CRNA Schools in Wisconsin: Four Programs, Requirements and Costs

Wisconsin's four accredited entry-to-practice nurse anesthesia programs in the current COA directory are Franciscan Healthcare School of Anesthesia in La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, Marquette University and Edgewood University. Franciscan and Marquette have continued accreditation. UW-Oshkosh and Edgewood have initial accreditation, which is accredited status, not a pending proposal. COA program directory

With only four programs, the differences between them matter a lot: GPA calculations, prerequisites, application timing and clinical geography all vary. UW-Oshkosh, Marquette and Edgewood require CCRN, and Franciscan specifies 18 months of qualifying experience at 0.75 FTE or more. Go by the exact entering-cohort requirements when you decide which Wisconsin CRNA schools fit your background.

Which nurse anesthesia programs are in Wisconsin?

The four programs below are accredited entry programs for registered nurses preparing to become CRNAs. The La Crosse partnership is one program run by three institutions, so it doesn't count as three separate nurse anesthesia schools.

Program and base	Degree and format	GPA and experience	GRE and CCRN	Published cost scope	Application timing and COA status
Franciscan Healthcare, La Crosse	Three-year full-time partnership: MS Biology through UW-La Crosse, school certificate and DNP through Viterbo	Undergraduate GPA at least 3.0. The higher of cumulative or last-60-credit GPA is used for interview evaluation. 18 months at 0.75 FTE or higher	GRE no longer required. CCRN isn't on its published requirement list	Published estimate $84,284 resident or $95,503 nonresident across the three partner institutions	June 1 to August 1. Continued accreditation
UW-Oshkosh	DNP, 95 credits, 36 months full time	Cumulative undergraduate GPA at least 3.0, plus one current continuous critical care year or part-time equivalent	CCRN required, plus a shadowing verification form	Fall 2026 schedule lists $105,133.65, including a $7,000 deposit. Additional expenses separate	December 1 for the following summer. Initial accreditation
Marquette, Milwaukee	DNP, 91 credits, three years full time, fall start	Nursing-degree and science GPAs at least 3.0, plus one full-time critical care year not counting orientation by the deadline	Adult or pediatric CCRN required at application. Casper required for the 2026/2027 cycle	Published Fall 2026 entering-cohort tuition $131,950. Other expenses separate	September 1 to December 15. Continued accreditation
Edgewood, Madison	DNP, 105 credits, 36 months full time, with online core courses and mostly in-person anesthesia coursework	Cumulative GPA at least 3.0, plus one full-time critical care year within the previous two years at application	GRE/GMAT not required. CCRN required	Published tuition $135,660. Nursing fees and other expenses separate	Fall 2027 cycle September 15 to December 15, 2026. Initial accreditation

Sources: Franciscan/UWL admissions, UW-Oshkosh admissions, Marquette program, Edgewood program.

Use the Franciscan profile, UW-Oshkosh profile, Marquette profile and Edgewood profile to organize your shortlist, then confirm the current instructions with each school.

How do Wisconsin GPA and prerequisite rules differ?

Each school calculates GPA its own way and asks for different courses. Franciscan's La Crosse program calculates your cumulative undergraduate GPA and your last-60-credit GPA, then uses the higher one to decide on interviews. It requires microbiology for two credits, anatomy or physiology for four, chemistry or physics for four, and statistics for two. An AP statistics score of at least three can meet that requirement. Your courses and qualifying experience have to be done by the application deadline. UWL application requirements

UW-Oshkosh requires eight credits of anatomy and physiology, eight credits of inorganic and organic chemistry, three to four credits of microbiology and three to four credits of pharmacology. That's a lot more specific than a general "science prerequisites completed" checkbox. Its minimum GPA is a cumulative undergraduate 3.0. UW-Oshkosh admissions

Marquette requires both a nursing-degree GPA and a science GPA of at least 3.0. Your undergraduate statistics course has to fall within five years of the program start (the start date, not the application date), and you can finish an approved replacement before matriculation. Marquette asks you to confirm course approval and says it won't consider self-paced or open-enrollment statistics courses. Its FAQ also separates updated post-degree science coursework from the science GPA tied to your nursing degree. Marquette requirements, detailed FAQ

Edgewood's admission page lists a cumulative 3.0 for regular admission. It describes anatomy/physiology, inorganic and organic chemistry, microbiology and pharmacology as recommended coursework, with recent sciences highly preferred. Treat those as recommendations, and get a current program determination before you sign up for any of them as if they were mandatory. Edgewood admissions

Say your last 60 credits are strong but your earlier record is weaker. Ask Franciscan how its two calculations apply to you, then check Marquette's nursing and science calculations separately. A calculation that works in your favor at one school doesn't carry over to another. The prerequisite planning guide can help you keep track of each school's answer.

Which experience, certifications and application steps matter?

Start with the experience minimum, because it's different at every program. Franciscan requires 18 months of critical care experience at 0.75 FTE or more by the application deadline, and it prefers 24 months. Its examples include ICU, CCU, SICU, PICU and NICU. Marquette requires one full-time critical care year, not counting orientation, by December 15, and strongly prefers two or more years. Its accepted examples include adult, pediatric and neonatal intensive care. Marquette's FAQ says applicants without recent experience can still apply, although it can be a competitive disadvantage. Franciscan admissions, Marquette experience FAQ

UW-Oshkosh requires one current, continuous full-time critical care year or its part-time equivalent. Its definition includes pediatric and neonatal ICU, and it'll consider other settings when you can show the required unstable-patient, monitoring, ventilation and pharmacology skills. That's individual review. It doesn't mean every emergency department job automatically counts. Edgewood requires a full-time critical care year within the previous two years at application and lists neonatal and pediatric ICU among its examples. UW-Oshkosh experience definition, Edgewood requirements

CCRN is required at UW-Oshkosh, Marquette and Edgewood. Franciscan's published requirements don't list it, so ask the program whether it expects one for your cycle. Marquette requires adult or pediatric CCRN by application and American Heart Association BLS, ACLS and PALS before matriculation. It also requires Casper for the 2026/2027 admissions cycle and asks for recommendation forms instead of reference letters. UW-Oshkosh requires a shadowing verification form and a reference from the CRNA you shadowed. Marquette checklist, UW-Oshkosh application process

Where will you attend class and clinical training?

That depends on the program, and the clinical map can stretch well past the classroom city. Franciscan operates within Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse with UW-La Crosse and Viterbo. It's separate from Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Louisiana and from Mayo's Minnesota program. Its clinical affiliates include Wisconsin sites, Mankato and Winona in Minnesota, and Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Students arrange their own transportation and lodging. Some distant rotations offer housing, but that's no promise of housing for every assignment. Franciscan partnership, clinical curriculum

Marquette says all clinical rotations are in Wisconsin, but its FAQ describes some distant sites and puts travel and lodging costs on students. UW-Oshkosh lists clinical affiliates across Wisconsin, so an Oshkosh classroom base doesn't make every clinical day local. Edgewood's partners span Wisconsin and northern Illinois, and it requires unencumbered Wisconsin and Illinois RN licenses before year two. Marquette clinical FAQ, UW-Oshkosh sites, Edgewood clinical and licensing FAQ

UW-Oshkosh's admissions checklist lists a Wisconsin RN license, but its FAQ clarifies that you don't need it at application. You do need it by enrollment. Marquette requires Wisconsin or eNLC licensure at admission. Quick tip: confirm the timing of licenses, simulation attendance and distant rotations before you sign a lease. Hybrid coursework still involves showing up in person and clinical education. UW-Oshkosh licensure FAQ, Marquette qualifications

How much does CRNA school in Wisconsin cost?

It depends on which program you pick, and the published estimates don't line up neatly because they cover different things and different dates. Keep those labels attached to the numbers.

Program	Published educational-cost figure	What needs a separate budget or confirmation
Franciscan partnership	Published estimate: $84,284 Wisconsin resident or $95,503 nonresident across SOA, UWL and Viterbo	Each institution sets its own rates and can raise them annually. The PDF separately estimates $20,475 in other student expenses, including $16,800 for external clinical housing
UW-Oshkosh	Fall 2026 schedule, revised May 2026: $105,133.65 program total, including the displayed $7,000 deposit line	Other estimated out-of-pocket expenses of $28,900. University and College of Nursing fees come on top and are announced once finalized
Marquette	Published tuition for students starting Fall 2026: $131,950 over nine semesters	Fees, insurance, travel, living costs and a later cohort's rate
Edgewood	Published tuition $135,660, with a $2,000 acceptance deposit credited to second-semester tuition	$1,000 nursing fee per semester plus estimated books, certifications, travel and other expenses. Confirm entering-cohort rates

Sources: Franciscan linked cost estimate, UW-Oshkosh costs, Marquette tuition, Edgewood budget.

Two easy budgeting slips: counting a credited deposit twice, and assuming a clinical-housing allowance will cover your actual assignments. Franciscan's estimate is the only one here with separate resident and nonresident totals, and most of that gap comes from the UW-La Crosse portion. Ask each school for the rate and fees that apply to your situation. And because each figure includes different expenses, don't rank the programs on these numbers alone.

Which application cycles and outcomes should you track?

Track four different windows. Franciscan/UWL accepts applications June 1 to August 1, and its instructions use June to August 2026 for Summer 2027 as an example. That window has closed, and the next one opens June 1. The program asks you to contact its director before you apply. You apply through UWL, invited candidates interview in late October or early November, and you complete Viterbo's DNP application only after you're accepted. UW-Oshkosh requires materials and transcripts by December 1 for the following summer and currently lists in-person interviews during the week of January 25, 2027. UWL process, UW-Oshkosh dates

Marquette publishes a September 1 to December 15 application window for its annual fall cohort. Interviews run early February through March. Edgewood's nurse anesthesia program starts each fall, admits once a year and lists September 15 to December 15, 2026 for Fall 2027. Marquette timeline, Edgewood cycle

For 2025, Marquette reports 100% first-attempt NCE success. Franciscan's 2025 table reports 90% first-attempt success and zero attrition. Marquette cohort outcomes Franciscan outcomes

UW-Oshkosh reports a 100% first-time NCE pass rate and 5.5% attrition for its 2026 cohort. UW-Oshkosh outcomes page Edgewood enrollment data

If another state fits your timing or experience better, compare Minnesota, Illinois and the national directory. And keep your verified policies, open questions and clinical travel costs in one place with the CRNA Club School Database. Four programs is a short enough list to get a written answer from each one before you apply.