Student experience
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As a Frontier Nursing University student, you’ll join a culture of caring and a community of entrepreneurial, ethical and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners who are leaders in health care with an emphasis on rural and underserved populations. We offer a supportive student network, amazing faculty and staff, and an opportunity to complete a graduate education in your home community.
FNU by the Numbers
2,700 students enrolled
75% live in rural or underserved areas
30.1% students of color
6% male students
Student Success
At Frontier Nursing University, we are committed to providing the resources and connections you need to thrive academically, professionally, and personally. With personalized guidance from academic advisors, peer collaboration opportunities, and a robust curriculum delivered by passionate faculty, you have everything you need to succeed as a Frontier student.
The Student Engagement, Access, and Success team cultivates a seamless, student-centered ecosystem grounded in Inclusive Excellence and Frontier Nursing University’s foundational Culture of Caring that supports every student from enrollment through graduation and beyond.
A Leader in Distance Education Since 1989
While we have several options to choose from based on your education and career level, the graphic below demonstrates one popular path for RNs who hold a bachelor’s degree and wish to earn both an MSN and a DNP or RNs who wish to specialize in an area not obtained in their original graduate studies:
Frontier Nursing University’s mission is built on more than 100 years of experience in nurse-midwifery and family care. FNU implemented a distance education model in 1989, allowing us to reach students in rural and underserved communities in all 50 states.
FNU students complete 100% of their didactic coursework online in their home communities. We have worked hard over the years to make sure students can enjoy the benefits of a distance-education model while staying connected to FNU regardless of where they are located.
Campus Immersion Experiences
The experience of being a Frontier Nursing University student is unique and one you won’t find elsewhere. One to two campus immersion experiences are part of the FNU journey, including an orientation prior to beginning studies, and a skills-intensive workshop prior to beginning the clinical practicum.
Students begin their journey with an enriching three-day campus immersion experience on Frontier Nursing University’s beautiful campus in Kentucky. Our alumni will tell you that this tradition is one of their most treasured memories as an FNU student.
Clinical Experience
The clinical experience is one of the most exciting times in the student journey as it allows you to gain hands-on experience with practicing clinicians in your home community. FNU faculty and staff are with you every step of the way.
Frontier’s Clinical Outreach and Placement Services Team ensures you have access to resources that will assist in identifying and selecting a qualified preceptor in your program area who best fits your needs and interests.
Faculty
We take great pride in the faculty at Frontier Nursing University, and our students rank our faculty at the top of their FNU experience. Not only are our faculty known for being extremely supportive and responsive, but 96 percent of our faculty members are also certified nurse-midwives and/or nurse practitioners. Half of the FNU faculty continue in clinical practice as advanced practice nurses and nurse-midwives in addition to their teaching responsibilities.
FNU offers a wide range of resources to its students, faculty, and staff, including mental health resources, dedicated counseling services, and wellness initiatives.
Certification Exam Pass Rates
Student success is of utmost importance to the faculty and staff at Frontier Nursing University, which is why we constantly evaluate our programs and explore new ways to enhance the student experience. Research shows that our programs are adequately preparing students for their practice. We analyze student achievement through ongoing evaluation of degree attainment, certification exam results, and job placement in rural and underserved areas. The overall licensure and certification exam pass rate for FNU graduates in 2025 was 95.6%.
“The most meaningful part is the connections I’ve made with other students and with faculty.”
fnu news
Graduate Spotlight: Jaime Westlund Turns a Dream Into Care for the Kona Community in Hawaii
Graduate Spotlight: Denise Wilks answers her calling to serve families through a collaborative physician-midwife team she helped build
