CRNA Schools in Arizona: Compare Programs, Costs and Requirements

Arizona's accredited CRNA schools are Midwestern University in Glendale and the University of Arizona in Tucson, the two entry-to-practice nurse anesthesia programs in the current COA directory. Arizona State University is separately seeking initial accreditation for a planned Fall 2027 nurse anesthesia cohort. Leave that proposed option out of the accredited count until it actually gets the required approval. Sources: COA directory and ASU status.

With only two schools, the differences between them can decide whether you're eligible at all. U of A excludes pediatric ICU experience and requires CCRN before you apply. Midwestern's catalog accepts pediatric ICU and flight nursing, but not NICU or emergency department experience. Check the exact rule for your intended cycle before you put time and money into an application.

Which accredited nurse anesthesia programs are in Arizona?

Midwestern and U of A are the two, and this comparison covers their entry programs for registered nurses preparing to become CRNAs. Clinical affiliates don't count as extra Arizona programs, and neither does Midwestern's proposed additional Illinois location.

Program and location	Degree and training	GPA and experience	GRE/CCRN	Published cost scope	Application cycle and accreditation
Midwestern University, Glendale	DNAP, 36 months. Online opening phase, in-person didactic phase and clinical phase	Catalog: cumulative and science GPAs at least 3.0. One full-time critical care year before application, not counting orientation	Neither the GRE nor CCRN appears in its catalog admission requirements	2026-2027 budget: $55,449 tuition per year, with fees and living costs separate	Rolling review. NursingCAS September 1 to December 1. Fall-quarter start. Continued COA accreditation
University of Arizona, Tucson	DNP Nurse Anesthesiology, 86 credits, three years full time. Hybrid with Tucson requirements and clinical residencies	Nursing coursework GPA at least 3.0 plus specialty prerequisite rules. 1,800 ICU hours within three years	CCRN before applying. The GRE isn't among its listed requirements	FY2026-2027 specialty schedule estimates $114,853 across 86 credits in tuition/fees. Future rates may change	June 1 to August 1 window. The admissions page names Summer 2028 entry for the current cycle. Continued COA accreditation

Sources: Midwestern catalog admissions, Midwestern program, U of A admissions, U of A specialty.

Open the Midwestern profile and U of A profile to organize your shortlist. Then confirm each rule against the school's current instructions for your entry term.

Which GPA and prerequisite rules apply?

Midwestern's 2026-2027 catalog requires at least 3.0 cumulative and science GPAs. Its science calculation includes every science course, including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, chemistry, biochemistry and physics. The catalog accepts a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing or an appropriate major from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. If you're coming in with a non-nursing major, ask admissions to confirm your eligibility from your own transcript.

The catalog requires anatomy and physiology totaling eight semester hours and a general chemistry course of three semester hours. An introductory chemistry course doesn't count. Anatomy within five years is recommended, and biochemistry is strongly recommended but not mandatory. Prerequisites have to use traditional grades and be finished before you apply, with grades of C or better (the catalog says a C-minus isn't acceptable). If a C-minus is sitting on your transcript, confirm with admissions before you apply. Midwestern 2026-2027 admissions

U of A's general DNP requirement is at least a 3.0 GPA in nursing coursework from your most recent nursing degree. The nurse anesthesia specialty also requires chemistry, biology and statistics, one semester each, plus two semesters of human anatomy and physiology. Those courses need B grades or better and an overall GPA of at least 3.0, completed within ten years of the application deadline. AP and CLEP credit aren't accepted for these prerequisites. The specialty also asks for three professional references, where other DNP specialties list two. U of A specialty admissions requirements

So a C in chemistry could meet Midwestern's stated grade minimum and still miss U of A's B minimum. That shows you a prerequisite difference. It doesn't predict whether either school would admit you. The CRNA prerequisite guide helps you do a school-by-school transcript review.

Which ICU experience qualifies, and when must it be complete?

At U of A, you need at least one year, defined as 1,800 hours, of critical care ICU work within the last three years. Its accepted list includes coronary, cardiac, burn, medical, surgical, trauma and neuro settings. It explicitly excludes NICU, PICU and emergency department experience. CCRN is required before you apply, and American Heart Association ACLS, BLS and PALS have to be earned by the application deadline. U of A experience and certifications

Midwestern's catalog requires a full-time critical care year before application and says orientation doesn't count. It lists adult ICU, PICU and flight nursing, and it excludes NICU and emergency department experience. It expects you to manage ventilation, invasive monitoring and vasoactive infusions. Midwestern catalog

If you're an emergency department or flight nurse, or you'll finish your ICU year somewhere between applying and interviewing, email Midwestern admissions before you apply. Describe what you actually do on shift (vents, lines, drips) and give your exact dates, then keep the written answer with your application plan.

Neither Midwestern's catalog nor U of A's admissions page lists the GRE as a requirement, and Midwestern's catalog doesn't list the CCRN. Confirm the checklist for your cycle before you skip either one. Confirm shadowing expectations too, before you decide either school wants a particular number of hours.

Does a hybrid Arizona program allow you to stay at home?

For part of the program, yes, but not for all three years. Midwestern's first three quarters are entirely online, so you can stay at home and possibly keep working as an RN. The next four quarters are face-to-face didactic study, and the final five quarters include clinical practica, board preparation and scholarly work. The program considers students for sites across multiple states and explicitly makes transportation and lodging your responsibility. An online first phase doesn't add up to a three-year plan to stay in Glendale or at your current address. Midwestern training phases and clinical travel

U of A combines online coursework with required Tucson activities and clinical residencies at facilities nationwide. Its detailed admissions page lists first-summer gross anatomy in person for five weeks, first-year simulation, orientation, summer experiences and later clinical intensives. Plan travel from those detailed requirements and your cohort handbook. There's no part-time nurse anesthesia option, and the school strongly advises against working during the program. U of A attendance requirements

Ask both schools where the classroom, simulation and clinical phases happen, how distant assignments get picked, and whether you'd need another RN license or temporary housing. A Tucson or Glendale address doesn't guarantee every placement is local (Arizona's a big state, and both programs send students well past it).

How much does CRNA school in Arizona cost?

Midwestern's 2026-2027 entry-program budget lists annual tuition of $55,449 for each of three years, which comes to $166,347 at the displayed rates. The table separately lists a $1,500 annual student services fee and $70 disability insurance, for a displayed tuition-and-fee subtotal of $57,019 per year. It also notes that insurance is billed by request, so confirm which charges apply to you. Living costs, books and travel are separate, and tuition can change every year. That $166,347 is tuition alone. It isn't your complete cost of attendance. Midwestern current budget

U of A's FY2026-2027 specialty schedule shows 86 credits at $1,335.50 per credit in tuition and fees, totaling $114,853 across its nine-semester sample plan. Its college cost page calls these estimates that can change annually. The schedule doesn't give separate resident and nonresident nurse anesthesia totals, so ask for a calculation based on your situation instead of borrowing the general graduate rate or another DNP specialty's rate. Accepted students also pay a $3,000 deposit. Then add insurance, required trips to Tucson, clinical travel and living expenses to your budget. U of A specialty cost PDF, cost guidance

The two published figures cover different things. A tuition-only amount for one school and a tuition-and-fee projection for the other can't give you a complete cost ranking, and neither one locks in the price for a class entering in a future academic year.

Which application dates and outcomes should you track?

Track two very different calendars. Midwestern publishes a September 1 to December 1 NursingCAS window with rolling review and a fall-quarter start. The catalog urges early completion because interviews and selections continue until the cohort fills, so confirm which entering fall your application covers. U of A publishes June 1 opening and August 1 closing dates, with nurse anesthesia decisions at the end of October. Its admissions page names a Summer 2028 start for the current cycle, so the next August 1 deadline is the one that counts for that class. You apply through NursingCAS first, then complete the Graduate College application when instructed. Midwestern calendar and process, U of A application process

Midwestern reports a 94% first-attempt NCE pass rate and 6% attrition for 2025. U of A reports 0% attrition for 2026. Compare the same class year at both schools before you read anything into the gap. Midwestern 2025 outcomes U of A cohort table

How should ASU's planned program affect your shortlist?

Treat it as a maybe until the approvals land. ASU currently says its nurse anesthesia concentration is seeking initial COA accreditation and will enroll only after the required accreditation and Arizona Board of Nursing approval are in place. It plans a Fall 2027 first cohort, with NursingCAS applications opening no later than November 1, 2026 and complete applications due January 15, 2027. The application also includes a supplemental in Kira with recorded video and written responses, and selected applicants interview in person in Phoenix. Initial offers are conditional. Keep the accreditation decision, your backup options and a confirmed matriculation date as separate checklist items. University-wide or general DNP accreditation doesn't mean the nurse anesthesia program is accredited. ASU official program status and dates

ASU describes a single full-time plan, taught mostly in person, with clinical education starting in the second year at affiliated sites across Arizona. Its Fall 2026 estimate for an Arizona resident is $22,493 for the semester, which includes a $15,000 program fee, and $32,049 for a nonresident. It's an estimate, not a bill, so get the full multi-year figure before you compare it with Midwestern or U of A.

If you want more established options on the list, compare California, Colorado and the national directory. The CRNA Club School Database gives you one place to track confirmed answers, application cycles and travel budgets for each school, which helps a lot when two Arizona programs and a planned third are all asking different things of you.