Nursing PhD Programs in Minnesota
How many PhD in nursing programs are there in Minnesota?
2, at 2 universities. 1 is campus-based and 1 runs online.
Can you get a PhD in nursing online in Minnesota?
Yes. Walden University's PhD in Nursing is fully online. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities program is hybrid, so it involves time in Minneapolis. Both take part-time students, both admit BSN holders directly and neither requires the GRE.
How long does a PhD in nursing take in Minnesota?
The median Minnesota program runs 61 credits and about 5.1 years. Both programs allow part-time enrollment, which is a large part of why the timeline runs that long. If finishing faster matters to you, ask each school what a full-time schedule looks like.
What do nursing professors earn in Minnesota?
Postsecondary nursing instructors in Minnesota earn a $81,280 median. The bottom 10% earn $61,760 and the top 10% clear $123,810, across 1,340 jobs in the state. The national median is $80,250.
Can you do a nursing PhD in Minnesota without moving?
1 of the 2 programs in Minnesota runs online. You can also apply to any of the online programs based in other states, since an online nursing PhD does not care where you live. They are all ranked here.