coursework for midwifery

Best Nurse Midwifery Schools

What is nurse midwifery school.

• Top Midwifery Schools
• Midwifery School Overview
• Things to Know
• Prerequisites
• Requirements

Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) are traditionally known for their care and medical support of women and infants during labor and childbirth. However, nurse midwife duties also include caring for women at many other points throughout their lifespans, including pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, after birth, and throughout their reproductive lives. To become a midwife, you’ll need to enroll in a midwifery school. 

Nurses attend nurse midwifery school to earn the advanced practice certifications necessary to become certified nurse midwives. Nurses attending midwifery school often earn either a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. However, some nurse midwifery schools also offer shorter certificate programs.

Popular Online Nurse Midwifery / Women's Health Programs

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Top midwifery schools & programs 2024.

Our ranking algorithm uses the latest and most robust US government data sets, specifically the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Scorecard. We consider factors such as graduation rate, student-faculty ratio, program focus, and more to help you find the right nursing program.

1. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt’s midwifery school is next door to its University Medical Center, one of the nation's top medical centers. Not only is Vanderbilt's nurse-midwifery program one of the largest in the US, but it's also quite rigorous and competitive.

Vanderbilt University's midwife school has a faculty of doctorally prepared educators who use a combination of classroom, simulation, and clinical midwife training to prepare aspiring midwives for certification. The school also reports a low faculty-to-student ratio and personalized education to students.

• Tuition: $1,939 per credit hour
• Program length: 4 semesters (full-time); 7 semesters (part-time)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)
• Priority: October 15th (fall start)
• Students who submit after the priority deadline are considered on a space-available basis
• Phone: 615-322-3800 or 1-888-333-9192 (toll free)
• Email: [email protected]
• Are online options available? Yes: Hybrid coursework with in-person components
• On-campus/hybrid
• The school also has a program for non-RN students to complete an accelerated BSN before starting the midwifery program. Students must already have a bachelor's degree in another field for application consideration. 

2. Oregon Health and Science University, Portland

Nurse midwives are present in nearly 20% of all births in and around Portland, Oregon, so it makes sense that one of the best nurse midwifery schools is in the area. Portland's Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) is between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade mountain range. In addition to OHSU's solid reputation for reproductive and maternity training, it's also home to the best CRNA school in Oregon .

The OHSU Nurse-Midwifery program has taught students for over 30 years between the university hospital and surrounding clinics. Students learn by attending many of the births at the OHSU hospital. 

Students earn over 1000 hours of individualized, supervised practice before graduation from OHSU in diverse patient populations and clinics in the surrounding areas.

• Tuition:  Resident - $8,688.69 per quarter; Non-resident - $10,497.69 per quarter
• Program length: 3 years or 116 credit hours
• Accreditation: ACME
• Application deadline: February 20th (fall start)
• Phone: 503-494-7725
• Email: [email protected]
• Are online options available? Yes: Hybrid coursework with in-person components 
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
• OSHU also offers an accelerated BSN to DNP midwifery program for students who have a BSN in another field outside of nursing

3. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan (UM)  at Ann Arbor, Michigan, offers two options for nurses who want to be nurse-midwives:

• A Nurse-Midwifery-MSN
• A Nurse-Midwifery-DNP

UM created the first graduate nurse-midwifery program in Michigan to address high infant mortality rates. Now UM midwifery graduates work in organizations such as birth centers, hospitals, and private and public clinics.

UM aims to provide midwife training and education to nurses to become teachers, advocates, researchers, and public educators. The UM midwifery website also boasts that faculty within the program works with each student to understand their goals before classes begin. 

• Tuition: Resident - $13,347 per academic year; Non-resident - $26,891 per academic year
• Nurse-midwife MSN: 2-3 years
• Nurse-midwife DNP: 3-4 years
• Application Deadline: March 15th (fall start)
• Phone: 734-763-5985
• Email: [email protected]
• Are Online Options Available? No 
• BSN to MSN Nurse-midwife program- 2-year plan
• BSN to MSN Nurse-midwife program- 3-year plan
• BSN to DNP Nurse-midwife program- 3-year plan
• BSN to DNP Nurse-midwife program- 4-year plan

4. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) is a private Ivy League institution established in 1740.

The UPenn midwifery school website states that they offer unique clinical education opportunities in addition to the most current research in the field. Some of the skills taught at UPenn that may not be available through other midwifery programs include but aren't limited to OB ultrasonography, IUD insertion, and endometrial biopsy procedures. 

This program is also unique because it is a double major, and graduates are eligible for two national certification exams:

• The certification exam for Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM)
• Certification to be a Women’s Health Nurse-Practitioner, by the National Certification Corporation (NCC)

The school reports that their midwifery graduates become directors of home birthing centers, home-birth practitioners, midwifery educators, and directors of small and large hospitals. 

• Tuition:   $54,008 per academic year
• Program Length:  2 years (full-time); 3 years (part-time)
• Application Deadline: November 1st (full-time); March 15th (part-time)
• Phone: 215-898-4271
• Email: [email protected]
• Are Online Options Available?  Yes: Hybrid coursework with in-person components
• Full-time and part-time program options

5. East Carolina University, North Carolina

East Carolina University in North Carolina's nurse midwife schooling prepares registered nurses to become competent practitioners of nurse-midwifery as certified nurse midwives. Graduates earn an MSN or Post Masters Certificate in nurse-midwifery and can sit for the American Midwifery Certification Board exam.

• Tuition: In-state - $3,828.47 per semester; Non-resident - $10,402.97 per semester
• Program length: 2 years (full-time)
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Application deadline: September 15th (spring start)
• Phone: 252-744-6358
• Email: [email protected]
• Are Online Options Available? Yes: Hybrid coursework with in-person components
• Nurse-Midwifery MSN (Full-Time)
• Nurse-Midwifery MSN (Part-Time)
• Nurse-Midwifery Post-Masters Curriculum Plan

6. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis

University of Minnesota’s midwifery school resides in a community of diverse practices, giving it an edge in clinical experience opportunities. Another reason students love UNM's midwifery program is that it's primarily online. Online midwifery programs combined with scheduled in-person sessions allow for learning flexibility other programs can't offer.

Midwifery students can also earn an additional 12-credit Certification in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices or a minor in Public Health.

• Tuition: $1,053.00 per credit
• Program length: 3 years, full-time
• Priority: November 1st (fall start)
• Final: February 15th
• Phone: 612-625-7980
• Email: [email protected]
• Nurse-midwife DNP

7. University of Washington, Seattle

Located in Seattle with many of the best healthcare facilities nationwide, the University of Washington offers a highly-ranked DNP nurse-midwifery school. This program has been educating nurse-midwives for over 20 years, and they work with over twenty clinical sites throughout the area.

Students must attend the program on-site and full-time. After completing the program, students can sit for the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) certification exam. Past rates from 2014 to 2018 were 98% and 100% for students who took the exam a second time.

• Tuition: Resident - $18,057 per academic year; Non-resident - $31,530 per academic year
• Program length: 3 years
• Accreditation: ACME, CCNE
• Application deadline: January 15th (fall start)
• Phone: 206-543-8736
• Email: [email protected]
• Types of Nurse Midwifery Programs:  On-campus/hybrid

8. University of Utah, Salt Lake City

The University of Utah states that its mission is to prepare clinically component nurse-midwives to care for women and their families and become leaders in the community. Their DNP midwifery program takes three years to complete if attending full-time.

The University of Utah has the oldest midwifery program west of the Mississippi. Students can complete dual Nurse-midwifery (NM) and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) specialties. However, this path extends the program by about one semester. 

• Tuition and fees:  Resident: $7,927 per semester; Non-resident - $19,503 per semester
• Accreditation : ACME
• Application deadline: December 1st (fall start)
• Phone:  801-581-3414
• Email: [email protected]
• Types of Nurse Midwifery Programs: On-campus/hybrid

9.  Columbia University, New York City, NY

Founded in 1955, Columbia Universities' midwifery program was one of the first in the US.  As an Ivy League school, the university has an excellent track record for providing quality midwifery education. 

Columbia University’s midwifery program boasts excellent pass rates for graduates, including:

• A 100% Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) pass rate
• A 100% Annual American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) pass rate for test-takers

In addition, 100% of graduates from Columbia University’s midwifery program are employed within one year of graduation.

Upon graduation, students are prepared to provide a wide range of women and infant health care, including pregnancy, delivery, gynecology, antepartum care, and postpartum care. 

• Tuition: $70,194
• Program length: 2 years (88 credits)
• Application deadline: December 15th (fall start)
• Phone: 212-305-5756
• Email: [email protected]

10. University of Colorado, Denver

The University of Colorado in Denver offers coursework to the state and the Mountain West. The university boasts several clinical faculty practice sites that provide high-quality clinical education in Denver and more remote Colorado areas. The University is also striving to expand clinical placements in boarding states. 

• Tuition: Residents: $725 per credit, Non-residents: $1,175 per credit
• MSN: 3 years (7 semesters)
• DNP: 4 years (11 semesters)
• Post-graduate certificate: 2 years (4 semesters)
• December 15th (fall start)
• July 1st (spring start)
• Phone: 303-724-1812
• Email:   [email protected]
• MS Nurse-Midwifery
• BS-DNP Nurse-Midwifery
• Post-Graduate Certificate: Nurse Mid-Wifery

What to Expect From Nurse Midwifery School

Nurse midwifery programs usually have a classroom and an on-site clinical component. Programs typically start with several months of classroom education before working in clinical areas. However, students must manage both parts throughout most of their programs. 

Midwifery programs teach specialty knowledge in women’s health, primary care, midwifery, and newborn care.

Certified midwife programs usually include the following classes:

• Healthcare policy
• Advanced health assessment
• Advanced reproduction
• Advanced physiology and pathophysiology
• Women’s medical care
• Advanced nursing practice pharmacology
• Nurse-midwifery frameworks
• Antepartum care
• Intrapartum and postpartum care
• Newborn care

Certified nurse midwife programs also provide education and training to prepare midwives to perform skills such as: 

• Provide prenatal care
• Perform physical exams
• Prescribe medications and contraception
• Provide gynecological care
• Order and collect lab tests for diagnostic purposes
• Give health education
• Counsel women of all ages
• Give labor and birthing care at all stages of childbirth
• Provide post-birth care for mother and newborn

Check if your midwifery program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). Accreditation ensures that the program you attend adheres to essential core curriculum requirements needed for beginning midwifery practitioners to practice safely.

Things to Know About Becoming a Nurse Midwife

• More women are choosing care from midwives than ever before. It is more attainable to have one no matter where women decide to deliver - at a hospital, a child birthing center, or even home.
• Midwives provide much of the same care as gynecologists. However, midwives have a different type of education that takes about eight years to complete. Midwifery education usually requires a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), a minimum of 1-2 years as a bedside nurse in OB, and two to four years in a graduate or doctoral program for Nurse-midwives.
• Certification requirements and the scope of practice of midwives vary per state. Always refer to the state where you will practice to ensure you meet all requirements and understand your midwifery role.
• Midwives are more focused on allowing for more natural births that require less medical intervention and medications, such as epidurals. However, many women still choose to have midwives present during childbirth, even in the hospital setting.
• If you consider midwifery as a career, know that it is not for the faint of heart! Childbirth is stressful and rarely goes according to anyone’s plan. Babies tend to come when they are ready, and the process is excruciating for the mother and bloody and messy. Midwifery can be stressful, requiring a calm, focused, and relaxed demeanor.

>> Show Me Online Nurse Midwifery Programs

Midwifery Program Prerequisites

Most candidates who become midwives know they want to continue with that education during or soon after their nursing programs. It is important to remember that if you go to midwifery school, you must have completed specific prerequisites within five years of applying to the program. 

Some midwifery program prerequisites may include the following:

• Microbiology
• Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Biomedical Statistics

Prerequisite requirements may differ between schools, so check with your school before taking additional classes to ensure you enroll in the correct ones. 

Midwife School Requirements

Every midwifery program will have slightly different admissions requirements for acceptance. However, the most common program requirements include:

Although most candidates from midwife schools are RNs, some programs allow students who did not go to nursing school to attend their programs. 

However, they will need a bachelor's degree or higher in another field and take an additional full-time accelerated BSN (1-year program) before starting in the school's midwifery program. 

Is a midwife higher than a nurse? 

• Yes, becoming a midwife requires a higher education than becoming a nurse. A midwife is an advanced practice nurse and requires a master of science in nursing (MSN). To become a  registered nurse, you need an associate's degree in nursing (ADN) or a BSN.

What experience do you need to be a nurse-midwife?

• Most midwifery programs require a minimum of one year of experience working as a registered nurse for acceptance consideration into their program. However, a few programs accept non-RN bachelor's degrees with the understanding that students will complete an accelerated BSN program upon acceptance into the midwifery program. 

How long is midwife school?

• Midwifery school takes between 2 and 3 years to complete. However, becoming a certified nurse midwife from start to finish takes an average of 8 years.

What is the best major for midwifery? 

• The best major for a midwife is to have a BSN. To start midwifery program classes, students must have completed a BSN curriculum.

How much do midwives make?

• According to the BLS, the average nurse midwife salary is $120,880 or $58.12 per hour. The BLS adds that the top 10% of earners make about $171,230, while the lowest 10% earn about $77,510 annually. 

What's the difference between a doula and a midwife?

• A doula vs midwife comparison reveals distinct roles in maternal care. Unlike midwives, doulas are not healthcare professionals and do not require advanced degrees. Instead, they are trained assistants who support women emotionally and physically through childbirth and postpartum care.

Sarah Jividen , RN, BSN, is a trained neuro/trauma and emergency room nurse turned freelance healthcare writer/editor. As a journalism major, she combined her love for writing with her passion for high-level patient care. Sarah is the creator of Health Writing Solutions , LLC, specializing in writing about healthcare topics, including health journalism, education, and evidence-based health and wellness trends. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two children. 

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HEALTHCARE CAREER GUIDES

Midwife Career

What is a midwife.

A midwife is an advanced practice healthcare professional trained to help women before, during, and after labor. They play an important role in delivering babies in a variety of settings, such as birthing centers or at home, but most can also deliver babies at a hospital. Midwives treat and manage conditions and complications of pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period, but they also provide primary care and preventive health services, as well as gynecological care in their role as primary or specialty providers. Midwives can carry different training levels, including certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), certified midwives (CMs), and certified professional midwives (CPMs).

RESPONSIBILITIES

What does a midwife do.

Midwives are healthcare professionals who assist women through pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care, and postpartum health. Some of their most common daily responsibilities include:

• Providing family planning and preconceptive care.
• Doing prenatal exams and ordering tests.
• Monitoring the physical and psychological health of a patient.
• Helping make birth plans.
• Advising about diet, exercise, medications, and staying healthy.
• Delivering babies.
• Educating and counseling about pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care.
• Giving emotional and practical support during labor.
• Admitting and discharging patients from the hospital.
• Making referrals to doctors when needed.

EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES

How do i become a midwife.

Midwives play very important and complicated roles in the women's healthcare industry, so they're required to earn an extensive education as well as pass the midwifery exam. Here’s a step-by-step guide to becoming a midwife.

• Become a  registered nurse  and earn your  Bachelor of Science in Nursing  (BSN).
• Complete an Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)-approved midwifery graduate program. It’s very important that you refer to the American College of Nurse-Midwives for programs that make you eligible to take the national certification exam.
• Take and pass the  national midwifery certification exam  per requirement by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).
• Certified nurse-midwives  are trained in both nursing and midwifery. These midwives typically work in clinics and hospitals.  Certified midwives  are professionals whose education background is in a healthcare field other than nursing and who have completed a master’s-level midwifery program. They are like CNMs in nearly every way, except they aren’t required to hold an undergraduate nursing education. A certified professional midwife  is the only midwifery credential that requires experience and education in in-home and similar settings such as freestanding birth centers. CPMs sometimes practice in clinics and doctors' offices providing maternity care.

Best Degrees for a Midwife

Nursing (Prelicensure) – B.S.

A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a...

A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a baccalaureate-prepared nurse:

• Locations:  Due to in-person clinical requirements, students must be full time residents of FL, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MO, NV, NM, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, UT to enroll in this program. The coursework in this program is offered online, but there are in-person requirements.
• Tuition:  $6,430 per 6-month term for the first 4 terms of pre-nursing coursework and $8,755 per 6-month term for the remaining 4 terms of clinical nursing coursework.
• Time:  This program has a set pace and an expected completion time of 4 years. Certain coursework may be accelerated to finish faster.
• WGU offers the prelicensure program in areas where we have partnerships with healthcare employers to provide practice sites and clinical coaches to help teach you and inspire you on your path to becoming a nurse.
• If you don't live in one of our prelicensure states or don't qualify to apply, consider getting our  Bachelor's in Health and Human Services  instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry, while also working directly with patients who need help.

Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:

• Community Health
• Women's and Children's Nursing

Nursing (RN-to-BSN Online) – B.S.

An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added...

An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added theoretical depth, employability, and respect that a bachelor's degree brings:

• Time: 61% of graduates finish within 20 months.
• Tuition:  $4,685 per 6-month term.
• Courses : 23 total courses in this program.
• Transfers: Students can transfer up to 90 credits.
• Healthcare Policy and Economics
• Information Technology in Nursing Practice
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Applied Healthcare Statistics

If you don't currently have an RN and don't qualify for your nursing prelicensure program, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services  instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry in a unique way.

How Much Does a Midwife Make?

According to the  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  (BLS), nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners earn a median salary of $125,900 per year. There is a wide salary range depending on several factors including place of work, experience, and geographical location.

What Is the Projected Job Growth?

The  BLS  reports an extremely positive job outlook for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners. Job openings for these healthcare professionals are projected to experience a 38% growth rate between 2022 and 2032, which is significantly higher than the average for all occupations.

What Skills Does a Midwife Need?

Midwives have a unique job in the healthcare field and, therefore, need a specific set of skills. While their main focus is to play an operative role in safely delivering babies, a lot of other qualities go in to being an excellent midwife.

• Understanding and caring attitude:  Having a baby is one of the most exciting moments in a woman’s life. While one of life’s greatest joys, it’s also one of the most hectic, stressful moments a family experiences, which is why it’s so important for midwives to maintain a calm, understanding, and caring attitude throughout the course of pregnancy.
• Ability to get on well with people from a wide range of backgrounds:  Midwives will encounter all different types of mothers and families, and everyone experiences pregnancy differently with unique challenges. This is why midwives must be open to and get on well with people from all backgrounds.
• Emotional and mental strength:  Over the course of pregnancy and at the time of delivery, there’s a myriad of things that can go wrong. While most pregnancies go just as planned, sometimes there are complications that can border on disaster, so midwives must have the emotional and mental strength to keep mothers and their families calm to solve the complications and deliver a healthy baby.
• Good observation:  There are many nuances of pregnancy. Midwives are skilled at detecting subtle changes in temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure, during the antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal periods of maternity care.
• Ability to act on own initiative:  In urgent situations that may arise during pregnancy, midwives need to have the skill and confidence to act on their own initiative to make sure pregnancies run smoothly and mothers are safe and comfortable.
• Patience:  Pregnancies can be long and exhausting for mothers, with no limit to frustrating side effects. While having a child is a beautiful experience for many, it’s always a challenging process and it’s the job of the midwife to approach every mother and family with patience and compassion.
• Maturity:  Pregnant mothers undergo many confusing and awkward phases of pregnancy, and it takes a mature midwife to help guide these women and their families through the challenges and new experiences of pregnancy.

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Interested in Becoming a Midwife?

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