CRNA Programs in Kansas: KU vs. Newman Requirements & Costs

You've got two CRNA programs in Kansas listed by the COA: the University of Kansas in Kansas City and Newman University in Wichita. Both award a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice through a 36-month program. But their GPA calculations, CCRN requirements, application schedules and tuition sources all differ, so a shared 3.0 GPA headline doesn't make them interchangeable. Compare the current policy details first.

KU's admissions pages say the application cycle for the summer 2027 entering class is closed. Newman's published annual application window runs June 1 through August 31 for the following summer cohort. So keep the entering year next to each deadline, and don't mix a past Newman deadline with a future KU date.

Which nurse anesthesia programs are located in Kansas?

The two Kansas-based programs are KU Nurse Anesthesia Education at KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, and Newman University's DNAP in Wichita. Clinical rotations outside either city still belong to that program. They aren't extra Kansas schools.

The COA directory lists continued accreditation for both programs. Its last decision dates are June 1, 2020, for KU and June 3, 2026, for Newman, with next reviews shown as May 1, 2030, for each.

Program/campus	Degree and format	GPA and experience distinctions	Tests and credentials	Application and cost scope
University of Kansas, Kansas City	DNAP, 36 months, 91 credits. First year mainly on campus, then later didactic coursework mostly online alongside clinical training. Campus attendance is still required.	Overall cumulative GPA at least 3.0 and required science-prerequisite GPA at least 3.0. Two years RN experience, including one recent full-time ICU year.	GRE not required or considered. CCRN required under current eligibility rules.	Summer 2027 entry cycle closed. Published three-year tuition-and-fee estimates: $100,844.29 Kansas resident, $129,470.09 nonresident (see the cost section).
Newman University, Wichita	DNAP, 36 months, 88 credits. In-person program with weekly Wichita attendance for didactic classes.	Overall GPA at least 3.0 or last-60-credit GPA at least 3.2. Science GPA of 3.0 strongly recommended. At least one full-time ICU year within two years of program start, with two years preferred.	GRE not required. CCRN described as preferred.	Annual June 1 to August 31 application cycle for the following May start. Current 2026-27 costs are published as credit, semester and annual rates.

This is a side-by-side, not a ranking. You'll find the official policy and cost sources linked in the sections below, and the KU profile and Newman profile help you keep both on your comparison list.

Which GPA and ICU rules differ?

The biggest one is that KU separates total RN experience from ICU experience. Its summer 2027 eligibility page requires two years of work as a licensed RN, including at least one recent (within the past two to three years) full-time ICU year, completed before new-student orientation in May. If you shorthand that as "two years ICU required," you'd wrongly rule out some applicants (maybe yourself).

KU accepts pediatric ICU as well as adult ICU experience. It excludes neonatal ICU, PACU, emergency department and flight nursing as qualifying ICU experience. Its cumulative GPA calculation includes coursework across colleges. The science requirement is about its specified prerequisite sciences, so a general GPA number alone doesn't tell you whether you're eligible.

The 3.0 minimum also isn't where most admitted KU students land. KU's outcome report shows the class that started in 2022 entered with an average 3.58 overall GPA and a 3.73 science GPA across its five required sciences. KU admits 36 students a year from more than 150 applications.

Newman's program requirements give you two GPA routes: overall GPA or last-60-credit GPA. Keep the 3.2 last-60 GPA labeled as that alternative instead of averaging it into some invented statewide minimum. Your one ICU year has to fall within the two years before program start. Adult ICU and PICU experience are accepted, and PICU applicants need to show proficiency. NICU, PACU, ER, OR and POCU are excluded, and step-down units don't count. The wording also separates the required experience floor from the program's preference for two years.

For either program, write down your RN start date, your ICU dates and your full-time status. If you've changed units or taken time away, ask how your experience will be counted against the entry year you're aiming for. Clearing an experience floor doesn't mean every other requirement is covered.

Which tests and certifications should you prepare?

You won't need the GRE for either program, and CCRN is the one to plan around. Both programs explicitly say the GRE isn't required. KU's FAQ also says GRE scores aren't considered. Newman's application instructions confirm its no-GRE policy.

CCRN is where they split. KU's current eligibility page requires the certification, the score report submitted by the application deadline and validity through October of the application year. Newman's main program requirements and FAQ describe CCRN as preferred, while BLS, ACLS and PALS are required for application.

Read each program's current BLS, ACLS and PALS rules separately, because their timing doesn't match the CCRN deadline. KU, for example, wants all three completed before you start the program and certified by the American Heart Association. Track expiration dates in your application worksheet so nothing lapses between submission and entry.

What prerequisite courses should you check?

Check KU's list closely, because it's more detailed than the statewide GPA headline suggests. Its official requirements specify two college chemistry semesters, microbiology, human anatomy and human physiology, plus statistics with parametric and nonparametric content. A nursing research class doesn't count for statistics.

The chemistry courses have to cover the required subject matter, and the page names introductory KU chemistry courses that are ineligible. Starting with the 2026 submission year for summer 2027 entry, chemistry has to be within ten years of program start. Human physiology needs a B or better and has to be retaken if it's older than ten years, and pathophysiology doesn't replace it. Combined A&P has its own grade and recency instructions.

Newman also requires statistics with parametric and nonparametric methods. Its FAQ covers additional course approval for applicants with non-nursing degrees and says prerequisites have to be complete before program start. It also says there's no time limit on prerequisite courses, which is a real difference from KU's ten-year rules. Check the exact requirements for your degree pathway.

KU wants all prerequisite coursework finished by the end of May of the year you apply. You can include proof of enrollment for a course that's still in progress. If you're planning to apply while you finish a course, get a written answer about that course and your timing. The course-verification guide helps you pull together the syllabus and approval request.

How do the training locations affect where you live?

You'll need to be in Kansas at both programs, even though some coursework or clinical training happens elsewhere.

KU's curriculum puts most first-year classroom teaching in Kansas City, Kansas. The final two years combine clinical training with mostly web-based didactic work and some classroom time. KU says outright that this isn't a distance-learning program. So counting online courses won't tell you much. Ask where you need to be each week.

Its clinical network includes Kansas City-area sites and rural assignments, with affiliates in Kansas and neighboring states. Admitted KU students need active RN licenses for Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma before the program starts at the end of May. Ask about rotation travel and housing before you build a budget around one commute.

Newman's FAQ requires weekly Wichita campus attendance for didactic classes no matter where your clinical site is. Its primary clinical sites include hospitals and surgery centers in Wichita and Oklahoma City, plus Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. A clinical placement away from Wichita doesn't cancel the weekly classroom trip. If you're placed at an Oklahoma City primary site, you'll need a compact or Oklahoma RN license. Before you pick housing, ask how the program coordinates travel and classroom attendance.

How much does CRNA school in Kansas cost?

KU posts full-program tuition-and-fee estimates, while Newman publishes current per-credit, semester and annual rates. Those are different pricing bases, so a clean cheapest-to-most-expensive ranking would mislead you.

Program and official cost source	Published amount	Inclusion and limitation
KU, Kansas resident	$100,844.29	Posted three-year estimated tuition and fees on the page for summer 2027 entrants. Living and other listed expenses are extra.
KU, non-Kansas resident	$129,470.09	Posted three-year estimate for summer 2027 entrants. KU calls these figures a guide, not an official quote, so ask the program for an itemized estimate before you budget.
Newman, 2026-27 doctorate rate sheet	$1,321 per credit, $365 general fee per semester, $3,300 program fee annually	Current academic-year rates for an 88-credit program, not a guaranteed 36-month total. Books average $900 to $1,300 and are listed separately.

For KU, check whether you qualify for Kansas resident tuition under the registrar's actual residency rules. Moving to Kansas doesn't automatically get you resident pricing. Its $2,500 admission deposit is credited toward first-semester tuition if you enroll, so don't add it on top of the full total (that would count it twice).

For Newman, ask for a full estimate for your intended cohort using the current credit and fee schedule. For both schools, budget separately for clinical travel, housing, insurance, books, licensure and certification costs. Neither tuition table gives you your complete cost of attendance.

Which application deadlines and start dates should you track?

Track two different calendars, and watch the materials deadlines as closely as the initial form.

KU's application page says the application cycle for the May 2027 entering class is closed. It publishes an annual March 15 opening, a May 15 early-decision deadline and a June 15 regular deadline. Early decision is only for Kansas residents, and it requires all five prerequisites done before June 1. Early-decision interviews happen in the summer and standard interviews in the fall. If early decision doesn't work out, your application rolls over to the standard cycle.

Newman's application page publishes June 1 to August 31 for the following summer cohort, with new cohorts starting in May. It says complete application materials are due August 31 and in-person interviews happen in late October. The deadline for the May 2027 cohort was August 31, 2026.

Worked planning example: say both programs are on your list. If you plan to collect references in August, you'd miss KU's published regular June deadline while still fitting Newman's later annual window. Prepare each school's materials against its own receipt requirements. KU asks for exactly two references, a current nurse manager or supervisor and an advanced-practice nurse or physician who has worked with you. Newman asks for three recommenders. One generic packet sent to both is an easy way to make avoidable mistakes. KU also requires a documented anesthesia shadow experience, while Newman describes shadowing as preferred without a minimum number of hours. Follow each program's own instructions for documenting it.

What do accreditation and comparable student outcomes show?

Both programs are accredited, but you have to match their outcome percentages by graduation year and measure. The rows below use school-reported results, not a statewide average.

Graduation year and program	First-time certification pass rate	Attrition
KU, 2025	89%	0%
Newman, 2026	83%	5%

KU's outcome report was updated September 2025 and reports 36 graduates in 2025, with 32 passing on the first attempt. Newman's current program table reports 19 graduates in 2025 and 18 in 2026. Its 60-day pass rates (100% for 2025 and 94% for 2026) are separate from first-time rates and should keep that label.

These cohorts are small, so individual results move the percentages. Read the multi-year reports and ask about support and improvement efforts. One higher year doesn't prove a better program. And if you compare Newman's 2026 result with KU's 2025 result without the dates, you lose the fact that they cover different reporting periods.

Which nearby states should you compare?

If neither Kansas program fits your course history, timing or location, widen your search to Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado. Compare each actual campus and clinical footprint, because a state line tells you very little about the travel you'd face.

With only two programs in the state, your next step is pleasantly small: a two-column KU/Newman worksheet with the GPA calculation, ICU dates, course approvals, application cycle and itemized cost questions filled in. Keep schools elsewhere in the program directory if they fix a specific mismatch. You'll end up with a list built on requirements you've actually checked, which beats any statewide "best" label.