Online nurse practitioner programs or registered nurse programs or courses are becoming increasingly popular at present and the increase also predicted in the mere future. LPN to RN programs have also been wide spread. Since there is a predicted high demand for nurses by 2018 in the United States, there have been an increasing number of creations of nursing programs to meet the demand. Although the many nursing programs opening all over the United States at this moment, unfortunately even with all the programs and schools open, not all of them are equal. Before choosing a school, you must thoroughly research all about the school before pursuing your nursing career. The school must be properly accredited in the State you are living in, the facilities should be functional and conducive for the students and the instructors should be highly competent and effective in teaching the students properly.

Many websites have been viewed to come up with a list of the top 10 schools for 2010-2011 – most of which offer LPN to RN online.

Online nurse practitioner programs are also combined with the top universities from all around the United States. Here is a list of the top 10 nursing schools for 2010-2011.

1. The Virginia University. This University is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Besides RN programs they also have courses for Masters in nursing.
2. Johns Hopkins University. Located in Maryland and provides many degree programs such as BSN and PhD degrees.
3. University of Washington. Located in Seattle, Washington. Another school accredited and very well known for providing nursing programs for students.
4. North Carolina University of Chapel Hill. Another university that provides many nursing programs.  They provide BSN programs, Master degree courses, PhD programs and distance learning programs.
5. University of Iowa. All programs in this university are recognized internationally. The College of Nursing offers degree programs with certification and joint program degrees.
6. Kaplan University. This is one of the famous online universities that provide BSN degrees for RNs and other nursing specialties. Kaplan’s online courses are great for students who want to be a student but need time to balance work and family.
7. Indiana State University. Another top online university that recommends not only LPN programs and RN programs but also Master degree programs.
8. University of Phoenix. A university that offers a nursing course that can be taken online. They also offer courses in health administration and many other areas.
9. South University. An online university that provides RN programs and Master degree programs. This school doesn’t offer many types of degree programs unlike other schools, but for students who have problems with finances, they do offer aid in finances and also scholarships.
10. Grand Canyon University. All courses offered in this university are properly accredited and have one enrollment deadline every semester. Besides providing RN courses they also provide Master’s in Health Care Systems Nursing Leadership and Master’s in Nursing Education.

The ranking of top universities and online nurse practitioner programs have many important factors that include them in the list of top nursing schools.

The nursing school rankings have been put together by U.S News & World Report and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other resources. The rank the schools based on the school’s reputation in the past, the scored of the student’s standardized tests also in terms of how many students are accepted to the school. Other important factors are the faculty income, fees in tuition, graduation rates and alumni donation rates.

Choosing the best university or online nurse practitioner programs that best fits your schedule and needs is vital. You need to have an in-depth research about the schools and programs offered by the state you live in because they do vary. Nobody wants to spend precious money on a school that doesn’t give their best for their students. So choose wisely, be smart and research online. Even better, go to the actual school and have a talk with the administration to have more information about the school.