Last updated: October 2026 | Researched and reviewed by Daniel Etheridge, CRNA
The Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia (MTSA) is a 36-month entry-level DNAP program in Madison, Tennessee, just north of Nashville. It takes up to 75 nurses a year, which makes for one big class.
The Class of 2025 passed the NCE at 88% on the first try, attrition was 4%, and 98% were working as CRNAs within six months.
Two things to know before you start: MTSA requires both the GRE and the CCRN. Applications for the cohort that starts in January 2028 are open now through NursingCAS.
Key Takeaways
- 36-month DNAP, starts each January
- Up to 75 students per class
- GRE and CCRN both required
- $156,670 tuition and fees
- 88% first-time NCE pass (2025)
MTSA Nurse Anesthesia Program Quick Facts
| Degree | DNAP (entry-level practice doctorate) |
| Length | 36 consecutive months, 9 semesters, full-time |
| Location | Madison, TN (Nashville area) |
| Class starts | January, one cohort per year |
| Current cycle | Open now on NursingCAS for the January 2028 cohort; interviews March 30 – April 1 and May 3 – 5, 2027 |
| Class size | Up to 75; recent classes enrolled 66 to 71 |
| Tuition + fees | $156,670 total (cohort starting January 2027, the latest schedule posted) |
| GRE | Required |
| CCRN | Required |
| ICU experience | 1 year, within the last 3 years |
| Accreditation | COA-accredited; next COA review scheduled for 2027 |
| Website | mtsa.edu DNAP program |
One of 9 CRNA Schools in Tennessee
MTSA is one of 9 accredited CRNA programs in Tennessee and one of two in the Nashville area. The other is Vanderbilt University’s program, which seated its first class in 2026. UT Chattanooga is about two hours southeast.
MTSA also runs a DNAP completion program for CRNAs who are already practicing. That is a separate program. Everything on this page is about the entry-level DNAP for registered nurses.
What Makes MTSA Different?
MTSA is not a university with an anesthesia track. It is a freestanding school that only teaches anesthesia, and it calls itself the nation’s only standalone, accredited nurse anesthesia institution.
It started in 1950 as the Madison Hospital School of Anesthesia with two students. It took the MTSA name in 1980, became an independent nonprofit in 1982, and moved to the DNAP degree in 2012. The school marked its 75th year in 2025.
MTSA describes itself as a Christian Seventh-day Adventist educational environment. Clinical rotations start in the third semester, so you get into the OR early. Confirm the current course sequence for your cohort with the school.
MTSA CRNA Program Admission Requirements
MTSA lists its requirements in its DNAP student handbook. To apply, you need:
- A BSN, or an RN license plus a bachelor’s degree in a related major (non-nursing degrees need 12+ semester hours of biophysical science)
- A 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA and science GPA
- A college chemistry course of at least 3 credits (a chemistry course in your BSN counts)
- One year of ICU experience as an RN by the application deadline, within the last 3 years
- Your CCRN score
- GRE scores sent to NursingCAS (MTSA’s GRE code is 1410)
- Two references: one from a current ICU charge nurse, team leader, or manager, and one who can speak to your character
- A personal letter and a resume or CV
- An in-person interview in Madison
Before you enroll, you’ll also need a Tennessee multistate RN license or a compact (NLC) license, plus an NPI number.
What ICU experience counts at MTSA?
MTSA gives the most weight to recent work in a high-acuity adult ICU at a large hospital, where you manage ventilators, invasive lines, and titrated drips. A mix of NICU or PICU and adult ICU time may be accepted, but some adult ICU time is preferred. ER experience alone does not count.
What GPA do you need for MTSA?
The published minimum is a 3.0 cumulative and science GPA. MTSA interviews at least two qualified applicants for every seat, so treat 3.0 as the floor, not the target.
MTSA Application Deadline and Interview Dates
Applications go through NursingCAS, and MTSA starts one class a year in January. The current cycle is for the class that starts January 2028.
MTSA earlier posted January 14, 2027 as the deadline for this cycle. Check the current date on NursingCAS before you plan around it.
There’s a small perk for applying early. If your NursingCAS application is complete before 12:01 a.m. CST on November 1, 2026, and you’re selected for an interview, you’re entered in a drawing. Five applicants get first pick of interview dates.
Interviews for this cohort run March 30 – April 1, 2027 and May 3 – 5, 2027. They’re in person, in business attire, and the committee asks about physiology and critical care. Brush up on your drips, vent settings, and hemodynamics.
How Much Does MTSA Cost?
MTSA’s tuition and fees total $156,670 for the class that started January 2027. That’s the most recent schedule the school has posted. The schedule for the January 2028 class isn’t up yet, so expect a similar or slightly higher number.
Here is how the 2027 class pays it, by year:
- Year 1: $61,122 (three semesters, including the $4,000 deposit)
- Year 2: $63,305
- Year 3: $32,243 (tuition drops to $9,986 a semester)
Those totals include “pass through” fees, which MTSA says can change. A $4,000 deposit is due when you accept, and it comes off your first semester bill. MTSA is a private school, so there’s no in-state rate.
Then there’s living. MTSA’s own financial aid budget for year one of that class adds about $6,300 for books and supplies, $33,800 for living expenses, $7,300 for transportation, and $10,800 for personal costs. That’s a first-year cost of attendance of $119,526.
Budget for board review and the NCE fee near the end, too. You can’t work much during a full-time program like this, so plan your savings and loans before you start.
The payoff is real. Nurse anesthetists earned a national average of $248,320 a year as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
MTSA Clinical Rotations and Training Sites
MTSA assigns every clinical placement. You don’t pick your sites, and the school is clear that it won’t place you based on where you live or what you drive.
As of July 2026, MTSA lists 25 regular affiliate sites in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama, plus one more coming soon. They include:
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
- Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown, Rutherford, and West
- Eight TriStar hospitals around Middle Tennessee and Bowling Green
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (Nashville VA)
- Nashville General Hospital
- Children’s Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga
- Huntsville Hospital in Alabama
- Baptist Health Lexington and the Medical Center at Bowling Green in Kentucky
Some of these are a long drive. Lexington is about 208 miles from campus, and Chattanooga is about 144. Plan on travel and some time away from home during your clinical years.
MTSA Pass Rates, Attrition, and Employment
MTSA posts its outcomes with student counts, not just percentages:
- First-time NCE pass rate: Class of 2025, 56 of 64 (88%); 2024, 63 of 65 (97%); 2023, 58 of 70 (83%)
- Attrition: 4% (2025), 3% (2024), 1% (2023)
- Employed within six months: 98% (2025), 100% (2024), 99% (2023)
The first-time pass rate has moved around, from 83% to 97% over three classes. Every graduate in those classes eventually passed. Keeping attrition at 4% or less with classes this size is a good sign.
Living in Madison While Attending MTSA
Madison is a Nashville neighborhood about 15 minutes north of downtown. One-bedroom apartments there ran about $1,100 a month in September 2026, against roughly $1,668 across the Nashville metro (Zumper).
Nashville is a big healthcare town, and that’s part of why MTSA’s clinical list looks the way it does. It also means rent and traffic have climbed. Budget for three years, and remember some rotations are in Kentucky and Alabama.
Is MTSA Right for You?
MTSA is a good fit if you:
- Want a school where anesthesia is the only thing it teaches
- Like the idea of a big class and a big alumni network
- Already have your CCRN and a year of adult ICU time
- Are willing to take the GRE
- Want rotations that include an academic medical center, a children’s hospital, and a VA
- Want to work in the Nashville area after graduation
- Are comfortable in a faith-based (Seventh-day Adventist) school setting
Think about other options if you:
- Don’t want to take the GRE
- Don’t have your CCRN yet
- Have only NICU, PICU, or ER experience
- Want a small class where everyone knows everyone
- Need to stay close to home for every clinical rotation
- Need a firm price before you apply, since tuition is set per class
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MTSA a good CRNA school?
MTSA has trained nurse anesthetists since 1950 and calls itself the nation’s only standalone, accredited nurse anesthesia school. The Class of 2025 passed the NCE at 88% on the first try, with 4% attrition and 98% employed within six months. Clinical sites include Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Does MTSA require the GRE?
Yes. MTSA requires GRE scores from every applicant, sent to NursingCAS from ETS using code 1410. The CCRN is also required, along with one year of recent ICU experience and a 3.0 minimum GPA.
How many students does MTSA accept?
MTSA can accept up to 75 students a year. Recent classes enrolled between 66 and 71 students. There is one class a year, and it starts in January.
When is the MTSA application deadline?
The current NursingCAS cycle is for the class starting January 2028. MTSA earlier posted January 14, 2027 as the deadline, so confirm it on NursingCAS. Complete applications in before November 1, 2026 get a shot at early interview scheduling.
How much does MTSA cost?
Tuition and fees total $156,670 for the class that started January 2027, the latest schedule MTSA has posted. Books, living costs, and travel are extra. MTSA’s first-year cost of attendance for that class is $119,526. As a private school, it has no in-state rate.
Next Steps
If you’re aiming for January 2028, start now. Book your GRE, make sure your CCRN is current, ask your ICU manager for a reference, and get your NursingCAS application complete before November 1 if you can.
You can compare all Tennessee CRNA programs side by side, or look at programs in every state on our CRNA Schools by State page.
Contact the Program
Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia
Program Administrator: Richie W. Flowers, DNP, CRNA, APRN, FAANA
Admissions: admissions@mtsa.edu
Business Office: Business.Office@mtsa.edu · 615-732-7672
Main: 615-868-6503
315 Hospital Drive, Madison, TN 37115
Official program page: mtsa.edu DNAP program
Tuition: 2029 PD tuition schedule
Accreditation: Council on Accreditation (COA)