CRNA Programs Without a CCRN Requirement (2026)
The CCRN is required at most programs, but 85 of the 149accredited programs don’t list it as a hard requirement (some accept other critical-care certifications, or “strongly recommend” rather than require it). That said — the CCRN strengthens any application, so most competitive applicants have it regardless. Always confirm the current requirement with each program.
| Program | State | Degree | GRE | First-time pass | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta University Augusta | Georgia | DNP | Required | 86% | $85k–$100k |
| Baylor College of Medicine Houston | Texas | DNP | Required | 91.2% | $125k–$155k |
| Bryan College of Health Sciences Lincoln | Nebraska | DNAP | Required | — | $115k–$145k |
| Carolinas Medical Center (Atrium Health) / UNC Charlotte Charlotte | North Carolina | DNP | Required | 94% | $85k–$100k |
| Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) / University of Charleston Charleston | West Virginia | DNAP | Not required | 80% | $75k–$95k |
| Clarkson College Omaha | Nebraska | DNP | Not required | 87.5% | $115k–$145k |
| Columbia University School of Nursing New York | New York | DNP | Required | — | $135k–$165k |
| Duke University Durham | North Carolina | DNP | Not required | 92% | $125k–$155k |
| Duquesne University School of Nursing Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | DNP | Not required | — | $125k–$155k |
| East Carolina University (ECU) Greenville | North Carolina | DNP | Required | 94% | $85k–$100k |
| Edgewood University Madison | Wisconsin | DNP | Not required | — | $125k–$155k |
| Emory University Decatur | Georgia | DNP | Not required | 87% | $125k–$155k |
| Endeavor Health / DePaul University Evanston | Illinois | DNP | Not required | 96% | $125k–$155k |
| Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers | Florida | DNP | Not required | 79% | $85k–$100k |
| Florida State University Panama City | Florida | DNAP | Required | 93% | $85k–$100k |
| Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU) Baton Rouge | Louisiana | DNP | Not required | 94.4% | $115k–$145k |
| Georgetown University School of Nursing Washington | District of Columbia | DNAP | Required | 100% | $135k–$165k |
| Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College St. Louis | Missouri | DNP | Not required | 100% | $115k–$145k |
| Gonzaga University / Providence Sacred Heart Spokane | Washington | DNAP | Not required | — | $135k–$165k |
| Idaho State University Meridian | Idaho | DNAP | Not required | — | $85k–$100k |
| Independence Health System / St. Vincent College Latrobe | Pennsylvania | DNAP | Not required | 90% | $125k–$155k |
| Integrated Anesthesia Associates / CCSU Hartford | Connecticut | DNAP | Not required | 100% | $135k–$165k |
| Keiser University Naples | Florida | DNAP | Not required | 94% | $125k–$155k |
| Lincoln Memorial University – Caylor School of Nursing Harrogate | Tennessee | DNP | Required | 67% | $115k–$145k |
| Loma Linda University Loma Linda | California | DNP | Not required | — | $145k–$175k |
| LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) New Orleans | Louisiana | DNP | Required | 91.7% | $115k–$145k |
| Marquette University Milwaukee | Wisconsin | DNP | Not required | 100% | $125k–$155k |
| Mary Baldwin University Fishersville | Virginia | DNP | Not required | 82.6% | $125k–$155k |
| Mayo Clinic Health System / Franciscan Healthcare School of Anesthesia La Crosse | Wisconsin | DNP | Not required | — | $125k–$155k |
| Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston | South Carolina | DNAP | Required | 97% | $85k–$100k |
| Midwestern University Glendale | Arizona | DNAP | Not required | 94% | $150k–$200k |
| Minneapolis School of Anesthesia / Metropolitan State University Saint Paul | Minnesota | DNP | Not required | 100% | $85k–$100k |
| Missouri State University Springfield | Missouri | DNAP | Required | 88% | $75k–$95k |
| Mount Marty University Sioux Falls | South Dakota | DNAP | Not required | — | $115k–$145k |
| Murray State University Murray | Kentucky | DNP | Not required | 94% | $75k–$95k |
| National University Fresno | California | DNAP | Not required | — | $135k–$165k |
| Newman University Wichita | Kansas | DNAP | Not required | 94.7% | $115k–$145k |
| Northwestern State University Natchitoches | Louisiana | DNP | Required | 79% | $75k–$95k |
| Ohio State University Columbus | Ohio | DNP | Not required | — | $75k–$95k |
| Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Portland | Oregon | DNP | Not required | 92.3% | $125k–$155k |
| Rhode Island College / St. Joseph Hospital Providence | Rhode Island | DNP | Not required | — | $135k–$165k |
| Rocky Vista University Englewood | Colorado | DNAP | Required | — | $125k–$155k |
| Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science North Chicago | Illinois | DNP | Not required | 89% | $125k–$155k |
| Rush University Chicago | Illinois | DNP | Not required | 92% | $125k–$155k |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Minneapolis | Minnesota | DNP | Not required | 91% | $125k–$155k |
| Samford University – Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing Birmingham | Alabama | DNP | Required | 87% | $115k–$145k |
| Samuel Merritt University Oakland | California | DNAP | Not required | 92% | $135k–$165k |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Edwardsville | Illinois | DNP | Not required | 94% | $125k–$155k |
| St. John Fisher University – Wegmans School of Nursing Rochester | New York | DNP | Not required | — | $135k–$165k |
| Texas Wesleyan University Fort Worth | Texas | DNAP | Required | 93% | $125k–$155k |
| Thomas Jefferson University – Jefferson College of Nursing Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | DNP | Not required | 92.7% | $125k–$155k |
| UC Davis – Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing Sacramento | California | DNP | Not required | — | $90k–$110k |
| Uniformed Services University (USU) – Daniel K. Inouye GSN Bethesda | Maryland | DNP | Required | 100% | $135k–$165k |
| University at Buffalo (SUNY) Buffalo | New York | DNP | Not required | 88% | $90k–$110k |
| University Health Truman Medical Center Kansas City | Missouri | DNP | Not required | — | $75k–$95k |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) – Post-BSN to DNP Birmingham | Alabama | DNP | Required | 96% | $75k–$95k |
| University of Cincinnati Cincinnati | Ohio | DNP | Not required | 100% | $75k–$95k |
| University of Detroit Mercy Detroit | Michigan | DNP | Not required | 91.3% | $125k–$155k |
| University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Chicago | Illinois | DNP | Not required | — | $85k–$100k |
| University of Iowa College of Nursing Iowa City | Iowa | DNP | Not required | 86% | $75k–$95k |
| University of Maryland School of Nursing Baltimore | Maryland | DNP | Not required | 100% | $90k–$110k |
| University of Miami Coral Gables | Florida | DNP | Not required | 94% | $125k–$155k |
| University of Michigan-Flint Flint | Michigan | DNAP | Not required | 96% | $85k–$100k |
| University of Mobile Mobile | Alabama | DNAP | Required | 83% | $115k–$145k |
| University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Las Vegas | Nevada | DNP | Not required | — | $85k–$100k |
| University of New England (UNE) Portland | Maine | DNP | Not required | 100% | $125k–$155k |
| University of North Dakota Grand Forks | North Dakota | DNP | Not required | 86% | $75k–$95k |
| University of North Florida Jacksonville | Florida | DNP | Required | 92% | $85k–$100k |
| University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | DNP | Not required | 85% | $85k–$100k |
| University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | DNP | Not required | 100% | $85k–$100k |
| University of Scranton Scranton | Pennsylvania | DNP | Not required | 86% | $125k–$155k |
| University of South Carolina Columbia | South Carolina | DNAP | Required | 94% | $85k–$100k |
| University of South Dakota Sioux Falls | South Dakota | DNAP | Not required | 89% | $75k–$95k |
| University of South Florida (USF) Tampa | Florida | DNP | Required | 95.5% | $85k–$100k |
| University of Southern California (USC) – Keck School of Medicine Los Angeles | California | DNAP | Not required | 96% | $135k–$165k |
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga / Erlanger Chattanooga | Tennessee | DNP | Not required | 94.7% | $75k–$95k |
| University of Tennessee College of Nursing Knoxville | Tennessee | DNP | Required | 93.8% | $80k–$95k |
| UPMC Hamot School of Anesthesia / Gannon University Erie | Pennsylvania | DNP | Required | — | $125k–$155k |
| US Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing San Antonio | Texas | DNP | Not required | 97% | $125k–$155k |
| UT Health San Antonio (UTHSCSA) San Antonio | Texas | DNP | Required | — | $125k–$155k |
| UTHealth Houston – Cizik School of Nursing Houston | Texas | DNP | Required | 95% | $85k–$100k |
| Vanderbilt University Nashville | Tennessee | DNP | Not required | — | $115k–$145k |
| Wayne State University Detroit | Michigan | DNAP | Not required | 94% | $85k–$100k |
| West Virginia University (WVU) Morgantown | West Virginia | DNP | Not required | 73% | $115k–$145k |
| Western Carolina University Asheville | North Carolina | DNP | Required | 89% | $125k–$155k |
Requirements change between cycles — verify with each program. Last updated 2026.
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