Updated June 2026 · 9 min read
Part of the CRNA Career Hub — browse every related guide in one place.
New York has a small but strong set of accredited nurse anesthesia programs, ranging from an Ivy League school in Manhattan to a public SUNY program upstate. If you're an ICU nurse planning to stay in New York for CRNA school, here are the accredited options, what they cost, and what it takes to get in for 2026.
Every program below is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), the national body that approves all U.S. nurse anesthesia training. Always confirm a program's current accreditation status on the COA list before applying.
| Program | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia University | New York City | 36-month DNP; COA-accredited; highly selective Ivy program |
| University at Buffalo (SUNY) | Buffalo | Public option; doctoral nurse anesthesia degree |
| St. John Fisher University | Rochester | Private; COA-accredited DNP nurse anesthesia program |
| Hunter-Bellevue (CUNY) | New York City | Public; dual CRNA + AGACNP preparation in the NYC metro |
Columbia University runs a 36-month, full-time DNP in nurse anesthesia for experienced critical-care RNs and is among the most competitive programs in the Northeast. Its clinical placements across major Manhattan hospitals are a major draw — and a reason application volume is high.
University at Buffalo (SUNY) is the public standout, offering a terminal nurse anesthesia degree at a lower in-state cost than the private programs. For New York residents who want to control debt, a SUNY program is often the most capital-efficient route.
St. John Fisher University in Rochester provides a COA-accredited DNP nurse anesthesia program with strong regional clinical ties in western New York. Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing (CUNY) offers a distinctive public-institution program in the NYC metro that prepares graduates for dual certification as both a CRNA and an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.
New York programs follow the same competitive benchmarks you'll see nationwide. The published minimums get you eligible; the real bar to be admitted is higher.
| Requirement | Typical expectation |
|---|---|
| Degree | BSN (or RN-to-BSN completed before entry) |
| License | Active, unencumbered NY RN license |
| ICU experience | Minimum 1 year; competitive applicants have 2–3 in high-acuity units |
| GPA | Minimum ~3.0; admitted students cluster around 3.4–3.7 |
| CCRN | Required or strongly preferred |
| Other | Shadowing hours, strong references, and an interview |
The same levers that work nationally apply in New York. Get into the highest-acuity ICU you can — a busy CVICU, SICU, or trauma unit in a New York City or major upstate hospital carries real weight. Earn your CCRN early. If your GPA is below ~3.4, retake or add upper-level science courses and earn As to show an upward trend. Document CRNA shadowing before you apply, and prepare for the interview as if it decides everything, because once you clear the GPA-and-experience screen, it usually does.
New York offers a compact but high-quality set of CRNA programs — an Ivy League option at Columbia, an affordable public route through SUNY Buffalo, and solid programs at St. John Fisher and Hunter-Bellevue. The biggest decisions are cost (public vs. private can swing your debt by tens of thousands) and odds (apply broadly, since seats are scarce). Nail a high-acuity ICU, a CCRN, and a ~3.5 GPA, and a New York CRNA seat is within reach.
Get The ICU Notebook Newsletter
Clinical tools and career insights for ICU nurses. One email per week, no fluff.
Yes, send it freeNo spam. Unsubscribe any time.