What does CRNA school cost going into 2027? Across the 152 accredited programs that publish or confirmed their numbers, the median total tuition and fees is $124,736, and the spread is enormous: $38,315 at the cheapest program and $346,831 at the most expensive. Same license, same board exam, a nine times difference in price.
This report comes from Everything CRNA's School Finder database, compiled in October 2026 from program websites and admissions-office correspondence for all 154 accredited programs. Numbers change by cohort, so always confirm with the program before you apply.
Key numbers
- Median total tuition and fees: $124,736 (n=152 programs).
- Range: $38,315 to $346,831. The top school costs 9x the bottom.
- DNP vs DNAP changes almost nothing: medians of $124,736 vs $122,024.
- The biggest cost is not tuition. It is three years of RN wages you give up.
Where school is expensive, and where it is not
The pattern is simple: the Northeast and West Coast cost the most, the Southeast costs the least, and Puerto Rico is in a category of its own. A New York median of $172,414 against a North Carolina median of $79,412 means your state choice can matter more than your school choice.
The cheapest accredited programs in America
These are the lowest total tuition and fees in the database. Every one of them awards the same doctorate and sits under the same COA accreditation as the $300,000 options.
| Program | State | Total tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico (Arecibo) | PR | $38,315 |
| University of Kansas | KS | $50,012 |
| University of Nevada Las Vegas | NV | $51,960 |
| Florida Gulf Coast University | FL | $53,250 |
| UNC Greensboro | NC | $55,747 |
| East Carolina University | NC | $55,904 |
| University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus | PR | $56,739 |
| Arkansas State University | AR | $61,660 |
| University of North Florida | FL | $68,789 |
| UTHealth Houston | TX | $69,865 |
In-state rates are shown where a program charges them; some are a single rate for everyone. The military programs charge no tuition at all in exchange for a service commitment, and are excluded from these rankings.
At the other end: Duke ($346,831), Penn ($288,020), Columbia ($254,318), Emory ($251,804) and Samuel Merritt ($231,792). Those programs can be worth it for their own reasons. Price is not one of them.
The degree type does not set the price
A DNP program's median is $124,736 and a DNAP program's is $122,024. Choose between them on curriculum and fit, and read our guide on DNP vs DNAP for the real differences.
The real bill is bigger than tuition
Tuition is the visible number. The dominant one is the RN salary you stop earning: at the BLS median of $97,550 a year, three years out of the workforce is roughly $292,650 before raises and overtime. Add living costs you can no longer cover with shifts, and a $125,000 program is routinely a $450,000 to $500,000 decision. Our cost calculator runs this with your own numbers.
The payback math
The BLS median for nurse anesthetists is $236,590 against $97,550 for RNs, a difference of about $139,000 a year before tax. Set against a $450,000 to $500,000 all-in cost, the gap repays the investment in roughly three to four pre-tax years for a typical case. That is the arithmetic that keeps acceptance rates at a median of 18 percent.
It costs money just to apply
From the same database: the median application fee is $85 (and runs to $235), the median seat deposit is $1,500 (and runs to $7,000), and most applicants apply to several schools. Budget four figures for the application season itself: fees, deposits, travel to interviews, and the GRE where it is still required (83 of the programs with a stated policy do not require it).
Questions we get asked
Is the cheapest school a worse school?
Not by the measurable outcomes. Price in this market reflects the institution's cost structure, not NCE pass rates. Check each program's pass rate and attrition in our School Finder before assuming anything.
Do out-of-state students pay more?
At 54 programs, yes: the out-of-state median is $142,571. Many private and hospital-based programs charge one rate for everyone.
Will these numbers be higher for my cohort?
Almost certainly. Programs reprice yearly. Treat every figure here as the October 2026 snapshot it is, and confirm with the program.
Methodology
Figures were compiled by Everything CRNA in October 2026 for all 154 COA-accredited programs, from program websites and admissions-office correspondence; 152 programs had usable total tuition and fees (in-state or single rate). Living-cost and lost-wage figures are labeled illustrative. State medians are shown only where at least three programs report. Corrections from programs are welcome and published within a day.