PMHNP Programs in Texas
Texas has 6 verified, in-state PMHNP programs, several of them public, including four University of Texas System schools (UT Austin, UT Arlington, UT Health San Antonio, and UT Rio Grande Valley) plus Texas State University and Midwestern State University. They span MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and post-master's certificate routes, and several do not require the GRE. Texas is a restricted-practice state, so nurse practitioners work under physician oversight, and the statewide NP wage is about $131,670 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $132,300 national median. Here are the verified programs, the Texas licensure rules, and what pay looks like.
The short version
Texas has 6 verified, in-state PMHNP programs spanning MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and post-master's certificate routes — the full list is below, generated from our verified dataset.
Several verified programs are public, including four University of Texas System schools (UT Austin, UT Arlington, UT Health San Antonio, and UT Rio Grande Valley) plus Texas State University and Midwestern State University. Several do not require the GRE.
Texas is a restricted-practice state: nurse practitioners practice under physician supervision and a prescriptive authority agreement. That is more restrictive than full- or reduced-practice states.
The statewide NP wage is about $131,670 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), roughly at the national median, and Texas has a lower cost of living than the highest-wage coastal states.
Many accredited online programs also enroll Texas residents — for the full national comparison, see our online PMHNP ranking.
If you are searching for PMHNP programs in Texas, you have a solid in-state field: 6 verified programs, several of them public. The University of Texas System alone offers four — UT Austin, UT Arlington, UT Health San Antonio, and UT Rio Grande Valley — alongside Texas State University in Round Rock and Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. They span MSN, BSN-to-DNP, and post-master's certificate routes, so you can enter at the master's level or pursue a doctoral path, and several do not require the GRE.
The real Texas-specific questions are which program fits your degree goal and budget, what Texas requires to get licensed, and what the job pays here. This guide answers those, lists the verified in-state programs below, and labels anything we cannot source rather than estimating it. Texas residents can also consider accredited online programs from schools based anywhere, completing the supervised clinical hours at a site near home.
The 6 verified PMHNP programs based in Texas
Texas State University
Round Rock, TX
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
Midwestern State University Wilson School of Nursing
Wichita Falls, TX
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX
Accredited online PMHNP programs Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas
The path to becoming a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner in Texas is the same graduate-nursing route used nationwide, with one local variable: your APRN license and prescriptive authority come from the Texas 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 Texas 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. Texas has 6 verified in-state programs (listed above), and 45 accredited online programs also enroll Texas 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 Texas APRN licensure and DEA registration
The Texas 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 Texas 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.
Texas NP licensure and restricted practice
Texas is a restricted-practice state, which the AANP defines as state law restricting the ability of a nurse practitioner to engage in at least one element of practice, and requiring career-long supervision, delegation, or team management by another health provider for the NP to provide care. In Texas, that means an APRN practices under a prescriptive authority agreement with a delegating physician.
That is the most regulated of the three practice environments, and it is worth weighing if independent or cash-pay practice is a long-term goal. Licensure runs through the Texas Board of Nursing on top of national certification. The clinical credential you earn is the same nationwide; what Texas adds is the physician-oversight requirement.
What the state requires
- Active Texas RN license (or a multistate compact license)
- Graduate PMHNP degree from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program
- National PMHNP-BC certification (ANCC)
- APRN licensure and authorization from the Texas Board of Nursing
- A prescriptive authority agreement with a delegating physician (required under restricted practice)
- DEA registration to prescribe controlled substances
State board: Texas Board of Nursing
PMHNP pay in Texas
The Texas statewide NP wage is about $131,670 per BLS OEWS state data (May 2025), essentially at the $132,300 national NP median. Texas pairs that with a relatively low cost of living and no state income tax, so the nominal wage tends to stretch further than in higher-cost states.
BLS does not separately publish entry-level or experienced PMHNP wages for Texas, so we do not show those tiers rather than estimate them. One structural factor: Texas restricted-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 physician prescriptive authority agreement. Our PMHNP salary guide details pay by setting and practice model.
The Texas PMHNP job market
Texas is a large, fast-growing market with major metro demand in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin, and a documented shortage of psychiatric prescribers across its rural counties. The BLS projects nurse practitioner employment to grow about 40% from 2024 to 2034 nationally; a Texas-specific projection is not separately verified here. Large systems such as the Texas Medical Center in Houston, the VA, and community mental health centers hire psychiatric prescribers, and telehealth widens the options, though the prescriptive authority agreement applies wherever you practice in-state.
- Community mental health centers and FQHCs in Texas often qualify for the federal NHSC Loan Repayment Program.
Choosing a PMHNP program from Texas
With 6 verified in-state programs plus the national online field, Texas gives you real choice. A few factors matter more than brand:
- Degree level: decide whether you want a master's (MSN) entry point, a BSN-to-DNP doctoral route, or a post-master's certificate. Texas offers all three across its verified programs.
- Cost: several of the verified programs are public University of Texas System and state-university options, which tend to undercut private and out-of-state programs. Each program card below shows its verified rate.
- Ask who arranges your clinical placement. School-arranged placement is a major advantage; student-arranged means you secure your own Texas preceptor.
- Weigh accreditation (CCNE or ACEN), total cost, and verified clinical hours, the same factors our rankings score.
- Plan for the Texas prescriptive authority agreement when you graduate, since you will practice under a delegating physician.
- If you are also comparing the national online field, see our online PMHNP ranking.
Keep researching
Best Online PMHNP Programs
The full 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.
Best PMHNP Programs
The flagship ranking across every format.
Questions, answered
How many PMHNP programs are in Texas?+
Can I do a PMHNP online in Texas?+
Does Texas allow nurse practitioners to practice independently?+
How much do PMHNPs make in Texas?+
What do I need to become a licensed PMHNP in Texas?+
Program details and figures trace to primary sources; gaps are labeled, not estimated.