Best Midwifery Schools for 2023

In order to become a midwife, you’ll need to enroll in the best midwifery schools. Midwives are traditionally known for their care and medical support of women and infants during labor and childbirth. However, this role also requires caring for women at many other points throughout their lifespans, including pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, after birth, and throughout their reproductive lives.

Midwives are highly trained nursing professionals with many years of education and skill in maternity and infant care. Because all women and pregnancies are unique, midwives provide individualized care with cultural, emotional, and physical needs in mind.

Program Methodology

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

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Top Midwifery Schools & Programs 2022

1. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt’s midwifery program is located next door to their University Medical Center, which is also one of the top medical centers in the nation. They boast a rigorous midwifery program and one of the largest nurse-midwifery programs in the US.

Their faculty includes doctorally prepared educators and utilizes a combination of classroom, simulation, and clinical training. They also report a low faculty-to-student ratio and personalized education to students.

• Tuition: Cost per credit hour is $1,793 (52 hours)
• Program length: 4 to 5 semesters, if full-time
• Accreditation: Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). In the process of achieving ACME accreditation
• Application deadline: October 15th of the prior year
• Contact information:
  • Phone:1-888-333-9192
  • Email: VUSN-Admissions@vanderbilt.edu
  • School of nursing address: Godchaux Hall 207, Nashville, TN 37240
• Are online options available? No
• Types of Midwifery Programs:
  •  MSN
  • 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, OR

Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon, is located between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade mountain range. Many Nurse-Midwifery students appreciate the geographical beauty of the area and the fact that the state has a solid reproductive and maternity care reputation. Nurse-midwives are present in nearly 20% of all births in the Portland area!

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: Total resident cost: $99,473.00, Total non-resident cost: $122,325.00
• Program length: 3 years
• Accreditation: ACME
• Application deadline: Jan 14th for the fall
• Contact information:
  • Phone:866 223-1811
  • Email: snweb@ohsu.edu
• Are online options available? No
• Types of Midwifery Programs:
  • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
  • On-campus/hybrid
  • 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, MI

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 training and education to midwives 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: In-state is about $25,000 and out-of-state is about $50,000 per year if attending full-time
• Program Length:
  • Nurse-midwife MSN – has a two year and a 3-year program
  • Nurse-midwife DNP – has a three year and a 4-year program
• Accreditation: ACME
• Application Deadline: March 15th
• Contact Info:
  • Phone: (734) 763-5985
  • Email: UMSN-GradAdmissions@med.umich.edu
• Are Online Options Available? No
• Types of Midwifery Programs: 
  • 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, PA

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

The UPenn midwifery program website states that they offer unique clinical education opportunities offered through the school and the most current research in the field. Some of the skills they say they teach that may not be available through other programs include procedures such as OB ultrasonography, IUD insertion, and endometrial biopsies, to name a few.

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 go on to be directors of home birthing centers, home-birth practitioners, midwifery educators, and directors of small and large hospitals.

• Tuition: Based per program and cost per credit. About $52,500 per year for tuition and fees (does not include housing books or other expenses)
• Program Length: 3 years for full-time students, up to 5 for part-time students
• Accreditation: ACME
• Application Deadline: December 1st of the prior year
• Contact Info:
  • Phone: (215) 898-4271
  • Email: admissions@nursing.upenn.edu
• Are Online Options Available?  No
• Types of Midwifery Programs: 
  • On-campus/hybrid
  • Full-time and part-time program options

5. East Carolina University, North Carolina

East Carolina University in North Carolina has a nurse-midwifery program to prepare registered nurses to become competent practitioners of nurse-midwifery and become Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs).

Graduates earn an MSN or Post Masters Certificate in nurse-midwifery and can sit for the American Midwifery Certification Board exam.

• Tuition: 
  • Residents: $979.83- $3,806 (depending on credit hours taken)
  • Non-residents: $1,710.33- $10,380.97 (depending on credit hours taken)
    • Per the ECU website, the College of Nursing may charge a tuition differential per credit hour for graduate classes in MSN programs. Contact the department for details.
• Program length: about two years (if full-time)
• Accreditation: CCNE, ACME
• Application deadline: September 15
• Contact Info: 
  • Email: bagleyr@ecu.edu
  • Phone number: 252.744.6433
• Are Online Options Available? No
• Types of midwifery programs:
  •  Hybrid
  • Nurse-Midwifery MSN (Full-Time)
  • Nurse-Midwifery MSN (Part-Time)
  • Nurse-Midwifery Post-Masters Curriculum Plan

6. University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN

University of Minnesota’s midwifery program resides in a community of diverse midwifery practices, giving it an edge in clinical experience opportunities.

Another benefit of this midwifery program is that the curriculum is primarily online in conjunction with scheduled in-person sessions, which allows for learning flexibility.

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

• Tuition: $79,000
• Program length: 3 years, full-time
• Accreditation: ACME
• Application deadline: September 1 for the following year
• Contact Info 
  • Email: GopherNursing@umn.edu
  • Phone: 612-625-7980
• Are Online Options Available? No
• Types of Midwifery Programs:
  • Nurse-midwife DNP
  • On-campus/hybrid

7. University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Located in Seattle with many of the best healthcare facilities nationwide, the University of Washington offers a highly-ranked DNP nurse-midwifery program. 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. Upon completing the program, students are eligible to 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: $86,000
• Program length: 3 years
• Accreditation: ACME, CCNE
• Application deadline: 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Jan 15 to begin study in the fall
• Contact info: 
  • Email: asknursing@uw.edu
  • Phone number:206.543.8736
• Are online options available? No
• Types of Midwifery Programs: 
  • On-campus/hybrid

8. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

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 operating midwifery program west of the Mississippi. Students have the option of completing a 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: In-state: $3,834.86 per credit, Out-of-state: $$7,080.18 per credit
• Program length: 3 years
• Accreditation: ACME
• Application deadline: By 11:59 MST on December 1 for the following fall
• Contact info:
  • Email: shelley.kern@nurs.utah.edu
• Are online options available? Yes, hybrid options
• Types of midwifery programs: On-campus/hybrid

9.  Columbia University, New York, NY

Founded in 1955, Columbia Universities’ midwifery program was one of the first midwifery programs in the U.S.  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: $68,140
• Program length: 2 years
• Accreditation: ACME, CCNE
• Application deadline: January 31
• Contact info: 
  • Email: nursing@cumc.columbia.edu
  • Phone: 212-305-5756
• Are online options available? Yes, hybrid
• Types of Midwifery Programs: On-campus/hybrid

10. University of Colorado, Denver, CO

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 within the city of Denver and in more remote areas of Colorado. The University is also striving to expand clinical placements in boarding states.

• Tuition: Residents: $725 per credit, Non-residents: $1,175 per credit
• Program length: 7 semesters
• Accreditation: ACME, CCNE
• Application deadline:
  • Dec 15th for the following autumn
  • July 1st for the next spring
• Contact info 
  • Email: shannon.pirrie@cuanschutz.edu
  • Phone: 310-724-1812
• Are online options available? Yes, hybrid
• Types of Midwifery Programs: On-campus/hybrid

What to Expect in a Nurse Midwife Program

Midwifery programs in the U.S. 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 are generally required to manage both parts throughout most of their programs.

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

Midwifery 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

Midwifery programs 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

1. 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 at home.
2. 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’s 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 extremely painful for the mother and bloody and messy. Midwifery can be stressful, and the position requires a calm, focused, and relaxed demeanor.

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Midwifery Program Prerequisites

Most candidates who choose to 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 will need to have completed specific prerequisites within five years of applying to the program.

Some midwifery program prerequisites may include:

• Chemistry
• Microbiology
• Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Microbiology
• Nutrition
• Biomedical Statistics

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

Midwife Program Requirements

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

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

However, they will need to have 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.

FAQs 

• 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’s of science of nursing (MSN). To become a  registered nurse, you will 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. 

• 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, midwives earn an annual average salary of $112,830 annually or $54.24 per hour. The BLS adds that the top 90% of earners make about $166,170 while the lowest 10% earn about $61,500 per year. 

• Is a doula the same as a midwife? 

  • A doula is not the same as a midwife. A doula is not a healthcare professional and does not require a bachelor’s or master’s degree. However, doulas are trained assistants who support women emotionally and physically through childbirth, miscarriage, or post-partum care.