PMHNP Programs in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 7 verified, accredited PMHNP programs based in the state, with a strong Philadelphia cluster — the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel, and La Salle in Philadelphia, plus Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre and Robert Morris near Pittsburgh. They span both entry-level MSN and post-master's certificate routes. Pennsylvania is a reduced-practice state, so nurse practitioners work under a collaborative agreement with a physician, and the statewide NP wage is about $130,140 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), just below the $132,300 national median. Here is every verified Pennsylvania program, the state licensure path, and what pay and the job market look like.
The short version
Pennsylvania has 7 verified, accredited PMHNP programs based in the state, spanning entry-level MSN and post-master's certificate routes — the full list is below, generated from our verified dataset.
There is a strong Philadelphia cluster: Penn, Drexel, and La Salle are all in Philadelphia, with Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre and Robert Morris near Pittsburgh rounding out the state.
Pennsylvania grants nurse practitioners reduced practice authority, meaning you practice under a collaborative agreement with a physician. That is more restrictive than full-practice states.
The statewide NP wage is about $130,140 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), modestly below the $132,300 national median, though Pennsylvania's lower cost of living offsets some of that.
For the Philadelphia-metro view of Penn, Drexel, and La Salle, see our Philadelphia PMHNP guide.
If you are searching for PMHNP programs in Pennsylvania, you have an unusually deep in-state field: 7 verified, accredited programs, with a notable Philadelphia cluster. Penn offers an Ivy League master's, Drexel offers both a master's track and a post-master's certificate, and La Salle adds another Philadelphia master's — all within the same metro. Outside Philadelphia, Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre offers both an MSN and a post-master's certificate, and Robert Morris near Pittsburgh rounds out the state with a post-master's certificate. Together they span entry-level MSN and post-master's certificate routes, so there is a path whether you are starting from a BSN or already hold an MSN. The program list below is generated from our verified dataset.
What sets Pennsylvania apart is the trade-offs. Several schools arrange your clinical placements, which is unusually helpful. But Pennsylvania's reduced-practice rules mean the path to independent practice differs from full-practice states like neighboring New York or Massachusetts. This guide covers all of that, with every figure sourced and gaps labeled rather than estimated.
The 7 verified PMHNP programs based in Pennsylvania
Wilkes University
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Wilkes University
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
Philadelphia, PA
Robert Morris University School of Nursing, Education and Human Studies
Moon Township, PA
La Salle University School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Philadelphia, PA
Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
Philadelphia, PA
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Philadelphia, PA
Accredited online PMHNP programs Pennsylvania residents can do
Most PMHNP study is online. These verified, accredited programs enroll students from most states and let you complete the supervised clinical hours near you. Online programs set their own state authorization, so confirm each one admits Pennsylvania residents before you apply.
California State University, Fresno
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageDrexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 640 clinical hrs
Program pageFairleigh Dickinson University Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health
ACEN-accredited · MSN · 750 clinical hrs
Program pageGeorgia Southern University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · BSN-to-DNP · 630 clinical hrs
Program pageGeorgia State University Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 500 clinical hrs
Program pageHerzing University
CCNE-accredited · MSN / post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageJohns Hopkins University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 500 clinical hrs
Program pageLa Salle University School of Nursing and Health Sciences
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 692 clinical hrs
Program pageLewis University College of Nursing and Health Sciences
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageNorthern Kentucky University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · MSN · 750 clinical hrs
Program pageRadford University School of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageRocky Mountain University of Health Professions
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate · 540 clinical hrs
Program pageSimmons University
CCNE-accredited · MSN / post-master's certificate · 756 clinical hrs
Program pageUniversity of Cincinnati College of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · post-master's certificate
Program pageUniversity of South Alabama College of Nursing
CCNE-accredited · MSN / post-master's certificate · 600 clinical hrs
Program pageConfirm current state authorization with each program. For the full comparison of these programs, see our online PMHNP ranking.
How to become a PMHNP in Pennsylvania
The path to becoming a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner in Pennsylvania is the same graduate-nursing route used nationwide, with one local variable: your APRN license and prescriptive authority come from the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing. Here are the five steps.
- 01
Earn a BSN and an RN license
Most PMHNP programs admit Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates who hold an active RN license. If you start with an associate degree or a non-nursing bachelor's, bridge programs exist. You'll practice on a Pennsylvania RN license while you complete graduate school.
- 02
Enroll in an accredited PMHNP program
Choose an MSN or a BSN-to-DNP with a PMHNP focus. The degree must hold CCNE or ACEN accreditation, or it won't qualify you for the certification exam. Pennsylvania has 7 verified in-state programs (listed above), and 45 accredited online programs also enroll Pennsylvania residents.
- 03
Complete a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours
The ANCC requires at least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours, and many programs require 600 to 750. Securing local clinical placements is the biggest practical hurdle, so confirm whether a program arranges your preceptors before you enroll.
- 04
Pass the ANCC PMHNP-BC certification exam
The ANCC PMHNP-BC first-time pass rate was 83% in 2024 and 82% in 2025. Either the ANCC exam or the newer AANPCB PMHNP exam qualifies you for state licensure; ANCC's PMHNP-BC is the one most employers list by name.
- 05
Get Pennsylvania APRN licensure and DEA registration
The Pennsylvania Board of Nursing issues your APRN license and prescriptive authority once you're certified, and a federal DEA registration lets you prescribe controlled substances. Practice authority varies by state, so confirm current Pennsylvania requirements with the board before you enroll.
For the full national pathway, including itemized cost, timeline, and program selection advice, see our complete guide on how to become a PMHNP.
Pennsylvania NP licensure and reduced practice authority
Pennsylvania is a reduced-practice state. The AANP defines that as state law reducing the ability of nurse practitioners to engage in at least one element of practice, and requiring a career-long regulated collaborative agreement with another health provider, typically a physician, in order to practice. In plain terms, a Pennsylvania PMHNP prescribes and treats under a collaborative agreement rather than fully independently.
That is worth weighing if independent or cash-pay practice is a long-term goal, since those models are harder to run here than in a full-practice state. Licensure runs through the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing on top of national certification.
What the state requires
- Active Pennsylvania RN license (or a multistate compact license)
- Graduate PMHNP degree from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- National PMHNP-BC certification (ANCC)
- CRNP certification and prescriptive authority from the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing
- A collaborative agreement with a physician (required under reduced practice)
- DEA registration to prescribe controlled substances
State board: Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing
PMHNP pay in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania statewide NP wage is about $130,140 per BLS OEWS state data (May 2025), about 2% below the $132,300 national NP median. Pennsylvania also has a lower cost of living than the highest-wage states, so the lower nominal wage stretches further than it looks.
BLS does not separately publish entry-level or experienced PMHNP wages for Pennsylvania, so we do not show those tiers rather than estimate them. One structural factor: Pennsylvania's reduced-practice rules make the independent and cash-pay models that lift pay most in full-practice states harder to run, since you must maintain a collaborative agreement. Our PMHNP salary guide details pay by setting and practice model.
The Pennsylvania PMHNP job market
Demand for psychiatric prescribers is strong in Pennsylvania, as nationally. The BLS projects nurse practitioner employment to grow about 40% from 2024 to 2034 nationally; a Pennsylvania-specific projection is not separately verified here. Major systems such as Penn Medicine, Jefferson Health, Temple, UPMC in the western part of the state, and the VA support both clinical placements and hiring. Telehealth widens options further, though Pennsylvania's collaborative-agreement requirement applies wherever you practice in-state.
- Community mental health centers and FQHCs in Pennsylvania often qualify for the federal NHSC Loan Repayment Program.
Choosing a PMHNP program in Pennsylvania
With 7 verified in-state programs, Pennsylvania gives you a real choice. A few factors separate them.
- Accreditation first: every program in the list above is accredited, so each clears the bar for ANCC PMHNP-BC eligibility; confirm any online program you compare is CCNE- or ACEN-accredited.
- Entry point: decide whether you want an entry-level MSN (offered at Penn, Drexel, La Salle, and Wilkes) or a post-master's certificate for nurses who already hold an MSN (offered at Drexel, Wilkes, and Robert Morris).
- Location: Penn, Drexel, and La Salle form a Philadelphia cluster; Wilkes is in Wilkes-Barre and Robert Morris is near Pittsburgh, so consider where you want to be for any in-person requirements.
- Clinical placement support: some Pennsylvania schools arrange your clinical sites; others have you secure your own preceptors — a major practical difference. Each card notes which, where we have verified it.
- For the Philadelphia-metro view of Penn, Drexel, and La Salle, see our Philadelphia PMHNP guide.
Keep researching
PMHNP Programs in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia-metro view of Penn and Drexel.
Best Online PMHNP Programs
The national field of accredited online options.
PMHNP Programs by State
Browse every state's verified programs.
How to Become a PMHNP
The pathway, certification, and clinical-hour requirement.
PMHNP Salary Guide
What psychiatric NPs earn by state, experience, and setting.
Questions, answered
How many PMHNP programs are in Pennsylvania?+
Does Pennsylvania allow nurse practitioners to practice independently?+
How much do PMHNPs make in Pennsylvania?+
Which Pennsylvania PMHNP programs arrange clinical placements?+
What do I need to become a licensed PMHNP in Pennsylvania?+
Program details and figures trace to primary sources; gaps are labeled, not estimated.
- [1] University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, PMHNP (program page)
- [2] Wilkes University, Online Psychiatric Mental Health NP (program page)
- [3] Drexel University, Post-Graduate APRN Certificate, PMHNP (catalog)
- [4] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS: Nurse Practitioners (29-1171), national and state wages
- [5] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Practitioners
- [6] AANP, State Practice Environment (Pennsylvania: reduced practice)