CRNA Schools in Colorado: Rocky Vista University and Your Options

Rocky Vista University's Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) is the only accredited entry-to-practice nurse anesthesia program in Colorado. It has initial accreditation, effective January 22, 2025, so it's accredited, not waiting on approval.

That changes the question you're really asking. With one program, there's nothing meaningful to rank statewide. The decision is whether RVU fits your background, timing and training needs, and which out-of-state programs belong on your shortlist next to it.

Which nurse anesthesia program is in Colorado?

Rocky Vista University's DNAP is Colorado's one entry program.

Program	Campus and degree	Length and curriculum	Accreditation
Rocky Vista University	Colorado campus about 20 miles southeast of Denver, DNAP	Three-year, cohort-based entry program. Published curriculum totals 110 credits	COA initial accreditation

Sources: COA directory, COA's RVU award letter, RVU program and curriculum.

RVU's Colorado campus is in the Parker area, with a contact address of 8401 S. Chambers Road, Englewood. Confirm the classroom, simulation and clinical locations for your cohort before you pick housing. And RVU's Utah and Montana campuses don't create separate accredited nurse anesthesia entry programs in those states.

What are RVU's GPA, ICU and certification requirements?

RVU asks for a minimum GPA, a year of qualifying critical care and a set of certifications, plus a few items that are easy to overlook (like the shadowing hours).

Application item	Published requirement or qualification
Nursing degree and license	Accredited BSN. Current, unencumbered U.S. or territorial RN/APRN license
GPA	Science and cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, with preference for 3.6 or higher
Critical care	At least one year in a qualifying critical-care setting
Certifications	BLS, ACLS and PALS, plus CCRN or another specialty certification, with ER or PACU certifications given as examples
GRE	Combined score of 300, taken within three years of matriculation. A score above 300 is competitive
Shadowing	At least 16 hours with a CRNA or physician anesthesiologist
References and statement	A personal statement and recommendations through NursingCAS, including a healthcare provider who has worked with you and an academic reference. RVU considers up to six letters

Sources: RVU program requirements and DNAP admissions.

Keep the minimum and the competitive preference in separate boxes. RVU's admissions process describes a preference for science and cumulative GPAs of 3.6 or higher, but 3.6 isn't the published minimum. When you prepare your application, confirm your cohort's GPA calculation, recommendation categories and the date your experience has to be complete.

Does NICU, PICU or emergency experience qualify?

NICU and PICU can, and other settings get individual consideration. RVU lists both pediatric and neonatal intensive care among its critical-care examples. It also considers other settings when you can show you manage unstable patients, invasive monitoring, ventilation and critical-care pharmacology.

An ER or PACU certification counting as an alternative credential doesn't mean every ER or PACU job meets the experience requirement, though. Send the program your patient population, acuity, monitoring responsibilities, independent-practice dates and orientation dates, and ask for a written assessment. Keep that answer with the checklist for your entering cohort.

Which chemistry course does RVU accept?

RVU accepts organic chemistry or biochemistry finished before you apply, within five years, with at least a B. Its detailed prerequisite sheet says the course has to be at least three credits, focused only on organic or biochemistry principles, from a regionally accredited university. You don't need a lab.

Online courses can qualify, but fully self-paced ones can't. The school wants defined start and end dates and structured deadlines. It lists general chemistry, nursing-focused chemistry and certain survey courses as unacceptable. RVU chemistry prerequisite sheet.

That can reshuffle the order of your prep. If you were planning on a self-paced chemistry course, get program approval before you enroll, because college credit alone won't get a course past RVU's format rule. Use the CRNA prerequisite guide to organize your transcript audit, then confirm the specific syllabus with RVU.

When should you apply for the Colorado DNAP?

Apply early and confirm the date with admissions. RVU's admissions page lists January 29, 2026 as its NursingCAS deadline, and its next listed start is June 2027. Because RVU reviews applications on a rolling basis, ask which deadline applies to the cohort you want before you build your calendar.

RVU uses NursingCAS and describes rolling application review. Its admissions page says processing and verification can take several weeks, depending on transcripts and volume. Once you're verified, RVU emails interview instructions, and admitted students get their clinical site assignment with the offer. "Rolling" doesn't mean the window stays open indefinitely, so ask whether seats remain. RVU DNAP admissions.

The program also says it doesn't accept transfer requests, because its three-year curriculum builds in sequence. If you've got prior graduate coursework, ask how it affects your application instead of assuming you'll finish early.

How much does CRNA school in Colorado cost?

The university's 2026-2027 tuition schedule lists these DNAP charges:

Period	Published tuition
Summer 2026	$10,300
Fall 2026	$20,600
Spring 2027	$20,600
First three semesters combined	$51,500
Summer 2027	$10,610

Those terms cover the first year of a three-year program, so ask RVU for a cohort-specific quote for the remaining terms before you total the degree.

Health insurance is separate. The tuition schedule lists $947 for summer 2026 and $5,936 for fall 2026. You're automatically enrolled and billed for RVU's plan unless you show equivalent coverage before the waiver deadline, so ask Student Financial Services for that date.

The DNAP schedule doesn't show separate Colorado-resident and nonresident tuition rates. Ask student financial services whether residency affects any charge for your situation, and don't count on a public-university-style resident discount. Budget separately for required fees, books, equipment, living costs, transportation, clinical housing and the RN income you'll give up.

Is the program online, and where are clinical rotations?

No, it isn't a fully remote program. The curriculum includes simulation courses and a sequence of anesthesia practicums, so it doesn't support a fully online route to becoming a CRNA. RVU assigns your clinical site when it offers you admission, so ask about the site list and attendance schedule for your cohort.

Ask which campus sessions are mandatory, where your assigned clinical site is, whether specialty rotations mean extra travel and who pays for temporary housing. A university address doesn't guarantee that all your training happens in the same city. Get the placement and attendance details in writing before you commit to a move. RVU admissions, DNAP curriculum.

What do accreditation and outcomes show?

COA initial accreditation confirms the program is accredited. As a newer program, RVU may not have a graduating class yet, so ask when it will publish NCE pass, attrition and employment results.

With a newer program, ask about the first expected graduating cohort, when public outcome reporting will start, clinical-site capacity, faculty support and how students get help when they're struggling. Don't borrow a result from another school to fill the gap.

Which alternatives should Colorado applicants compare?

If RVU's timing or prerequisites don't fit, use the national CRNA program directory to compare accredited programs in nearby states such as Utah, Arizona, Nebraska and Kansas. Check each program's actual campus, eligibility rules and full clinical footprint. A clinical affiliate in Colorado isn't necessarily a Colorado-based degree program.

Build your shortlist with four columns: eligibility, earliest realistic entry, required locations and cohort-specific cost. Then use the CRNA interview question guide to get ready to talk about your clinical background and why you chose each program. While you wait on RVU's answers about dates and costs, the free School Database is a good place to save your comparison. One in-state program means your Colorado research can go deep fast, and that leaves you more time for the out-of-state half of your list.