Best CRNA Schools: How to Choose the Right Program for You

The best CRNA school is the accredited program that fits your goals, budget and life, with strong published outcomes. Start with first-time pass rates, attrition and clinical training, then weigh cost, location and format.

There are 154 active accredited programs as of October 2026. This guide shows how to compare them, and what published rankings do and don't tell you.

Start with published outcomes

The COA requires every accredited program to publish three numbers each year for its most recent graduating class:

• Attrition: how many students left the program.
• Employment: how many graduates worked as nurse anesthetists within 6 months.
• First-time NCE pass rate: how many passed the national certification exam on the first try.

The data must be on a website linked from the COA's list of accredited programs. Look for it on the program's home page, admissions page or a "program outcomes" page. If you can't find it, ask.

How to read the numbers

• Pass rate. The national first-time pass rate was 90.5% in 2025, 89.3% in 2024 and 84.9% in 2023. The COA requires programs to meet an 80% pass rate standard, calculated in set ways. Compare a program against the national figure for the same year.
• Attrition. Lower is generally better, but look at several years. One bad year in a small class can look dramatic.
• Employment. Many programs report employment at or near 100% within 6 months. A low figure is worth asking about.

Some programs publish far more. Wake Forest, for example, shows five years of applicants, admitted students, first-time and overall pass rates, attrition and graduation rates. Programs that share this much make your job easier.

Clinical training

Your clinical years shape the kind of CRNA you become. Ask each program:

• How many clinical sites, and where? AANA says programs use more than 2,819 active clinical sites nationally. Some programs keep you near campus, while others send you across a region.
• Will you need to relocate or travel? Some rotations are hours away, and you may pay for housing.
• What case variety will you get? Look for cardiac, neuro, obstetrics, pediatrics, trauma and regional anesthesia. The COA sets minimum case numbers, so ask how far students usually exceed them.
• Will you train in independent practice settings? Ask whether you will rotate where CRNAs practice without anesthesiologists. Also ask how much regional anesthesia you will do. Our CRNA opt-out states page explains state supervision rules.
• Who places you? Ask whether the program arranges all your sites or expects you to help.

Cost

Tuition varies a lot, and it is only part of the cost. Add fees, equipment, board review, clinical travel and housing. Then add three years of lost or reduced income, because most students can't work.

Compare programs on our CRNA schools by cost and cheapest CRNA schools pages. Read our NFLP guide for one federal loan option that may help. This is general information, not financial advice.

Location and life

• Your support system. Three years is a long time to be far from family and friends.
• Cost of living. A cheaper city can offset higher tuition.
• Licensing. You will need an RN license in the state, and sometimes in states where you rotate. See nursing compact states.
• Where you want to work. Training in the region where you hope to work helps you build local connections.

Browse CRNA schools by state.

Front-loaded or integrated

Front-loaded programs put most classes in the first year or so, then switch to full-time clinicals. Integrated programs mix classes and clinicals from early in the program.

Some programs teach early courses online, which can let you stay at home for the first months. See how long CRNA school takes and online CRNA programs.

DNP or DNAP

All entry-level programs award a doctorate. On the COA's July 2026 list, 117 award a DNP and 39 a DNAP. Both lead to the same certification exam.

The DNP is a nursing practice doctorate, and the DNAP is a nurse anesthesia practice doctorate. Compare the actual courses when you choose.

Does U.S. News rank CRNA schools?

Yes. U.S. News & World Report ranks nurse anesthesia programs as part of its graduate school rankings. Several programs cite placements in its 2026 rankings.

The University of Pittsburgh says these rankings started in 1998. Barnes-Jewish College describes the 2026 nurse anesthesia ranking as "based on a survey of academics at peer institutions." That makes it a reputation measure.

It does not directly measure pass rates, attrition, cost or clinical training. Use it as one input among many.

A simple way to compare programs

Talk to current students and recent graduates if you can. Ask what surprised them, how the program handles problems and whether they would choose it again.

For warning signs to look out for, read CRNA school red flags. Start your search with the full list of accredited programs.

FAQ

What is the number one CRNA school?

It depends on what you value. U.S. News publishes a reputation-based ranking, but the best program for you is the one with strong outcomes that fits your budget, location and goals.

Are older programs better than new ones?

Not automatically. New programs meet the same COA standards, but they have less outcome data. Ask about their clinical sites and faculty.

Does the name of my school affect my job prospects?

All graduates sit the same national exam and need the same state license. Ask each program where its recent graduates were hired.

Sources

• COA Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs, Practice Doctorate (effective January 2026)
• COA Accreditation Policies and Procedures Manual (revised June 2026)
• COA: List of accredited educational programs (July 8, 2026)
• COA: Accredited programs, next and last review dates
• NBCRNA: Annual NCE and SEE report 2025
• AANA: CRNA fact sheet
• Wake Forest University School of Medicine nurse anesthesia program
• University of Pittsburgh nurse anesthesia
• Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College DNP nurse anesthesia