Psychiatric-mental health NPs are trained to assess and diagnose patients across the lifespan with psychiatric and substance abuse disorders, work with individuals, families, and groups, prescribe medications, provide and recommend psychotherapy and other mental health interventions, identify risk factors for psychiatric issues, and perform interventions to help those in crisis.
PMHNPs are also trained to contribute to care quality improvement, policy development, and healthcare reform, and to collaborate with other healthcare providers to create care plans for patients’ mental health and promote mental health awareness and wellness in schools, hospitals, and community settings.
Psychiatric-mental health patients may include children, teens, and adults in a mental health crisis, children in abusive families, older adults suffering from dementia and other age-related mental health issues, soldiers and law enforcement personnel suffering from job stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), people with anxiety and depression, and others with opioid, drug, alcohol, and other substance abuse or habit addictions.
PMHNPs need a graduate degree and must earn certification by taking the PMHNP certification exam through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to practice psychiatric-mental health services. Available graduate degree pathways for nurse practitioners may include:
- MSN-PMHNP Bridge Program: Also called RN-MSN, RN-MSN Bridge, or RN-BSN-MSN, this type of program is designed for nurses who have earned an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), a nursing diploma, or an RN license with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree.
- MSN-PMHNP: Also called BSN-to-MSN, this type of graduate program is designed for graduates of bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs.
- BSN to DNP-PMHNP and MSN to DNP-PMHNP: Doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs may be offered to applicants with a BSN or MSN and include courses to prepare graduates for psychiatric-mental health practice.
- Post-Master’s PMHNP Certificate: Designed for MSN graduates who may or may not have earned an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specialization and want to move into psychiatric-mental health practice.
To help nurses find affordable PMHNP master’s, doctoral, and post-master’s certificate programs, HealthcareDegree.com has compiled a list of the 30 most affordable online psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner programs, both by in-state and out-of-state tuition prices.
These rankings are based on tuition data HealthcareDegree.com collected from its sister site NPSchools.com in 2026 from over 1,300 online nurse practitioner programs. Each list is ordered according to the lowest in-state or out-of-state tuition prices. Tuition information is as current as possible, the latest published by each school at the outset of the 2026-2027 academic year.
Most Affordable In-State Online PMHNP Programs in 2027
| Featured PMHNP Programs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Simmons University | MSN - Psychiatric-Mental Health NP | Visit Website |
| Chamberlain University | RN-BSN to MSN - Psychiatric-Mental Health NP (ADN Bridge) | Visit Website |
| Rasmussen University - Online | MSN - Psychiatric-Mental Health NP | Visit Website |
| Purdue Global | MSN - Psychiatric-Mental Health NP | Visit Website |
| Ohio University | MSN - Psychiatric-Mental Health NP | Visit Website |
| Ohio University | Post-Graduate Psychiatric-Mental Health NP Certificate | Visit Website |
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Check out the 30 most affordable online PMHNP programs by the total cost of in-state tuition in 2027, meaning the tuition for residents of the state in which the program is based. Note that some programs do not accept out-of-state students, and that the cost listed is the estimated total tuition cost of the entire program, and not the cost per semester or year.
Most Affordable Out-of-State Online PMHNP Programs in 2027
Find an Affordable Online Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program
These online PMHNP programs ranked by affordability can open up opportunities you might have yet to consider to earn a graduate degree or certificate and move into the world of psychiatric-mental health nursing. They are designed for working nurses to continue working while earning an affordable graduate education.
These online PMHNP programs offer affordable tuition and flexible online learning options, and BSN-to-MSN programs can be completed in two to three years part-time. Those attending full-time can complete the programs more quickly. Note that DNP programs take about four years to complete part-time. With the tremendous need for nurse practitioners, these PMHNP programs can provide a viable and necessary career pathway without the heavy burden of more expensive tuition.
Farheen Gani
WriterFarheen Gani is a writer and research expert in healthcare degrees. She has written about healthcare career scholarships, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and reproductive health specialists, among other topics, since 2019. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@FarheenGani).
Sara Navratil
WriterSara Navratil is a freelance writer and a Certified Canfield Success Principles Trainer. She owns Sara Liza Life, a company dedicated to helping people rewrite their lives. She enjoys researching and writing about healthcare-related topics, including information about online NP programs. When not working, she likes to read, exercise, and spend time with her family and cats.