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Gerontological nurse practitioner education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a gerontological nurse practitioner. Gerontological nurse practitioners usually study nursing, gerontology, or psychology. 42% of gerontological nurse practitioners hold a master's degree, and 41% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 499 real gerontological nurse practitioner resumes to see exactly what gerontological nurse practitioner education sections show.

The most common colleges for gerontological nurse practitioners are the University of South Alabama and the University of South Alabama.

There are also many online gerontological nurse practitioner courses to help get the education required to be a gerontological nurse practitioner.

There are certain gerontological nurse practitioner certifications that you should consider. These gerontological nurse practitioner certifications include Gerontological Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP-BC).

What education do you need to become a gerontological nurse practitioner?

What degree do you need to be a gerontological nurse practitioner?

The most common degree for gerontological nurse practitioners is master's degree, with 42% of gerontological nurse practitioners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 41% and bachelor's degree degree at 9%.
  • Master's, 42%
  • Bachelor's, 41%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a gerontological nurse practitioner?

You should major in nursing to become a gerontological nurse practitioner. 80% of gerontological nurse practitioners major in nursing. Other common majors for a gerontological nurse practitioner include gerontology and psychology.

Most common colleges for gerontological nurse practitioners

Gerontological nurse practitioners often get their degrees at University of South Alabama, Walden University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for gerontological nurse practitioners in the US based on their resumes.
Gerontological nurse practitioner common collegePercentages
University of South Alabama15.28%
Walden University11.11%
New York University8.33%
MGH Institute of Health Professions6.94%
Salem State University4.17%

Best majors for gerontological nurse practitioners

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing80.4%
2Gerontology4.4%
3Psychology2.7%
4Nursing Science2.0%
5Biology2.0%

Best colleges for gerontological nurse practitioners

The best colleges for gerontological nurse practitioners are Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A gerontological nurse practitioner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for gerontological nurse practitioners. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become gerontological nurse practitioners.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$49,042

Enrollment

5,131

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Enrollment

24,163

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

20 best online courses for gerontological nurse practitioners

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1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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2. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...

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Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...

5. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...

6. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes

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COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...

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8. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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9. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...

10. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...

11. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course

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The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...

12. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care

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In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...

13. Introduction to Integrative Nursing

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This course is designed for nurses who are drawn to practice in a different way – nurses who value whole-person care and know that the essence of nursing practice is truly caring and healing. You will learn about the principles and practices of Integrative Nursing and how you can be a healing presence to all you serve. Then, you will do an integrative assessment and apply the principles of Integrative Nursing to improve symptom management and overall patient outcomes. Finally, you will explore...

14. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

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This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...

15. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations

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18. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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A strong argument can be made that the health care field is one of the most information-intensive sectors in the U.S. economy and avoidance of the rapid advances in information technology is no longer an option. Consequently, the study of health care information technology and systems has become central to health care delivery effectiveness. This course covers the modern application of information technology that is critical to supporting the vision and operational knowledge of the health care...

20. Nursing Informatics Leadership Theory and Practice

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“By the end of this Course, you will be able to…” • Evaluate effective leadership styles for leadership in nursing informatics in clinical or academic contexts to improve leadership success. • Discover core values that support effective nursing informatics leadership in academic and clinical contexts to inform development of a personal leadership mission statement. • Discover competing values and polarities related to knowledge leadership and management to promote successful leadership...

Top 10 most affordable universities for gerontological nurse practitioners

The most affordable schools for gerontological nurse practitioners are California State University - Los Angeles, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for gerontological nurse practitioners are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for gerontological nurse practitioners.

1. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,310

Cost of attendance

19,807

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. York College of the City University of New York

Jamaica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,158

Cost of attendance

14,204

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for gerontological nurse practitioners

The hardest universities for gerontological nurse practitioners to get into are Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for gerontological nurse practitioners are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for gerontological nurse practitioners based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

7. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for gerontological nurse practitioners

The easiest schools for gerontological nurse practitioners to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and adventhealth university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a gerontological nurse practitioner without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for gerontological nurse practitioners.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

4. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

8. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average gerontological nurse practitioner salary by education level

Gerontological nurse practitioners with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $128,219 annually. With a Doctorate degree, gerontological nurse practitioners earn a median annual income of $119,155 compared to $115,258 for gerontological nurse practitioners with an Bachelor's degree.
Gerontological nurse practitioner education levelGerontological nurse practitioner salary
Master's Degree$128,219
Bachelor's Degree$115,258
Doctorate Degree$119,155
Some College/ Associate Degree$100,399

Gerontological nurse practitioner education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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