Loma Linda University (LLU) School of Nursing offers all six nurse practitioner population focuses: family (FNP), psychiatric-mental health (PMHNP), adult-gerontology primary care (AGPCNP), adult-gerontology acute care (AGACNP), and pediatric primary care and acute care (PNP-PC and PNP-AC). Every specialty is a BS to DNP concentration. LLU offers no NP master’s or post-master’s certificate.
All six concentrations share the same doctoral core, quarter calendar, and placement model. Three policies shape the decision more than any single specialty detail:
- Faculty assign every clinical rotation. Students never search for a preceptor, but placements are limited to Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
- Campus time recurs every quarter. LLU markets the programs as online, but exams, labs, and clinical course meetings are on campus throughout.
- It is a private, faith-based doctorate. Tuition is the same for every student, about $117,000 to $122,000 by specialty, and the core includes nine units of religion coursework.
Quick facts
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Nursing School | Loma Linda University School of Nursing |
| Location | Loma Linda, CA |
| NP Specialties | FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP, PNP-PC, PNP-AC |
| Degree Options | BS to DNP in all six; no NP master’s or post-master’s certificate |
| Format | Hybrid, with recurring on-campus sessions every quarter |
| Clinical Placement | Assigned by faculty in Riverside and San Bernardino counties |
| Entry Points | RN with a BSN; MSN holders apply to the BS to DNP for possible unit waivers |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 cumulative and in nursing |
| RN Experience | One year full time before clinical courses |
| Tuition (2026-27) | About $117,500 to $122,500 in tuition and fees over four years, by specialty; one rate for all students |
| Accreditation | CCNE (BS, MS, and DNP); California BRN approved |
Comparing Loma Linda’s NP programs
Every concentration combines a 49-unit DNP core, a specialty sequence, and a 19-unit DNP project. Full-time study takes 3 years and 9 months (15 quarters), and a part-time plan takes about five years. Because LLU publishes a separate cost schedule for each concentration, totals differ slightly by specialty.
| Pathway | Quarter units | Clinical hours | Tuition & fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) | |||
| BS to DNP | 122 | ~750 + 510 DNP | $122,488 |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMHNP) | |||
| BS to DNP | 117 | 570 + 510 DNP | $117,468 |
| Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (AGPCNP) | |||
| BS to DNP | 119 | 1,000+ combined | $119,476 |
| Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP) | |||
| BS to DNP | 118 | 1,000+ combined | $119,476 |
| Pediatric Primary Care (PNP-PC) | |||
| BS to DNP | 117 | 570 + 510 DNP | $117,468 |
| Pediatric Acute Care (PNP-AC) | |||
| BS to DNP | 117 | 570 + 510 DNP | $117,468 |
Clinical hours show direct advanced practice hours plus 510 DNP practicum hours where LLU’s catalog separates them. LLU states that every concentration totals at least 1,000 combined hours. Tuition and fees are LLU’s published 2026-27 figures summed across four program years, before books.
What stands out about Loma Linda’s NP programs
- Every population focus at one school. LLU is the only California school offering all six NP specialties, including both pediatric populations and both adult-gerontology populations.
- Guaranteed, faculty-assigned clinicals. Faculty arrange all NP rotations, which California Board of Registered Nursing regulations require. Students do not identify or secure their own sites.
- Pediatric acute care without a PICU gate. The PNP-AC concentration asks for one year of RN experience in any setting rather than pediatric critical care.
- Same price for every student. As a private university, LLU charges no out-of-state premium.
- A way to start before admission. Applicants may take up to 12 units of required core coursework as nondegree students while their application is reviewed. Grades of B or higher count toward the degree.
Which Loma Linda NP program fits your goal?
- FNP: Primary care across the lifespan; the most clinical hours of LLU’s tracks
- PMHNP: Psychiatric care across the lifespan
- AGPCNP: Primary care from adolescence through older adulthood
- AGACNP: Acute and critical care of adults, for nurses with adult critical care backgrounds
- PNP-PC: Ambulatory pediatric care from birth through age 21
- PNP-AC: Pediatric emergency, inpatient, and intensive care
Family Nurse Practitioner
Quarter units 122 · Clinical hours ~750 + 510 DNP · BS to DNP
The FNP concentration prepares nurses for primary care across the lifespan. Its clinical sequence moves from pediatrics and adolescents through reproductive health and complex adult conditions, ending with a 210-hour practicum. A 30-hour skills lab covers primary care procedures.
At about 750 direct clinical hours, FNP carries more patient-care time than LLU’s other published tracks. It is also the most expensive concentration, at $122,488 in published tuition and fees. Graduates are eligible for FNP certification through the ANCC or AANP.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Quarter units 117 · Clinical hours 570 + 510 DNP · BS to DNP
The PMHNP concentration prepares nurses for psychiatric and mental health care across the lifespan. The 49-unit specialty block pairs the shared pharmacology, assessment, and pathophysiology courses with a psychiatric clinical sequence.
No psychiatric experience requirement is published beyond the general year of RN practice. LLU states graduates are prepared for California certification and ANCC PMHNP certification.
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
Quarter units 119 · Clinical hours 1,000+ combined · BS to DNP
The AGPCNP concentration covers adolescents through older adults. It opens with a gerontological health course, then runs five sequential primary care courses, each a prerequisite for the next. Weekly practicum hours climb from 6 to 21 across the sequence. One course is devoted to reproductive and gender-related health.
LLU does not publish a separate direct-care hour total for this track. Graduates are eligible for certification through the ANCC or AANP.
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
Quarter units 118 · Clinical hours 1,000+ combined · BS to DNP
The AGACNP concentration prepares nurses for hospitals, emergency departments, subspecialty clinics, and intensive care units. It uses an acute care pharmacology course, a 2-unit acute care skills lab, and a five-course adult-gerontology acute care sequence.
LLU’s School of Nursing page asks for the required year of RN experience to be in adult critical care, such as an ICU or a high-acuity emergency department, and excludes post-anesthesia care. The university catalog lists only one year of full-time RN experience, so confirm the requirement before applying. ACLS is required before matriculation. Graduates are eligible for certification through the ANCC (AGACNP-BC) or AACN (ACNPC-AG).
Pediatric Primary Care
Quarter units 117 · Clinical hours 570 + 510 DNP · BS to DNP
The PNP-PC concentration prepares nurses for ambulatory care of patients from birth through age 21. Six sequential pediatric primary care courses run through most of the program, with one or two courses per quarter, plus a weekly skills lab. Settings include private practices, clinics, school districts, and community primary care.
No pediatric RN experience is required. PALS certification is required before matriculation. Graduates are eligible for the PNCB primary care exam (CPNP-PC).
Pediatric Acute Care
Quarter units 117 · Clinical hours 570 + 510 DNP · BS to DNP
The PNP-AC concentration prepares nurses for emergency departments, inpatient units, subspecialty clinics, and pediatric ICUs. Its clinical sequence is a blend: three of the six clinical courses are pediatric primary care courses, accounting for 16 of 36 clinical units, alongside three acute care courses.
No pediatric critical care experience is required, which is unusual for acute care pediatrics. PALS is required before matriculation. LLU’s program page lists PNCB program approval for the CPNP-AC exam as pending, so applicants should confirm its status before enrolling.
LLU’s catalog also lists a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner concentration, which is outside the six specialties NPPrograms.com compares.
Clinical placement
For every NP concentration, School of Nursing faculty arrange all clinical rotations, as California Board of Registered Nursing regulations require. Students do not identify or secure sites or preceptors.
- Geography: rotations are assigned in the Inland Empire, in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. LLU does not place students elsewhere in California.
- Assigned, not chosen: students have no say in which site or unit they are sent to.
- DNP project: the 510 practicum hours tied to the DNP project may be completed at the student’s own workplace.
- Costs: students drive to campus sessions and assigned sites at their own expense. Placements outside California require approval from LLU’s Office of General Counsel.
The practical trade-off: no preceptor search, in exchange for living within commuting range of Loma Linda for nearly four years.
Format and campus requirements
| Course type | On-campus requirement |
|---|---|
| DNP core courses | 4 to 8 hours during mid-quarter Seminar Week |
| All courses | Every exam, including midterms and finals, is taken on campus |
| Advanced Health Assessment | Mandatory lab meetings every two weeks |
| Pharmacology and pathophysiology | Up to four meetings per quarter |
| NP clinical courses | At least four face-to-face meetings per quarter |
| Specialty skills lab | Weekly meetings for the full quarter |
LLU markets these programs as online, but NPPrograms.com classifies them as Hybrid because campus attendance recurs every quarter. LLU says the core courses are scheduled around working nurses, and both full-time and part-time plans are available.
Post-master’s options
LLU offers no post-master’s NP certificate in any specialty. Master’s-prepared nurses who want NP preparation apply to the BS to DNP, where the program coordinator reviews transcripts for possible unit waivers. LLU does not publish how many units are typically waived.
LLU’s separate MS to DNP is a leadership doctorate and does not prepare graduates for NP certification.
Admissions
All six concentrations share one set of BS to DNP admission criteria. Applicants apply through NursingCAS, plus an LLU secondary application.
- Degree: a baccalaureate in nursing or equivalent from an accredited institution
- GPA: 3.0 or higher, cumulative and in nursing coursework
- Licensure: a current, unencumbered U.S. RN license at application, and a California RN license before classes begin. The catalog allows up to three quarters after matriculation, but plan for the earlier date.
- Experience: one year of full-time RN experience before starting clinical courses
- Certifications: BLS for all applicants; ACLS for AGACNP; PALS for both pediatric tracks
- Recommendations: two, including one from a recent nurse manager or director
- Interview: an Emotional Intelligence interview with faculty, if the admissions committee grants one
- Residency: applicants must live in a state where LLU is authorized to enroll students
Programs start in the autumn and winter quarters. For autumn 2027, LLU’s program pages list a final deadline of July 15, 2027, or April 15, 2027, for PNP-AC. The university catalog lists earlier priority dates, so check the program page for your specialty before applying.
Tuition
LLU is a private university with one rate for all students. It publishes no per-unit graduate nursing rate. Instead, each concentration has its own four-year schedule of tuition and fees. The first year runs nine months, and later years run twelve.
| Year 1 tuition and fees (all specialties) | $23,092 |
| Family Nurse Practitioner, four-year total | $122,488 |
| Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, four-year total | $119,476 |
| Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, four-year total | $119,476 |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health, four-year total | $117,468 |
| Pediatric Primary Care, four-year total | $117,468 |
| Pediatric Acute Care, four-year total | $117,468 |
2026-27 rates. Four-year totals are NPPrograms.com sums of LLU’s published year-by-year tuition and fees for each concentration. See LLU’s program pages for each specialty’s schedule.
- About $1,004 per quarter unit: dividing the AGPCNP total by its 119 units gives an all-in rate. It is derived, not published, and quarter units are not directly comparable to semester credits.
- Books and supplies: about $6,600 to $6,900 more across four years, mostly in year one.
- Rising costs: LLU states that amounts increase each year with inflation, so a 2026 entrant will pay more than these totals.
- Aid: LLU reports that 70% to 75% of nursing students receive financial aid. Half-time status for graduate aid is four units per quarter.
Accreditation and certification
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits LLU’s baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. All School of Nursing programs are approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. Loma Linda University is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
Certification follows the population focus: ANCC or AANP for FNP and AGPCNP, ANCC (AGACNP-BC) or AACN (ACNPC-AG) for AGACNP, ANCC for PMHNP, and PNCB for both pediatric specialties. PNCB program approval for the PNP-AC track is listed as pending.
State authorization
LLU enrolls online, hybrid, and distance students from 27 states plus American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. That authorization covers enrollment only. Clinical rotations are assigned in the Inland Empire, and placements outside California require approval from LLU’s Office of General Counsel. In practice, students need to live within commuting distance of Loma Linda.
Who is Loma Linda University best for?
May be a strong fit for
- BSN-prepared RNs in the Inland Empire who want a DNP with every rotation arranged
- Nurses choosing among all six NP populations at one school
- RNs without pediatric critical care experience who want pediatric acute care
- Working nurses who need a part-time doctoral schedule
- Out-of-state nurses moving to Southern California, since tuition has no residency premium
- Applicants comfortable with a faith-based curriculum that includes religion coursework
Compare other options if
- You want an NP master’s or a post-master’s certificate
- You live outside commuting range of Riverside or San Bernardino counties
- You want an online program without recurring campus visits
- You qualify for California resident tuition at a lower-cost public program
- You want more direct clinical hours in a pediatric or psychiatric track
- You need confirmed PNCB approval for pediatric acute care
Compare more NP programs in California
- Azusa Pacific University - Azusa
- University of California, San Francisco - San Francisco