All CRNA, Nursing, NP & Allied Health Programs Ranked by Cost (2026)

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Data sourced from official university Cost of Attendance publications and federal legislation (Public Law 119-21, Title VIII, Sec. 81001).

By The CRNALoanGap Data Team | Updated March 2026

We analyzed 693 CRNA, nursing, NP, and allied health programs across 400 institutions. The median total program cost is $114,870, and the mean reaches $124,953. A full 99.4% of programs exceed the $20,500/year federal Grad PLUS cap, forcing students to cover a median annual gap of $21,696 through private loans, savings, or other sources.

How much does CRNA and nursing school cost in 2026?

The short answer: far more than federal loans will cover.

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), CRNA students and most other advanced nursing and allied health students are classified as Graduate borrowers. That classification limits federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans to $20,500 per year, with an aggregate limit of $100,000 for graduate study (or $257,500 total including undergraduate). Unlike medical and dental students, who are classified as Professional borrowers and can access up to $50,000 per year, CRNA and NP students are stuck with the lower limit.

The math is brutal. The median annual Cost of Attendance across all 693 programs in this dataset is $42,081. The mean is even higher at $46,695. That means the typical student faces a gap of at least $21,696 per year between what the government will lend and what the school actually costs.

Total program costs range from $32,302 at Schreiner University's online BSN-to-MSN pathway to $423,306 at Saint Joseph's University's 6-year OTD program. The spread is enormous, and the program you choose will define your financial reality for years after graduation.

Here's how the key cost metrics break down across the full dataset of 693 programs:

For context, across all 7,191 graduate programs tracked in the broader dataset spanning law, medicine, pharmacy, and more, the median total cost is $90,276. CRNA and nursing programs sit $24,594 above that benchmark. The advanced clinical training these programs require, combined with program lengths of 3 to 6 years, pushes cumulative costs well into six figures.

The DNP mandate deserves special attention. Of the 693 programs analyzed, 306 award a DNP degree. This doctoral requirement, which replaced the MSN at many institutions for CRNA programs, added a full year of tuition compared to the old master's pathway. That extra year costs students roughly $42,000 to $85,000 at the median, depending on the school, and it's a year during which full-time clinical rotations prevent most students from holding a job.

📊 Your Funding Gap These are averages. Your program could cost significantly more or less. Find your specific CRNA and nursing program → Calculate Your Gap →

Which CRNA and nursing programs are the most expensive?

The costliest programs in this vertical are a mix of elite private universities and long-duration allied health doctorates. When a 4-year audiology program at a private institution charges $50,000+ in tuition annually, total costs approach $300,000. CRNA-specific DNP programs at top research universities aren't far behind.

Here are the 20 most expensive programs by total cost:

Two patterns stand out. First, the University of Southern California's OT program has the highest annual gap in the entire dataset at $107,783 per year. That's more than five times the federal loan cap. Second, notice how audiology programs dominate this list because of their 4-year duration. A $70,000/year program stretched over 4 years generates a $200,000+ total gap even though its annual cost is lower than some 3-year DNP programs.

For CRNA students specifically, look at the University of Mississippi's non-resident DNP-CRNA program at $279,300 total, Midwestern University-Glendale's DNAP at $264,057, and Case Western Reserve's CRNA pathway at $254,544. These are programs training professionals who will earn $200,000 or more annually. The ROI is strong. But the federal government treats these future CRNAs the same as a student pursuing a 1-year online master's in nursing education.

That classification gap is why 140+ lawmakers are currently fighting for reclassification of nurse anesthesia students. The outcome remains uncertain.

Which CRNA and nursing programs are the most affordable?

Affordable options do exist. Only 4 of 693 programs fall entirely within the $20,500 annual federal cap, producing zero funding gap. But dozens more keep total costs under $60,000.

Beal University and Herzing University-Birmingham stand out as the only institutions with programs that produce $0 in annual funding gap. Their annual COA figures of $20,060 and $17,919 respectively fall at or below the $20,500 cap. Herzing-Birmingham appears twice, once for its MSN and once for its DNP, both under the cap because of remarkably low living expense estimates and tuition under $8,100 per year.

A word of caution: some of the cheapest programs report unusually low living expense budgets. Herzing-Birmingham lists $9,819 for annual living expenses. If you live in a market where rent alone exceeds that figure, the real cost of attendance is higher than what's published, and your actual funding gap will be larger.

Online and accelerated formats also appear disproportionately in the affordable tier. Shorter program durations compress total cost even when annual costs are moderate. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's online DNP, for example, runs just 1.7 years, keeping total cost at $46,070 despite a $27,100 annual COA.

How does the funding gap vary across CRNA and nursing programs?

The funding gap is the difference between a program's annual Cost of Attendance and the $20,500 federal Grad PLUS loan cap. It represents what you must cover through private loans, personal savings, employer tuition assistance, scholarships, or family support.

Across 693 programs, 689 produce a gap. That's 99.4%.

The median annual gap is $21,696. That number might seem manageable in isolation, but multiply it by 3 years (the typical DNP duration) and you're looking at roughly $65,000 in unfunded costs. See our largest funding gaps ranking for the programs hit hardest. For students at programs like USC's OTD or Columbia's DNP, the total gap exceeds $290,000.

Here's what the gap distribution looks like by degree type, using the most common degrees in the dataset:

DNP programs make up 44.2% of the dataset. These are the programs most affected by the doctoral mandate that replaced MSN-level CRNA training at hundreds of schools. The transition to the DNP added tuition costs, extended time-to-degree, and increased total borrowing, all while the federal loan classification stayed frozen at the Graduate level.

DNAP (Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice) programs, while representing only 9 programs in the dataset, tend to cluster at the expensive end. Midwestern University-Glendale's DNAP costs $264,057 total, with a $67,519 annual gap.

The funding gap problem scales with cost of living too. Programs in New York City, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia report living expenses ranging from $28,000 to $43,500 per year. Living expenses alone can exceed the entire federal loan cap at these schools.

Compare that to Jacksonville State University, where a DNP student faces a $13,788 annual gap, or Northeastern State University, where the gap is roughly $7,500 per year regardless of residency status.

Your choice of school, program format, and geography will shape your gap more than almost any other factor.

What factors drive cost differences?

A $391,004 spread separates the cheapest program ($32,302) from the most expensive ($423,306). That range demands explanation.

Program duration is the single largest cost multiplier. A 3-year DNP at a moderately priced school costs less in total than a 4-year AuD at a comparably priced one. Saint Joseph's University's DrOT tops the list at $423,306 largely because it runs 6 years. Its annual COA of $70,551 is high but not the highest. Duration made it the most expensive program overall.

Tuition policy varies wildly. USC charges $97,548 in annual tuition for its OTD. Angeles College charges $880. Both are in California. The difference is partly explained by program type and prestige, but it underscores that published tuition rates tell only part of the story.

Mandatory fees can be a hidden cost driver. Saint Joseph's University charges $17,775 in mandatory fees annually, more than double the tuition at some affordable programs. These fees are often non-negotiable and ineligible for tuition waivers.

Living expenses represent the largest single cost component at many programs. Across all 7,191 graduate programs in the broader methodology and data sources tracked dataset, 3,770 programs report living expenses that exceed tuition. For CRNA and nursing students who cannot work during full-time clinical rotations, these costs are largely unavoidable. You can't split your focus between a 60-hour clinical week and a side job.

Residency status creates parallel pricing at public universities. The University of Oklahoma HSC charges out-of-state AuD students enough to land at $291,628 total. In-state students at the same institution pay considerably less. If you're considering a public university program, establishing residency before enrollment could save tens of thousands.

Online vs. on-campus format also affects cost, though not always in the direction you'd expect. Online programs sometimes report lower living expenses because students are assumed to maintain existing housing. But tuition for online programs at private institutions can match or exceed on-campus rates.

The bottom line: two students pursuing nearly identical clinical credentials can face total costs that differ by $300,000+ depending on where and how they study. The program selection decision is a financial decision. Treat it accordingly.

📊 Your Funding Gap Every program has a different cost, a different duration, and a different gap. The averages in this article may not reflect your situation. Calculate your exact CRNA and nursing funding gap → Calculate Your Gap →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average cost of CRNA and nursing school?

The mean total program cost across 693 CRNA, nursing, NP, and allied health programs is $124,953. The median is $114,870, which better represents a typical student's experience because a small number of extremely expensive programs (above $300,000) pull the mean upward. Annual Cost of Attendance averages $46,695, with a median of $42,081.

What is the cheapest CRNA and nursing program?

The least expensive program by total cost is Schreiner University's online BSN-to-MSN pathway at $32,302. However, it is a 1-year program. Among programs producing zero funding gap, Herzing University-Birmingham offers both an MSN ($35,838 total) and a DNP ($53,757 total) that fall within the $20,500 annual federal loan cap. Only 4 of the 693 programs analyzed produce no gap at all.

How many CRNA and nursing programs require private loans?

Of the 693 programs in the dataset, 689 (99.4%) have annual costs exceeding the $20,500 federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan cap for Graduate borrowers. This means virtually every CRNA, NP, and allied health student will need to supplement federal loans with private borrowing, personal savings, employer assistance, or scholarships to cover their full Cost of Attendance. The median annual shortfall is $21,696 per year.