Admissions

CRNA schools that don't require the GRE

82 programs we've checked no longer require the GRE, and 17 waive it in some cases. Many more have dropped it, so check any program you like.

Program	Location	Degree	Starts	GRE
University of Mobile New	Mobile, AL	DNAP	August	Not required
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences	Little Rock, AR	DNP	August	Not required
Midwestern University	Glendale, AZ	DNAP	August	Not required
The University of Arizona	Tucson, AZ	DNP	June	Not required
Kaiser Permanente School of Anesthesia / California State University Fullerton	Pasadena, CA	DNP	August	Not required
Loma Linda University	Loma Linda, CA	DNP	September	Not required
National University	Fresno, CA	DNAP	January	Not required
Samuel Merritt University New	Oakland, CA	DNAP	September	Not required
University of Southern California (USC)	Los Angeles, CA	DNAP	June	Not required
Fairfield University	Fairfield, CT	DNP	May	Not required
Georgetown University	Washington, DC	DNAP	June	Sometimes
AdventHealth University	Orlando, FL	DNAP	May	Not required
Barry University	Hollywood, FL	DNP	May	Recommended
Florida International University	Miami, FL	DNP	January	Not required
University of Miami	Coral Gables, FL	DNP	January	Not required
Augusta University	Augusta, GA	DNP	January	Sometimes
Emory University	Decatur, GA	DNP	August	Not required
The University of Iowa	Iowa City, IA	DNP	May	Not required
Idaho State University New	Meridian, ID	DNAP	August	Not required
Endeavor Health / DePaul University	Evanston, IL	DNP	September	Recommended
Millikin University / Decatur Memorial Hospital	Decatur, IL	DNP	January	Sometimes
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science	North Chicago, IL	DNP	May	Not required
Rush University	Chicago, IL	DNP	September	Sometimes
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	Edwardsville, IL	DNP	May	Not required
University of Illinois Chicago New	Chicago, IL	DNP	August	Not required
University of Evansville New	Evansville, IN	DNAP	January	Not required
Newman University	Wichita, KS	DNAP	May	Not required
University of Kansas	Kansas City, KS	DNAP	June	Not required
Bellarmine University New	Louisville, KY	DNP	August	Not required
Murray State University	Murray, KY	DNP	May	Not required
Northern Kentucky University	Highland Heights, KY	DNP	May	Not required
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University	Baton Rouge, LA	DNP	January	Recommended
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, MD	DNP	May	Not required
University of Maryland	Baltimore, MD	DNP	June	Not required
University of New England	Portland, ME	DNP	August	Not required
Michigan State University	East Lansing, MI	DNP	May	Not required
Oakland University / Corewell Health (Beaumont)	Rochester, MI	DNP	September	Not required
University of Detroit Mercy	Detroit, MI	DNP	September	Not required
University of Michigan-Flint	Flint, MI	DNAP	August	Not required
Wayne State University	Detroit, MI	DNAP	August	Not required
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science	Rochester, MN	DNAP	September	Not required
Minneapolis School of Anesthesia / Metropolitan State University	Saint Paul, MN	DNP	May	Not required
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota	Minneapolis, MN	DNP	August	Not required
University of Minnesota	Minneapolis, MN	DNP	September	Not required
Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College	St. Louis, MO	DNP	January	Not required
Missouri State University	Springfield, MO	DNAP	June	Varies
University Health (Truman Medical Center)	Kansas City, MO	DNP	May	Not required
Webster University	St. Louis, MO	DNAP	June	Not required
University of Mississippi Medical Center New	Jackson, MS	DNP	August	Not required
Duke University	Durham, NC	DNP	August	Not required
UNC Greensboro	Greensboro, NC	DNP	August	Sometimes
University of North Dakota	Grand Forks, ND	DNP	August	Not required
Clarkson College	Omaha, NE	DNP	January	Not required
Rutgers University	Newark, NJ	DNP	May	Not required
New Mexico State University New	Las Cruces, NM	DNP	August	Sometimes
Roseman University of Health Sciences New	Henderson, NV	DNP	July	Not required
Columbia University	New York, NY	DNP	May	Not required
Hunter College (CUNY) New	New York, NY	DNP	June	Not required
University at Buffalo (SUNY)	Buffalo, NY	DNP	May	Not required
Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland, OH	DNP	June	Recommended
Cleveland Clinic / Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland, OH	DNP	June	Not required
St. Elizabeth Health Center School for Nurse Anesthetists / Youngstown State University	Youngstown, OH	DNP	May	Not required
The University of Akron	Akron, OH	DNP	June	Not required
University of Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	DNP	January	Recommended
Ursuline College / Somnia New	Pepper Pike, OH	DNP	January	Not required
The University of Tulsa	Tulsa, OK	DNP	May	Not required
Oregon Health and Science University	Portland, OR	DNP	June	Not required
Cedar Crest College	Allentown, PA	DNP	August	Not required
Geisinger / Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg)	Danville, PA	DNP	May	Not required
Independence Health System / Saint Vincent College	Latrobe, PA	DNAP	January	Not required
The University of Scranton	Scranton, PA	DNP	May	Not required
Thomas Jefferson University	Philadelphia, PA	DNP	September	Not required
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, PA	DNP	May	Not required
University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, PA	DNP	January	Recommended
Villanova University	Villanova, PA	DNP	January	Sometimes
University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus	San Juan, PR	DNP	June	Not required
Rhode Island College / St. Joseph Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia	Providence, RI	DNP	May	Not required
Medical University of South Carolina	Charleston, SC	DNAP	May	Sometimes
Mount Marty University	Sioux Falls, SD	DNAP	May	Not required
University of South Dakota New	Sioux Falls, SD	DNAP	January	Not required
South College New	Knoxville, TN	DNAP	January	Not required
The University of Tennessee	Knoxville, TN	DNP	June	Sometimes
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center	Memphis, TN	DNP	June	Not required
Union University	Jackson, TN	DNP	August	Recommended
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga / Erlanger Health System	Chattanooga, TN	DNP	January	Not required
Vanderbilt University	Nashville, TN	DNP	May	Not required
UTHealth Houston (Cizik School of Nursing)	Houston, TX	DNP	May	Not required
University of Texas Medical Branch New	Galveston, TX	DNP	August	Not required
University of Texas at Tyler New	Tyler, TX	DNP	August	Not required
University of the Incarnate Word New	San Antonio, TX	DNP	August 2026	Not required
Westminster University	Salt Lake City, UT	DNP	May	Not required
Mary Baldwin University New	Fishersville, VA	DNP	August	Not required
Virginia Commonwealth University	Richmond, VA	DNAP	January	Not required
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center / Gonzaga University	Spokane, WA	DNAP	May	Not required
Edgewood University	Madison, WI	DNP	August 2025	Not required
Franciscan Healthcare (Mayo Clinic Health System La Crosse)	La Crosse, WI	DNP	May	Not required
Marquette University	Milwaukee, WI	DNP	August	Not required
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh New	Oshkosh, WI	DNP	June	Not required
West Virginia University	Morgantown, WV	DNP	August	Not required

We've confirmed GRE policy for 131 of 154 programs so far: 32 still require it. "Sometimes" means the program waives the GRE above a GPA cutoff or for applicants with another graduate degree. Policies change between cycles, so read the current admissions page before you skip the test.

Dropping the GRE doesn't make a program easier to get into. Your ICU experience, science grades, CCRN and interview matter more. See CRNA school requirements and the least competitive programs.

GRE policies from program websites, checked October 2026.

How many programs still ask for the GRE

GRE not required 82 (53%)
GRE required 32 (21%)
Varies or not stated 40 (26%)