Back
Join the Free CSPA Community!
Connect with a network of Aspiring CRNAs, Nurse Anesthesia Residents, practicing CRNAs and CRNA Program Faculty Mentors here: https://www.cspaedu.com/community
Are you considering applying to a brand-new CRNA program but unsure if it’s the right move? Today Jenny dives into the pros and cons of joining a newly established nurse anesthesia program and reveals a comprehensive list of 22 brand-new CRNA programs that have recently opened or are undergoing accreditation.
From insider tips to alleviate concerns about new programs to advice on assessing program quality, this episode is packed with invaluable information for aspiring CRNAs!
She discusses the unique advantages of new CRNA programs, such as potentially less competitive application pools and fresh, energized faculty eager to build a positive culture. You’ll also learn about the rigorous accreditation process new programs must undergo to ensure they meet the Council on Accreditation (COA) standards, which can provide peace of mind for applicants.
Plus, she breaks down important considerations, like board passing rates and hybrid learning opportunities, that can impact your decision. Whether you’re intrigued by the flexibility of hybrid programs or the potential for independent practice exposure, this episode will guide you in making an informed choice.
Ready to explore your options and gain a competitive edge in your CRNA journey? Tune in to discover if a brand-new program is the right fit for you and to hear about the exciting opportunities in locations like Nevada, Texas, Ohio, and beyond!
Get access to application & interview preparation resources plus ICU Educational Workshops that have helped thousands of nurses accelerate their CRNA success. Become a member of CRNA School Prep Academy: https://cspaedu.com/join
Get CRNA School insights sent straight to your inbox! Sign up for the CSPA email newsletter: https://www.cspaedu.com/podcast-email
Book a mock interview, resume or personal statement critique, transcript review and more: www.teachrn.com
—
Watch the episode here
Listen to the podcast here
How Competitive Are New CRNA Programs?
Hello and welcome back to the CSPA podcast. Today we’re going to talk about whether or not you should apply to a brand new CRNA program, and we’re also going to reveal 22, yes you read that right, 22 brand new CRNA programs that have either opened in the last year or who are currently going through the accreditation process to open in 2025. So without further ado, let’s go ahead and get into the show.
First I would love to discuss what you should do if you’re unsure about applying to a brand new CRNA program, and we’ll discuss what are some things to think about during this process? I personally, in my own humble opinion, think that a brand new CRNA program is a great opportunity because it’s brand new.
I have always been shocked that word of mouth spreads very quickly about these new programs; so many of them, while they technically “should” be less competitive, sometimes they drum up quite a bit of word of mouth and can get an overwhelming amount of applicants for their very first cohort.
However, I do still think this is a great opportunity to get exposure to applying to a CRNA program and hopefully have it be a less competitive application cycle due to not as many people knowing about it, yet. Again, I’ve seen brand new programs with very little advertisements drum up quite a large application pool, but that’s not always the case.
So with that being said, I do think a brand new CRNA program has something kind of unique to offer and that instead of having 400 applicants, maybe they only have 200 applicants or maybe instead of 300 applicants, they only have 150 applicants. So it could be a great opportunity to apply in a less competitive realm versus a longer standing program that is more well known. That is really one of the first benefits that I see to a brand new CRNA school.
Keep in mind that this is very dependent on the nature of word of mouth; as I said, I have seen new programs drum up quite a large application pool with what seems like very little to no marketing. That being said, I also think it’s a new experience because these faculty are excited about opening a program. I have never known a program to be opened with inexperienced faculty, meaning these new programs that open up are with faculty who come with a wealth of knowledge and experience.
And, they’re excited about opening the program! So I really think it’s a great opportunity to go into a program with a really good culture and one that they’re excited about with new beginnings. I think that that’s a really great and exciting opportunity as well for CRNA applicants.
The CRNA School Accreditation Process
I also want to share a little bit about the accreditation process to alleviate your fears; the accreditation process to open a CRNA program is very rigorous. It is very extensive, and again, not just anybody can successfully open a program.
Rest assured that if the Council on Accreditation approves the CRNA program, they have passed very rigorous standards to be opened. They have to not only meet the COA standards, which you can go on COACRNA.org and read through a huge booklet of requirements, but these programs have to submit in detail an outlined approach on how they’re going to not only meet the requirements but exceed the requirements of the COA.
New CRNA Schools: New programs that open tend to have faculty who come with a wealth of knowledge and experience, and they’re excited about opening the program.
So these are things such as having affiliation agreements, preceptors, faculty adequacy (meaning do they have enough faculty to run the program), do they have adequate resources for simulation costs, do they again have enough clinical sites and enough variety in those clinical sites to allow their students to get a wide variety of experiences.
They have to meet all of these really rigorous standards to actually open a program. So overall, I think it’s a great opportunity to apply to a new program. I do not think you should ever shy away from applying to a new program.
Another important thing to keep in mind when you are applying to a new program- they typically have to go through a second accreditation process within a few years to make sure that again, they’re kind of upholding the original accreditation process.
Should You Be Concerned About New Programs Without Board Passing Rates?
I would be more nervous applying to a school who has been struggling for the last three to four years with board passing rates than a brand new program because a school who’s been struggling with board passing rates, those programs can be put on academic probation. I don’t know if they call it that per se, but it’s kind of like a probationary period where the COA comes in more frequently to kind of check whether you’re making strides for improvement to meet their standard board passing rate.
When schools have that occur, that is more risky. If you’re in the middle of that cohort, say you just started and a year later, they’re up for re-accreditation; if they’ve been struggling for the last 3, 4, 5, 6 years…there is a potential risk of that school being shut down prior to you graduating, which could leave you homeless, meaning you’re going to have to scramble and they’re going to try to find you another placement at another school.
It doesn’t happen often. It’s very rare, but it has happened and it’s very upsetting when that does occur. And I do think the majority of schools where this has happened in the past have been able to find placements for their students. However, having to uproot your life to start in another program or move across country to be able to continue your education so you can graduate is very disruptive and it’s not really always a possibility for everybody in this situation.
But I equally want to assure you that this is incredibly rare- very, very rare to actually occur, but it is always a risk. So again, I think with a brand new program, you can be reassured. While they’re not going to have board passing rates for at least three years, they’ve been through the initial accreditation process so if you apply to that first cohort and you get in, you’re going to graduate.
It’d be more of a concern if you applied say after their first cohort graduated and they did very poorly, then they may be up for a more frequent review and potentially be put on this kind of a watch program; that would be a little more of a riskier program to apply to.
I think the moral of the story is, if you’re applying to an established program, understand not just what their board passing rates were last year, understand what they are historically, meaning over the last three, four years, what have been the board passing rates? Are they increasing, decreasing, do they go back and forth or are they consistently high?
The Benefits of Applying to a New CRNA Program
That is probably the most reassuring factor that can assure you that you are going to be in a program who’s not going to face a challenge like that. So again, I wouldn’t shy away from going to a new program. I think it’s a great opportunity to kind of get into a brand new program that kind of has a positive upbeat culture that’s really excited about what they’re doing.
I wouldn't shy away from going to a new program. I think it's a great opportunity to get into a brand new program that has a positive, upbeat culture that's really excited about what they're doing. Share on X
Many of them are also looking for newer opportunities such as independent practice exposure and getting you exposed to a lot of experience doing peripheral nerve blocks and things of that nature. I think it seems to be, anyways, these newer programs are not only looking for these opportunities more, but they are also doing more of a hybrid kind of approach where it allows more flexibility for the learner to be able to do some education online and also have flexibility in clinical site placement.
Meaning, maybe your program is located in this state, but maybe your clinicals can be where your home base is, where your family is. So again, I think these are all really great opportunities to consider.
CRNA Programs with Board Passing Rates Below 80%
I want to jump back real quick- I noticed I left out an important fact that probably left you wondering, “Well, what is the COA’s past rate requirement, Jenny?” So I want to make this quick edit to let you know that the COA’s pass rate requirement is 80%. If a school falls below that threshold, that is when the COA gets involved.
So when you’re researching CRNA programs, you want to look for a school who historically has a board passing rate higher than 80%. Also, this is directly from their website; if you want to go to the COACRNA.org, you can read all this on their website, but if a program that is already on monitoring fails to meet the pass requirement for the second time, it will not only remain on monitoring but it’s also considered out of compliance.
These are the schools that would be the riskiest ones to actually apply to. Their website goes on to say “Programs have been notified that non-compliance with standards have a maximum of two years in which to comply with the COA requirements”, which is why it’s risky to apply there because you have three years before you graduate, and if they’re already out of compliance, they then have two years to get into compliance.
So if the two cohorts ahead of you don’t get those board passing rates up higher than that, that would mean that you would risk going into your senior year needing to find another school that can take you in to allow you to finish your degree. I wanted to make sure I was clarifying what that meant in case I left some of you wondering.
Introducing 22 New CRNA Programs: Opportunities Across the U.S.
Alright, so let’s go ahead and get into the twenty two CRNA programs that are opening up or have been newly released within the last 12 months. Alright, first on our list is Roseman. This program is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it just started its first cohort this past fall. It is also the first CRNA program in Nevada. So I think that’s a really exciting opportunity for those who otherwise would have to travel out of state to go to CRNA school.
The next program’s equally exciting because it’s also in a state that has no other CRNA programs, which is Rocky Vista in Colorado. They just accepted their first cohort or were currently interviewing for their first cohort recently. So again, a really great opportunity for those of you residing in Colorado who would usually have to go to Westminster in Utah to go to CRNA school.
The next one on the list is UTMB in Texas. I will say, I feel like out of all the states, Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, even Florida has a lot of CRNA schools too; I mean Texas is a huge state, so they deserve all those programs, but a lot of these schools tend to be in those little hubs of states. But UTMB, again opening one in Texas, so there’s another great opportunity for aspiring CRNAs residing there.
The next one is Ursuline College with SNAP, which is in Ohio. It’s a little place called Pepper Pike, which is outside of Cleveland. However, what’s really unique about this university is its hybrid. They’re kind of “collaborating” with SNAP, which is Somnia Nurse Anesthesia Program but they’re going through Ursuline College to provide this program. Again, it’s outside of Cleveland, but their clinical sites are all over the country; they kind of find little hubs of clinical sites.
What’s really unique about that is you could really reside anywhere in the country; yes, you have that hub where you go, but it’s mostly all a hybrid program, so it allows you to have more flexibility if you’re in a state that maybe only has one school and you want other options that maybe have clinical sites near you in your home base.
The next school to talk about is Ohio State. Go Buckeyes. Woo woo. This is in Columbus, Ohio. Like I spoke to Texas and Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, they have a lot of CRNA schools, but yes, OSU is opening a program. I do believe they’re accepting their first cohort here in the fall or at least accepting applications. So I would encourage you to check out that school.
The next one I have to share with you is UC Davis. This is in Sacramento, California. Again, a great opportunity for California people or people who have family in California, a really, really great opportunity. The next one is Ohio University or OU is what most people refer to it as, which is in Athens, Ohio. What’s kind of unique about this is it’s not, yes, it’s a new program, but it’s actually taking over the Otterbein program.
Otterbein was a program that had been established for quite some time. I think it had been relatively new when I first started applying to CRNA school, which was back in 2009; I want to say that is around when it opened and it just recently closed down. However, like I spoke to earlier in this episode, they’ve moved their students to OU; Ohio University is taking over that program. So they’re likely going to have the same clinical sites for the most part, probably a few new ones, but for the most part the same clinical sites.
It’s essentially replacing Otterbein’s program, and they’re moving it to operate out of Ohio University instead. The next one is Duquesne University. It’s in Pennsylvania and essentially it’s another program that’s kind of transitioning, which is La Roche.
So they’re doing this in partnership with Allegheny School of Anesthesia, which was La Roche’s program, but they’re essentially moving it to this Duquesne University. Again, a hybrid program. So another great opportunity for those who want some more flexibility and would enjoy a hybrid learning style.
New CRNA Schools: Many of the newer programs are also looking for new opportunities in clinical experiences for students or even offering a hybrid approach allowing the learner to be able to do some education online.
The next one is Fairfield University, which is still around, don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere, but they’re just opening a branch in Austin, Texas, which is really cool because you can go to Fairfield University and essentially live in Austin, Texas and still attend CRNA school.
I’m sure there’s some commuting on occasion; they usually have certain things and practicums that you have to go to your home base for. But the fact that you can do the majority of your clinicals in Austin, Texas, if that’s where you’re from, I think it’s a great opportunity. So again, Fairfield University is opening a branch in Austin, Texas.
Then we have UT Health San Antonio, so another Texas school. Then we have UT Tyler, so another Texas school. Again, Texas is like three states, so I think it’s fair.
Next we have Bellarmine University and we also have University of Louisville. So again, two more great opportunities for you in that location. Then we have Loyola University and New Mexico State University. These schools, Bellarmine, Louisville, Loyola, and New Mexico State have all been around for the last 12 months or so, but they’re all relatively newer schools. Some really great opportunities.
Next we have Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia Program. They were initially granted accreditation in May of 2024, so brand new. And then we have Delaware Nurse Anesthesiology Program at Christiana Care and Wilmington University. So a new program in Delaware, which is really exciting because again, I don’t think they have a lot of schools. I would be mistaken. They might only have one other school. So again, another great opportunity for those of you residing in that part of the country.
Then we have Edgewood College Nurse Anesthesia Program in Wisconsin. We have St. John Fisher University in New York, which is in Rochester, New York. Then we have St. Luke’s University, which is in Pennsylvania. It’s St. Luke’s University Health Network, DeSales University Nurse Anesthesia Program. So it looks like it’s a combination program, but again, it’s in Pennsylvania and then we have the University of Illinois Chicago, which is opening a program.
And we also then have LaSalle University Nurse Anesthesia Program, which is a newer program. So these are all really great opportunities for you guys. I will make sure the list of these schools are in the show notes. In case you weren’t taking notes, I know many of you’re probably driving and listening to this, so I will make sure I have this list.
How to Identify Upcoming CRNA Programs
If you ever want a current list of schools that are going through the accreditation process, again, you can head over to COACRNA.org and they will list out all of the schools that are currently going through accreditation. I think the thing to point out so you can determine what’s a new school versus what’s a school that’s just getting reaccredited is that it will say “capability review”. Those are for new schools, and sometimes they even say tentative, meaning they haven’t done their onsite visit and things of that nature, but it’ll say Capability Review, that is how you know it’s a brand new program.
For programs that are listed for upcoming accreditation reviews that do not have that, they’re usually longer-standing programs that are coming up for the renewal process, whether that’s a four year renewal or, I think the longest you can get is a 10 year renewal. And those are usually for the longest standing programs or the ones who have historically high board passing rates who haven’t needed to be reviewed more frequently.
But even a longstanding school, if they start having dips in board passing rates and things of that nature, they will have to do the accreditation process more frequently. So usually the schools that have the 10 year accreditation are the ones who are longstanding, who historically have very high board passing rates and things of that nature.
So I hope you guys found this helpful. And again, if you’re ever wanting a full list of recent schools, if you’re like, “Well, I don’t want to apply now, but maybe in a couple years I will want to apply,” then head over to the COACRNA.org website for an updated list on the schools that are currently going through accreditation and look for “capability review”. That is again, how you know of all the schools that are up and coming. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode, and we’ll see you next time. We’re rooting for you future CRNA.
—
Important Links
Join the Free CSPA Community! Connect with a network of Aspiring CRNAs, Nurse Anesthesia Residents, practicing CRNAs and CRNA Program Faculty Mentors here: https://www.cspaedu.com/community
Get access to application & interview preparation resources plus ICU Educational Workshops that have helped thousands of nurses accelerate their CRNA success. Become a member of CRNA School Prep Academy: https://cspaedu.com/join
Get CRNA School insights sent straight to your inbox! Sign up for the CSPA email newsletter: https://www.cspaedu.com/podcast-email
Book a mock interview, resume or personal statement critique, transcript review and more: www.teachrn.com
