Last updated: June 2026 | Researched and reviewed by Daniel Etheridge, CRNA
If you’re an ICU nurse with your sights set on becoming a CRNA, the University of Pittsburgh belongs on your list. It runs one of the largest and most established nurse anesthesia programs in the state.
Here’s the short version. It’s a full-time, 36-month BSN-to-DNP — the entry-to-practice route that takes a critical-care nurse and trains them to become a CRNA. Classes meet on Pitt’s Oakland campus, a new cohort starts every January, and the program has held the maximum 10-year COA accreditation, citation-free, for three reviews running.
So let’s walk through it together — what it costs, what it takes to get in, and how recent classes have actually done.
Pitt CRNA program at a glance
| Degree | Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Nurse Anesthesia — entry-level BSN-to-DNP |
| Length | 36 months / 9 terms, full-time, on campus |
| Credits | 85.5 |
| Clinical experience | 800+ anesthesia cases and 2,500+ clinical hours (both above COA minimums) |
| Location | Pittsburgh, PA (Oakland campus) |
| Class starts | January, once a year |
| Application deadline | April 1 |
| Est. total program cost | ~$118,000 (PA resident) to ~$145,000 (out-of-state), 2025–26 rates |
| Employment | 100% of the Class of 2024 employed within six months |
| Accreditation | COA-accredited through 2030 |
What the program looks like
Pitt’s program is a doctoral, entry-to-practice degree. In plain terms, it’s built for nurses who aren’t CRNAs yet and want to become one.
(Pitt also runs a separate MSN-to-DNP track for nurse anesthetists who already practice. That’s a different program, and not the one we’re covering here.)
You’ll spend 36 months — nine terms — working through 85.5 credits of coursework and clinical training. The early terms lean hard into the science: anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and the principles of anesthesia.
Clinical practice starts sooner than you might expect — two days a week beginning in your third term — and ramps up from there until you’re spending most of your week in the OR.
One number is worth pausing on. Pitt students give at least 800 anesthetics and log more than 2,500 clinical hours before they graduate. The COA only requires 650 cases and 2,000 hours, so you’ll leave with meaningfully more hands-on time than the national floor — and that shows up later, both in interviews and at the table.
Accreditation
The program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) through 2030.
Pitt earned a full 10-year award — the longest the COA grants — back in 2020, with no citations. That’s its third straight citation-free 10-year review, which is about as clean a record as you’ll find.
The School of Nursing and the university are separately accredited (CCNE and Middle States) through 2030 as well.
Getting in: admission requirements
Here’s what Pitt asks for, straight from its published admission criteria:
- A BSN (or entry-level MSN) from a program accredited by ACEN, NLN, or CCNE.
- A current, unencumbered RN license in a U.S. state or territory.
- At least one year of full-time ICU / critical-care experience within the last five years. You can apply while you’re still finishing that year, as long as it’s done before you start.
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 in your most recent degree.
- Undergraduate statistics (a B- or better). If you don’t have it, Pitt has you complete its own stats modules before the first nursing course.
- A personal essay and a pre-admission interview (done virtually if you’re at a distance).
- The GRE is optional — Pitt will consider it as supplemental, but it isn’t required.
One thing worth flagging: Pitt’s published criteria don’t list the CCRN as a hard requirement, which isn’t the case at every program. If you hold the CCRN, it can only help your file — but check the current expectation with the department before you assume you can skip it. For more on what programs look for, see our guide on getting into CRNA school.
Deadlines and timeline
Pitt runs on a January start, which is less common than the usual fall start — so it’s worth planning around. Here’s how the cycle looks:
- Application deadline: April 1
- Interviews: spring of the application year
- Decisions: by June 30
- Classes begin: the following January
From application to your first day of class is roughly nine months. Build that runway into your plan, especially if you’re still logging ICU hours.
What Pitt’s CRNA program costs
Plan on roughly $118,000 if you’re a Pennsylvania resident, or about $145,000 out-of-state, for the whole program. That covers tuition, mandatory university fees, and the required exams and study tools — the all-in number for the degree itself, at 2025–26 rates.
A quick word on how we got there. Pitt bills full-time students by the term and doesn’t publish a single “total program” price.
So this estimate is built from the School of Nursing’s current per-credit rates ($1,280 in-state, $1,595 out-of-state) across all 85.5 credits, plus fees and program costs. Tuition climbs most years, so treat it as a current-rate estimate, not a locked quote.
| Cost component | PA resident | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (85.5 credits) | ~$109,400 | ~$136,400 |
| Mandatory university fees (9 terms) | ~$7,300 | ~$7,300 |
| Required exams & study tools (SEE, APEX, ExamSoft) | ~$1,050 | ~$1,050 |
| Estimated total program cost | ~$117,800 | ~$144,750 |
And remember — that figure is just the cost of the degree.
Once you add three years of living expenses in Pittsburgh, Pitt’s own cost-of-attendance estimates push the real out-of-pocket total well past $200,000. That matters, because this is a full-time program and most students aren’t working much, if at all, while they’re in it.
The upside? A couple of things help. Most textbooks are free through Pitt’s health-sciences library, and Pittsburgh’s cost of living is low for a major city with this many teaching hospitals.
How the program actually performs
This is where Pitt earns its reputation.
Every graduate of the Class of 2024 had a job within six months — all of them with multiple offers. The program reports a 99.9% employment-within-six-months rate going back to 1991.
First-time pass rates on the National Certification Exam (NCE) have stayed strong, and the program’s overall (eventual) pass rate sits at 97–100% across recent classes.
| Graduating class | NCE first-time pass rate | Attrition | Employed within 6 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 86% | 5% | 100% |
| 2023 | 100% | 0% | 100% |
| 2022 | 90% | 0% | 100% |
| 2021 | 87% | 2.5% | 100% |
| 2020 | 92% | 0% | 100% |
Attrition is the number a lot of applicants overlook — and Pitt’s is low. Most recent classes lost zero or one student.
For a program admitting cohorts in the high 30s to low 40s, finishing nearly everyone they start says a lot about how well they support students once you’re in.
Is Pitt the right fit for you?
Pitt makes the most sense if you want a large, well-resourced, research-active program in a city built around medicine.
The clinical sites tie into UPMC, one of the biggest health systems in the country, so case variety and volume are rarely a problem.
The bigger cohort also gives you a real peer group to study and survive with. Some people thrive on that; others want a smaller class. It’s worth being honest with yourself about which one you are.
The January start is the other thing to weigh. It’s a bit of a quirk, but it can actually work in your favor — it spreads your timeline out differently than the fall-start programs and gives you the back half of a year to finish prerequisites or ICU hours.
CRNA salary in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh sits in a deep job market. Pennsylvania employs roughly 2,900 nurse anesthetists at an average of about $209,890 a year, against a national median near $212,650 (BLS, May 2023).
With UPMC and Allegheny Health Network both based here, western PA is one of the stronger regions in the state to land a first job — which the program’s 100% placement rate reflects.
For the full breakdown, see our guide to CRNA schools in Pennsylvania.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the University of Pittsburgh CRNA program?
It’s 36 months — nine terms of full-time study — covering 85.5 credits, with classes starting each January at Pitt’s Oakland campus in Pittsburgh.
How much does Pitt’s CRNA program cost?
The degree runs about $118,000 for Pennsylvania residents and about $145,000 for out-of-state students — tuition, fees, and required program costs at 2025–26 rates. Living expenses are extra and push the true total past $200,000 over three years.
What is Pitt’s CRNA board pass rate?
First-time pass rates on the National Certification Exam have ranged from 86% to 100% across recent graduating classes, with an overall (eventual) pass rate of 97–100%. The Class of 2023 passed 100% on the first attempt.
Do you need a CCRN to apply?
Pitt’s published admission criteria don’t list the CCRN as a hard requirement — they ask for at least one year of full-time ICU/critical-care experience and a 3.0 GPA. The CCRN strengthens an application, so confirm the current expectation with the department directly.
Is this program for new CRNAs or current ones?
This is the entry-level BSN-to-DNP program for nurses becoming CRNAs. Pitt runs a separate MSN-to-DNP completion track for people who already practice as nurse anesthetists — that’s a different program.
Contact the program
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
3500 Victoria Street, Victoria Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Phone: 412-624-4586 (toll-free 1-888-747-0794)
Email: PittNursing@pitt.edu
Program website: Pitt Nurse Anesthesia DNP — School of Nursing (opens in a new tab)
Related guides
Comparing your options? See the full list of CRNA schools in Pennsylvania, or browse every state on our CRNA schools by state hub. New to the path? Start with our guide to becoming a CRNA.
Disclaimer: For educational purposes only; not affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh or the COA. Tuition, requirements, and outcomes change — verify the current details with the program before applying. Cost figures are estimates calculated from published 2025–26 rates.