50+ CRNA Schools For 2022

By: Kathleen Gaines MSN, RN, BA, CBC

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably thinking about, or on your way to becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, the highest-paid nursing profession out there! We know it’s no easy feat, so congrats to you for taking this first step! One of the biggest decisions you have to make in this process is choosing a program! 

To help you with this decision, we’ve rounded up a list of accredited CRNA schools by state for 2022, including the program cost, the type of degree offered, and whether the program is private or public, so you can easily find the right program for you!

Alabama

Samford University
Birmingham, AL
Program Cost: $10,695 per semester  (3 terms per year)
Degree offered: 
School Type: Private

University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
Program Cost: $572 per credit
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Public

University of Mobile
Mobile, AL
Program Cost: $1,000 per credit
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Private

Arizona

Midwestern University
Glendale, AZ
Program Cost: $49,197 per year
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Private

University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
Program Cost: $1,200 per credit
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Public

Arkansas

Arkansas State University
Sate University, AR
Program Cost: $45,000 per year
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Public

University of Arkansas

Little Rock, AR

Program cost: $22,002/year

Degree offered: DNAP

School type: Public

California

California State University Fullerton

Fullerton, CA

Program cost: $90,791

Degree offered: DNAP

School type: Public

Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA
Program Cost: $138,666
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Private

National University
Fresno, CA
Program Cost: $75,690
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Private

Samuel Merritt University
Oakland, CA
Program Cost: $110,679
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

University of Southern California (USC)
Los Angeles, CA
Program Cost: $1,928 per unit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Connecticut

Quinnipiac University
Hamden, CT
Program Cost:  $1,085/credit
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Private

Yale University - New Haven Hospital
New Haven, CT
Program Cost:  $47,725per year
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Private

District of Columbia

Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Program Cost:  $81,933 year 1, $39,697 year 2, $24,882 year 3
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Private

Florida

AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL
Program cost: $110,215
Degree offered: DNAP
School type: Private

Barry University
Hollywood, FL
Program Cost:  $97,650
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, FL
Program Cost:  $363.38/credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Florida International University
Miami, FL
Program Cost:  $84,521
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Florida State University
Panama City, FL
Program Cost:  $92,595.25
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Georgia

Illinois

Millikin University
Decatur, IL
Program Cost: $1,018 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Northshore University Healthcare/Depaul University
Evanston, IL
Program Cost: $755 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Rosalind Franklin University
North Chicago, IL
Program Cost: $129,088
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: 

Rush University
Chicago, IL
Program Cost: $1,110 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville, IL
Program Cost: $61,993
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Indiana

Marian University
Indianapolis, IN
Program Cost: $1,450/credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

University of Evansville
Evansville, IN
Program Cost: $14,100/semester
Degree offered: DNAP
School Type: Private

Iowa

Iowa University
Iowa City IA
Program Cost: $80,756
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Kansas

Kentucky

Murray State University
Madisonville, KY
Program Cost: $707 per credit
Degree offered: MSN
School Type: Public

Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
Program Cost: $746 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Louisiana

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
Baton Rouge, LA
Program Cost: $97,284.00
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Louisiana State University
New Orleans, LA
Program Cost: $30,907.50 per year
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Northwestern State University

Natchitoches, LA

Program cost: $475/credit

Degree offered: DNP

School type: Public

Maine

Maryland

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Program cost: $62,811/year

Degree offered: DNP

School type: Private

Uniformed Services University
Bethesda, MD
Program Cost: Free w/ 7years active duty
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

University of Maryland
Baltimore, MD
Program Cost: $824 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Massachusetts

Michigan

Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Program Cost:  $78,735
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Oakland University Beaumont
Royal Oak, MI
Program Cost:  $10,500 per semester
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI
Program Cost: $112,914
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

The University of Michigan Flint
Flint, MI
Program Cost: $887.50 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
Program Cost: $961.83 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Minnesota

Mayo School of Health Sciences
Rochester, MN
Program Cost: $63,556
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Mississippi

University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS
Program Cost: $8,536 per term
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Missouri

North Carolina

University of North Carolina Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Program Cost: $81,012
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

North Dakota

University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND
Program Cost: $31,067.49/year
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Ohio

Cleveland Clinic School of Anesthesia
Cleveland, OH
Program Cost: $2,133 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Frances Payne Bolton – Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH

Program cost: $2,263 per credit

Degree offered: DNP

School type: Private

Lourdes University
Sylvania, OH
Program Cost: $11,000 per semester
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Oregon

Oregon Health and Science University
Portland, OR
Program Cost: $132,218.66
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Pennsylvania

La Roche College/Allegheny School of Anesthesia
Pittsburgh, PA
Program Cost: $995 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

La Salle University - Einstein Medical Center
Norristown, PA
Program Cost:  $900 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

St. Vincent College/Excela Health School

Latrobe, PA

Program cost: $1,119/credit

Degree offered: DNP

School type: Private

Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA
Program Cost: $48,668 per year
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Program Cost: $227,278
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Program Cost: $28,278 per year
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

University of Scranton
Scranton, PA
Program Cost: $1,200 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

UPMC Hamot School of Anesthesia/Gannon University

Erie, PA

Program cost: $86,265

Degree offered: DNP

School type: Private

Villanova University/Crozer Chester Medical Center
Springfield, PA
Program Cost: $1,300 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

South Carolina

Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC
Program Cost: $27,972 per year
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC
Program Cost:  $7,545/semester
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

South Dakota

Mount Marty College
Sioux Falls, SD
Program Cost: $1,220 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Tennessee

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, TN

Program cost: $34,095/year

Degree offered: DNP

School type: Private

Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia
Madison, TN
Program Cost: $95,000
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Union University
Jackson, TN
Program Cost: $30,750/year
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN
Program Cost: $6,690 per semester
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

University of Tennessee Chattanooga - Erlanger Health
Chattanooga, TN
Program Cost: $5,235 per semester
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Memphis, TN
Program Cost: $18,698 per year
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

Texas

Baylor College
Houston, TX
Program Cost: $116,456
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX
Program Cost: $105,619
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

Texas Wesleyan University
Forth Worth, TX
Program Cost: $1,262 per credit
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Private

University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center
Houston, TX
Program Cost: $50,079
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public

US Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing - Northeastern University
San Antonio, TX
Program Cost: Paid with 5 years of Service
Degree offered: DNP
School Type: Public - Military

Utah

Westminster College
Salt Lake City, UT
Program Cost: $122,490
Degree offered: MSN
School Type: Private

Virginia

Old Dominion University

Virginia Beach, VA

Program cost: $551 per credit

Degree offered: DNP

School type: Public

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA
Program cost: $8,871/semester

Degree offered: DNP
School type: Public

Washington

Wisconsin

Franciscan Healthcare School of Anesthesia - Mayo Clinic Health System

La Crosse, WI

Program cost: $76,674

Degree offered: DNP

School type: Private

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI

Program cost: $1,220 per credit

Degree offered: DNP

School type: Private 

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Oshkosh, WI
Program cost: $86,700

Degree offered: DNP
School type: Public

Nurse Anesthetist Schools By State

Show Me CRNA Programs

Should You get an MSN or DNP to Become a CRNA?

If you’re a registered nurse and thinking about entering this lucrative specialty, there are currently two different education paths you may follow: Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP). Though, the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education (COA) is transitioning to new requirements for entry into practice.

By January 1, 2022, all Nurse Anesthesia programs must be doctoral degrees in order to maintain accreditation. Despite this deadline, the Council has extended the deadline to 2025 in order for CRNA programs to develop the proper curriculum that adheres to all national standards. Since MSN programs take over 2 years to complete, 2019 cohorts will likely be the last MSN-educated CRNAs in the field. 

Programs are continuing to transition to awarding doctoral degrees. As of July 15, 2019, there are 92 nurse anesthesia programs approved by the COA to offer entry-level doctoral degrees and 25 programs approved to offer post-master’s doctoral degree completion programs. Currently, there are 29 programs that remain to be approved to award doctoral degrees. 

Nurse Anesthesia Programs Awarding Master’s and Doctoral Degrees for Entry into Practice

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education

Doctoral Degrees in Nurse Anesthesia

There are two common types of doctoral degrees for aspiring CRNAs: the Doctorate of Nurse Practice (DNP) and the Doctorate of Nursing Anesthesia Practice (DNAP). Most doctoral-level degrees require around 100 credits and take about 36 months to complete. 

The main difference between these two degrees is that some institutions do not recognize the DNAP as a terminal degree - meaning they don’t consider it the highest degree in the field. A DNP is considered a terminal degree for any advanced practice nursing field. 

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) accredited DNP programs while the Nurse Anesthetists Council for Accreditation (NACA) approves DNAP programs, which are specially designed for nurse anesthetist students.

This primarily affects those who wish to obtain a university faculty position, as this may have a bearing on tenure eligibility. If you’re seeking to use your doctorate for practice, however, this shouldn’t hinder your career prospects.

Show Me CRNA Programs

CRNA Program Tuition

Nursing programs differ in how they charge/display costs for tuition. Some universities choose to display costs by credit, some by semester, and others by course.

As a general rule, public schools offer lower tuition rates than private ones. It’s also important to note that in-state resident tuition is often much less than for out-of-state residents.

To get started, here’s a list of COA accredited, programs for nurse anesthesia. Program costs reflect in-state tuition for the 2018-2019 academic year. They also do not reflect miscellaneous fees including books, technology fees, lab fees, and other miscellaneous costs.

It is important to note, that there are programs that offer CRNA classes but are NOT accredited by the COA. These programs will not allow students to sit for their certifications and therefore be unable to practice. 

CRNA Application Requirements 

Regardless of which path you decide to take, there are several requirements that CRNA programs require from their applicants. It is important to have the needed requirements as schools will reject the application. These include:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Registered Nurse License (RN)
• Critical Care/ICU Experience
  • Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Long Term Acute Care Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Post Anesthesia Care Unit do NOT count towards ICU experience
• GPA of 3.0 or higher (Each school has a different minimum requirement but 3.0 is the lowest accepted GPA)
• Life Support Certifications (BLS, ACLS, PALS)
• Resume
• Combined minimum GRE of 300 or better
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) if applicable
• Shadow experience of a CRNA and an accompanying essay
• Nursing Certifications (CCRN, RNC)
• Personal Essay and Interview

FAQs: 

• How long are Nurse Anesthetist programs? 
  • Programs are typically 27-30 months long. Students will typically go to school for 3 years with short breaks between terms. 
• What are the basic educational/experience requirements to become a CRNA? 
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
  • Registered Nurse License (RN)
  • Critical Care/ICU Experience (minimum of 2-3 years)
  • Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Long Term Acute Care Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Post Anesthesia Care Unit do NOT count towards ICU experience
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher (Each school has a different minimum requirement but 3.0 is the lowest accepted GPA)
  • Life Support Certifications (BLS, ACLS, PALS)
  • Combined minimum GRE of 300 or better
• What is a CRNA salary?
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the average income of a nurse anesthetist to be $169,450 per year, with some CRNAs earning over $252,000.
• Can you become a Nurse Anesthetist online? 
  • No. Some programs offer didactic coursework in an online format but all students must attend in-person skills fairs. Furthermore, CRNA school requires practicums which must be completed in person.
• What’s the difference between a CRNA and Anesthesiologist? 
  • An anesthesiologist receives medical education and is an M.D. while CRNAs receive nursing education.