North Dakota and GW's online nursing programs
North Dakota has been on GW's list of states it cannot enroll online students from since at least 2017, and the current State Authorizations page still names it. The North Dakota Board of Nursing recognizes distance programs one at a time, and GW is not on its 2026-2027 roster. Here is what that means and who at GW gives the final answer.
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GW's programs and a North Dakota address
GW's pages split on North Dakota. The State Authorizations page shuts North Dakota residents out of all GW online programs, pointing to limits on clinical placement, and the provost's older page lists it among states where not all programs may be offered. GW's FAQ skips it, and the licensure disclosures call it a state that meets requirements.
| Program | North Dakota residents | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MSN and DNP nurse practitioner tracks | Not accepted online | Disclosures say North Dakota meets requirements |
| NP certificates and Nurse-Midwifery | Not accepted online | Also marked as meeting requirements |
| Leadership MSN and post-MSN DNP | Not accepted online | Outside GW's disclosure pages |
| Acute Care NP options | Not accepted | Limited to residents of DC, Maryland or Virginia |
When GW's pages disagree, plan around the School of Nursing's State Authorizations page and let GW admissions make the final call. Every GW limit is collected on our state authorizations guide.
How the North Dakota board recognizes distance programs
NDBON's distance education recognition reaches any program that sends students working toward LPN, RN or APRN licensure into facilities in the state, so NP programs fall inside it. A school also needs NC-SARA approval or clearance (authorization or exemption) from the state's Board of Higher Education. The cycle runs like this:
- Seek recognitionThe school applies at least two months (60 days) before students are due to arrive and pays the yearly graduate-program fee.
- File a semester rosterBefore students begin each term, it reports who they are, their North Dakota or compact license details, the facilities and the courses.
- Show who supervisesPreceptors and faculty are named, with resumes and North Dakota or compact licenses attached.
- Prove the sites are readyAffiliation agreements go in, along with each facility's confirmation that it has room for students.
State law lets students train under an out-of-state program the board recognizes once written notice is on file and a site has room. GW is absent from the 2026-2027 recognized list; a different Washington, DC university appears on it.
A full practice state, with a head start on the APRN Compact
Of the five states GW's online programs turn away, North Dakota alone earns AANP's full practice rating, so its NPs work without a required physician agreement. Its legislature adopted the APRN Compact on March 9, 2021, one of five enacting states so far; seven are needed before the compact takes effect.
Sanford Health runs medical centers in both Fargo and Bismarck. Grand Forks has Altru Health System, Essentia Health operates in Fargo, Minot has Trinity Health, and Bismarck also has CHI St. Alexius Health, a CommonSpirit hospital. About 202,000 of the Fargo metro's residents are North Dakotans, and the Bismarck metro holds about 140,000.
Licensing where two states share a metro
North Dakota's compact membership began January 19, 2018, and NDBON's semester filings list every student's license, whether North Dakota's or another compact state's. Minnesota shares both the Fargo and Grand Forks metros yet sits outside the compact, so a rotation on the Minnesota side calls for a Minnesota RN license. GW wants a license in each state you train in; our RN license page covers the mechanics.
Why GW students near North Dakota choose us
Minnesota is not on GW's restricted list, so a GW student whose address GW confirms on the Minnesota side of a shared metro may be able to train there with a Minnesota license, subject to GW's review. Cross-border plans like that are exactly what we handle well: your placement advisor searches the right state, matches each preceptor's license to it and hands you a complete, GW-ready submission. Anyone relocating from North Dakota gets the same care in the new state. Begin with the contact form, or see how it works.
Questions GW students ask
Does North Dakota's student exemption cover GW students?
North Dakota's exemption applies to students in out-of-state programs the board recognizes, after written notice and subject to site availability. GW does not appear on NDBON's 2026-2027 recognized list, so the exemption would not reach a GW rotation in North Dakota unless that changes and GW confirms it.
My address is in the Minnesota part of the Fargo metro. Does GW's North Dakota limit apply?
GW's limit is worded for applicants from North Dakota, and the disclosure index uses an online student's present home address, which in your case is in Minnesota. Confirm that reading with GW admissions. Minnesota is outside the Nurse Licensure Compact, so Minnesota rotations would need a Minnesota RN license.
Why do GW's disclosures list North Dakota as meeting requirements?
The disclosures address whether GW's curriculum satisfies North Dakota's education requirements for licensure. The State Authorizations page addresses admission and cites clinical placement restrictions. Both statements can stand at once, and it is the admissions page, confirmed by GW admissions, that decides whether you can enroll.
Can the APRN Compact carry my future NP license into North Dakota?
Not for now. The compact needs seven member states to operate and has five, North Dakota included since 2021. Until it activates, each state licenses APRNs separately, and North Dakota grants the NPs it licenses full practice authority with no collaborating physician.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-24
We check these pages against GW's Bulletin and GW Nursing's own program and clinical pages. Your course, CORE and GW's Clinical Placement Team have the final word.
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