Updated June 2026 · 9 min read

CRNA Programs in Oregon

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

For years Oregon had exactly one accredited CRNA program — OHSU in Portland. That changed in 2025, when George Fox University launched a new nurse anesthesia doctorate aimed at the state's rural shortages. As of 2026, Oregon applicants finally have two in-state doors instead of one, which meaningfully improves the odds for residents who want to train without leaving the region.

The Two Oregon Programs

OHSU: The Established Program

The OHSU Nurse Anesthesia Program is a full-time, 36-month Doctor of Nursing Practice track based in Portland through the OHSU School of Nursing. It requires 129 credits, including 42 credits of clinical practicum (about 2,000 clinical hours) and a DNP project sequence. As a public health-and-science university with a major academic medical center, OHSU offers deep clinical resources. Recent tuition figures run roughly $889 per credit for Oregon residents and $926 for non-residents, and admission requires a BSN from an accredited program, an active RN license, and at least one year of recent, full-time adult critical-care experience. The 2026–27 application cycle reopens in August 2026.

George Fox University: The New Option

George Fox launched its 90-credit Doctor of Nursing Practice in nurse anesthesia in 2025. It uses a hybrid model — synchronous and asynchronous online courses, immersive face-to-face learning, simulation, and five in-person clinical residencies — explicitly designed to address Oregon's nursing shortages, including in underserved and rural areas. The program holds initial COA accreditation, with the next on-site visit scheduled for fall 2030 and a continued-accreditation review in spring 2031. Its application opens August 6, 2026 and closes October 1, 2026 for the cohort beginning fall 2027.

How to Choose Between Them

OHSU is the known quantity: a long track record, a major academic medical center, and a traditional on-campus Portland experience — well suited to applicants who want an established program and can relocate to or already live near Portland. George Fox suits applicants drawn to a hybrid format with periodic in-person residencies, those rooted in other parts of Oregon, and people specifically motivated by rural and underserved practice. Cost, location, format, and clinical-site geography should drive the decision more than prestige — both lead to the same credential and the same certification exam.

Application Strategy for Oregon

Two programs is still a thin field, so Oregon residents shouldn't treat either as a safety. Apply to both if you reasonably fit, and seriously consider adding out-of-state programs in Washington or California to widen your odds, since CRNA cohorts are small and competitive everywhere. Both Oregon programs expect a strong GPA, the required year of adult ICU experience, and most CRNA programs prefer or require the CCRN — address that early with the CCRN guide. Build your timeline around the August 2026 openings. For neighboring options, see CRNA programs in Washington and California.

Bottom Line

Oregon went from one CRNA program to two: OHSU remains the established Portland doctorate with a 36-month, 129-credit DNP and accreditation through 2028, while George Fox adds a hybrid, rurally focused DNP that took its first applicants for fall 2027 under initial accreditation. Both are legitimate, accredited paths to the same credential. Apply to both, consider neighboring states to hedge small cohorts, verify each program's current figures, and target the August 2026 application openings. For the bigger picture, see CRNA acceptance rates and the CRNA job outlook.