Updated June 2026 · 9 min read

CRNA Programs in Louisiana 2026

Part of the CRNA Career Hub — browse every related guide in one place.

Louisiana keeps its CRNA pipeline anchored in two well-established programs — one public in New Orleans, one private in Baton Rouge. For a Gulf-region ICU nurse, both offer strong clinical volume at a reasonable cost. Here is the 2026 landscape, what it costs, and how to get in.

Accredited CRNA programs

Every program below is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). Confirm current accreditation status on the COA list before applying, since review dates change.

LSU Health New Orleans (LSUHSC) runs a public, COA-accredited DNP in nurse anesthesia — a continuous 36-month, full-time program with reported tuition near $68,000, making it one of the more affordable doctoral routes in the South. It requires a BSN, a minimum 3.0 GPA, an active Louisiana RN license, and at least a year of critical-care experience.

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU) in Baton Rouge — formerly known by its Our Lady of the Lake College name — offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia over 36 months, with COA approval reported through 2028 and tuition near $92,000. Its faith-based mission and Baton Rouge hospital network round out the state's two options.

Between them, Louisiana applicants get a public and a private route in two different metros, both with the high-acuity case volume that busy Gulf-region trauma and cardiac centers provide.

Admission requirements

Every program below uses the same competitive benchmarks as the rest of the country. Minimums make you eligible; the admitted profile sits higher.

How to strengthen your application

Get into the highest-acuity ICU you can and stay long enough to lead — a busy CVICU, SICU, or trauma unit carries more weight than years on a quieter floor. Earn your CCRN early; it is close to non-negotiable. If your GPA is below ~3.4, add or retake upper-level science courses and earn As to show momentum. Document CRNA shadowing before applying, and treat the interview as the deciding factor, because once you clear the screen, it usually is.

Bottom line

Louisiana's CRNA pipeline runs through two solid, well-established programs — public LSU Health New Orleans and private Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge. Both are doctoral, 36 months, and reasonably priced for the field. Land a high-acuity ICU year, a CCRN, and a ~3.5 GPA, apply to both, and widen your net regionally to protect your timeline.