Updated June 2026 · 12 min read

CRNA Programs in Pennsylvania 2026

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

Pennsylvania has one of the deepest benches of nurse anesthesia programs in the country — well over a dozen accredited options spread from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and across the rural center of the state. Here's how the major programs compare and how an ICU nurse builds a Pennsylvania application that earns an interview.

Accredited CRNA Programs in Pennsylvania (2026)

This list is representative, not exhaustive — Pennsylvania also hosts programs at Duquesne, Drexel, Villanova, Gannon, La Roche, and others, with the state offering roughly a dozen-plus accredited programs in total. Every accredited Pennsylvania program now awards a doctorate (DNP or DNAP); the Council on Accreditation phased out master's-level CRNA entry on January 1, 2025. Confirm current tuition, credit counts, and clinical-hour requirements directly with each school, as they vary widely.

University of Pennsylvania and University of Pittsburgh

Penn Nursing's full-time, in-person DNP runs three years and carries the brand and clinical resources of one of the country's top academic medical systems. Pitt's program is similarly elite, completed on-campus over three years with a curriculum that includes more than 2,500 hours of clinical training. Both pull from high-acuity tertiary hospitals (the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and UPMC Presbyterian, respectively) and both are highly competitive. For applicants who want a nationally recognized credential and don't mind single-digit-to-low admit rates, these two anchor the state.

Penn State, Thomas Jefferson, and Scranton

Penn State's full-time, in-person program spans 36 months with a rigorous curriculum totaling roughly 94 credits and 2,700 clinical hours, with the Hershey Medical Center providing academic-level acuity. Thomas Jefferson's Philadelphia DNP is full-time only, runs 36 months across nine semesters for about 85 credits, and requires at least 2,000 clinical practice hours. The University of Scranton offers a comprehensive 36-month doctoral program in northeastern Pennsylvania — a strong option for nurses already rooted in that region.

York, Cedar Crest, and the Geisinger Partnership

York College's DNP nurse anesthetist program is fully accredited by the COA (through 2033) and offers a mid-state option. Cedar Crest College is the only CRNA program in the Lehigh Valley and runs a hybrid model with core classes delivered online — useful for nurses who can't relocate to a major metro. The Commonwealth University–Geisinger partnership (formerly the Bloomsburg University–Geisinger program) blends online coursework with in-person clinical training inside the Geisinger system, an excellent fit for central-Pennsylvania ICU nurses.

Strong Pennsylvania ICU Hospitals for CRNA Applicants

Where you accumulate critical care hours matters as much as your GPA. Pennsylvania offers several high-acuity systems ideal for CRNA candidacy:

Programs want sustained adult critical care managing ventilated patients on vasoactive infusions with arterial and central lines. A CVICU or trauma SICU role at one of these systems is far stronger on a CRNA application than a step-down or community "ICU" that does not manage that acuity.

The Application Timeline from Pennsylvania

Working backward from a fall 2027 start: most Pennsylvania programs accept applications roughly September–December 2026, interview January–March 2027, and decide by spring 2027. Have your CCRN completed and at least one year (ideally two) of high-acuity ICU hours documented before applications open. Because Pennsylvania has so many programs, applying to several in-state — across both the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh corridors plus a central-PA option — meaningfully raises your odds without a cross-country move.