Let’s start out with the basics of CRNA school. I get a lot of questions regarding requirements and career pathways to become a CRNA (in the U.S.). Below you’ll find education requirements, what’s considered “critical care experience” and exceptions to that, info on GPA and GRE, types of CRNA programs and if you scroll to the bottom, I’ve listed out CRNA programs by city, state, and degree type. Let’s get started.
Education Requirements
(from the AANA, individual school requirements subject to change):
- A Bachelors degree or higher in nursing
- A clean, unencumbered nursing license in the U.S.
- BLS/ACLS
- CCRN highly recommended, my post on why this is important here. How I studied here.
- A minimum of one year full-time work experience, or its part-time equivalent, as a registered nurse in a critical care setting within the United States, its territories, or a U.S. military hospital outside of the United States. The average experience of RNs entering nurse anesthesia educational programs is 2.9 years.
“Critical Care” Experience
Another question I get asked often is what qualifies as “critical care experience”? Here’s a list. Again, this may vary on individual programs, so it’s important to check out individual requirements for your schools of interest). In general, and overall, this means an Intensive Care Unit.
- SICU (Surgical ICU)
- MICU (Medical ICU)
- CICU (Cardiac ICU)
- CVICU, CTICU (Cardiovascular/Cardiothoracic ICU)
- CCU (Coronary Care Unit)
- Neuro ICU
- TICU (Trauma ICU)
Exceptions?
While these departments are accepted in some programs, I do believe it will make your admission more difficult, as it will be a very steep learning curve while in the program. Majority of CRNA school is adult-focused. Does that mean there’s no pediatric CRNAs? Of course not. Everyone in the program will learn pediatric/neonatal anesthesia. I just add this on because there are so. many. applicants. that will have more generalized ICU experience than you and that might filter you out. But, if you kick ass on your interview or your resume is phenomenal, its possible. Here’s that list.
- Emergency Department
- Pediatric & Neonatal ICU (PICU/NICU)
- Burn Unit
Departments that basically filter you out:
- Operating Room
- Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
- Step-down “ICUs”
- Progressive Care Units (PCU)
- Telemetry
- Medical-Surgical
- Obstetrics
- Labor & Delivery
- Basically anything else not listed above
I will also add on, that I’ve heard statistics showing that those SRNAs (student registered nurse anesthetists) that did not have an ICU background, were more likely to fail boards.

GPA
The recommendation is at least a 3.5. I know a lot of schools filter out applicants based off of GPA before anything else has even been looked at on the application. Now, this GPA “standard” reeeally varies school to school. I’ve heard of schools that majority have extremely high GPAs like 3.8 and above. Others are ok with lower. I would research your specific school of interest, they typically have specific requirements on their application page.
So. With that said.
I had a 3.5. GASP. I’ve never been one of those “school people” that thrives on straight A’s or loves studying. Would I like that? Of course. But to me, clinical has always been the determinant of success. I hate memorizing with no application, I learn nothing. You can memorize shit all day to get those straight A’s but could be terrible bedside. But I digress this has nothing to do with anything we’re talking about HA.
NOW. Did I get in just because of that GPA? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I believe my resume spoke louder than numbers and got me that interview. I’ve been a resume junkie for yearsssss and have perfected my resume to be well-rounded and unique. I’ve gotten every job I’ve applied for, and I attribute that to having a kickass resume and great interview skills. Click on those links if you’re interested in learning more about that.
Back to GPA. There’s this really cool GPA calculator to calculate what grades you need to get in additional classes to raise your current GPA.
A future post is coming in regards to what I did specifically to make my resume speak louder than GPA in regards to CRNA school.
GRE
I’m gonna keep this part short and simple because my CRNA school did not require taking the GRE. Typically, it is recommended you get a score of 300 or better. If you’re curious, scroll down and I’ve listed CRNA schools by state. I’ve linked each of their CRNA program pages so you can check specifically what those schools require. You’re welcome.
Prereqs
This is going to vary entirely by school, so scroll down and find the link to your program of interest for their specific requirements in this regard. In super, super, superrrrr general terms most will require chemistry, anatomy/physiology, statistics.
Shadowing a CRNA
Some programs require this, some don’t. Will it boost your resume? Absolutely.
Letters of Rec or Personal Statement
Search for specific program requirements below.
Want more info?
I recommend joining CRNA Prep Academy. This community will help answer all of your CRNA School questions and guide you throughout the application process. You can book resume reviews and personal practice interviews! Join here.
CRNA Schools By State
There are currently no CRNA schools in the following states:
Alaska
Delaware
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Vermont
Wyoming(dated August, 2020)
Alabama (2)
Samford University
Birmingham, AL
MSN
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
DNP
Arizona (2)
Midwestern University
Glendale, AZ
MSN & DNP
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
DNP
Arkansas (1)
Arkansas State University
Jonesboro, AR
DNP
California (5)
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA
DNP
National University
Fresno, CA
DNP
Samuel Merritt University
Oakland, CA
MSN
University of Southern California (USC)
Los Angeles, CA
DNP
Connecticut (4)
Central Connecticut State University
Hartford, CT
DNP
Quinnipiac University
Hamden, CT
DNP
Yale University – New Haven Hospital
New Haven, CT
DNP
Florida (9)
Adventist University of Health Sciences
Orlando, FL
DNP
Barry University
Hollywood, FL
DNP
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, FL
DNP
Florida International University
Miami, FL
DNP
Florida State University
Panama City, FL
MSN
Georgia (2)
Illinois (5)
Millikin University
Decatur, IL
DNP
Northshore University
Evanston, IL
DNP
Rosalind Franklin University
North Chicago, IL
DNAP
Rush University
Chicago, IL
DNP
Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville, IL
DNP
Indiana (2)
Marian University
Indianapolis, IN
DNP
University of Saint Francis
Fort Wayne, IN
DNP
Iowa (1)
Iowa University
Iowa City IA
DNP
Kansas (2)
University of Kansas
Kansas City, KS
DNP
Kentucky (2)
Murray State University
Madisonville, KY
DNP
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
DNP
Louisiana (2)
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
Baton Rouge, LA
DNP
Louisiana State University
New Orleans, LA
DNP
Maine (1)
Maryland (2)
Uniformed Services University
Bethesda, MD
DNP
University of Maryland
Baltimore, MD
DNP
Massachusetts (2)
Michigan (5)
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
MSN
Oakland University Beaumont
Royal Oak, MI
DNP
The University of Michigan Flint
Flint, MI
DNP
University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI
MSN
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
MSN
Minnesota (4)
Mayo School of Health Sciences
Rochester, MN
DNP
Mississippi (1)
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS
DNP
Missouri (4)
Nebraska (2)
Bryan College of Health Sciences
Lincoln, NE
DNP
Clarkson College
Omaha, NE
MSN
New Jersey (2)
Rutgers School of Nursing
Newark, NJ
DNP
New York (3)
Albany Medical College
Albany, NY
MSN
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
DNP
North Carolina (7)
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
MSN
Raleigh School of Nurse Anesthesia
Raleigh, NC
DNP
Greensboro, NC
Winston-Salem, NC
MSN
North Dakota (1)
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND
DNP
Ohio (7)
Cleveland Clinic School of Anesthesia – Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
MSN
Frances Payne Bolton
Cleveland, Ohio
MSN
Lourdes University
Sylvania, OH
MSN
Oregon (1)
Oregon Health and Science University
Portland, OR
MSN or DNP
Pennsylvania (12)
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
MSN
Excella Health – Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, PA
DNP
La Salle University – Einstein Medical Center
Norristown, PA
DNP
La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA
MSN
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA
DNP
University of Scranton
Scranton, PA
MSN
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
DNP
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
DNP
Villanova University – Crozer Chester Medical Center
Springfield, PA
DNP
Rhode Island (1)
St. Joseph Hospital School of Anesthesia for Nurses
North Providence, RI
MSN
South Carolina (2)
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC
DNP
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC
MSN
South Dakota (1)
Mount Marty College
Sioux Falls, SD
DNP
Tennessee (6)
Lincoln Memorial University
Harrogate, TN
MSN
Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia
Madison, TN
DNP
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN
MSN
University of Tennessee Chattanooga – Erlanger Health
Chattanooga, TN
MSN
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Memphis, TN
DNP
Union University
Jackson, TN
DNP
Texas (5)
Baylor College
Houston, TX
DNP
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX
DNP
Texas Wesleyan University
Forth Worth, TX
MSN & DNP
University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center
Houston, TX
DNP
US Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing – Northeastern University
San Antonio, TX
DNP
Utah (1)
Westminster College
Salt Lake City, UT
MSN
Virginia (2)
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
DNP
Washington (1)
Washington D.C. (1)
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
DNP
Wisconsin (3)
Questions or comments? Drop em below. I wish you luck on your CRNA journey!
Hello, i was wondering. Do you know How i take upper level (graduate) chem, stat and other required pre-req courses? Its Seem i caNt take them unleSs enrolled in a gRaduate program Or need a ton of pre-reqs for the upper level courses?
I know most people will take them at community colleges!