Last updated: October 2026 | Researched and reviewed by Daniel Etheridge, CRNA
If you are looking at West Virginia University’s CRNA program, this guide covers what you need to decide: cost, admission requirements, the deadline, clinical sites, and outcomes.
The WVU Nurse Anesthesia Program is a 36-month, entry-level BSN-to-DNP in Morgantown, run by the WVU School of Nursing. It is one of two CRNA programs in West Virginia, and it is accredited by the COA until 2035.
The application for the Fall 2027 class is open right now. It closes November 1.
Key Takeaways
- 36 months, 88 credits, DNP
- No GRE or CCRN required
- About $115K in-state (est.)
- COA-accredited until 2035
- Apply by November 1, 2026
WVU Nurse Anesthesia Program Quick Facts
| Program Length | 36 months (9 continuous semesters, 88 credits, full-time) |
| Degree Offered | DNP (entry level, BSN-to-DNP) |
| Application Deadline | November 1, 2026 (opened August 1; transcripts due November 15) |
| Program Start | Fall 2027 (August) |
| Class Size | 15 per cohort, expanding to 20 (announced August 2026) |
| Tuition (In-State) | ≈$115,000 total, tuition and fees at 2026-27 rates (est.) |
| Tuition (Out-of-State) | ≈$203,000 total, tuition and fees at 2026-27 rates (est.) |
| GRE Required | No |
| CCRN Required | No (not listed in the requirements) |
| Website | nursing.wvu.edu/education/graduate-programs/dnp-na/ |
One of Two CRNA Programs in West Virginia
WVU runs one of two accredited CRNA programs in West Virginia, along with the CAMC / University of Charleston program in Charleston. WVU is the state’s public option and the northern one.
Morgantown sits just below the Pennsylvania line, about 75 minutes south of Pittsburgh. If you live in north-central West Virginia, western Maryland, or southwestern Pennsylvania, this is likely the closest CRNA program to you.
WVU CRNA Program Overview
This is a full-time, 88-credit program that runs nine continuous semesters over three years. Courses cover anesthesia specialty content, clinical practicum, core doctoral nursing, and a DNP project.
The first year is mostly classroom work: pathophysiology, pharmacology, assessment, and the chemistry and physics of anesthesia. Your first foundations lab and clinical practicum come in the first summer. The curriculum is a hybrid, with some coursework online.
Before you work with patients, you practice in a surgical simulation setting at the WV STEPS Center, WVU’s simulation center. The required minimum is 2,000 clinical hours, and WVU says its graduates go beyond that through faculty-assigned rotations.
The program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) until 2035. In 2025, the COA granted the program a 10-year accreditation.
The program is also growing. In August 2026, WVU announced it is expanding each cohort from 15 to 20 students, and the COA approved the added capacity (Becker’s ASC). Ask the program which application cycle the larger class starts with.
WVU CRNA Program Admission Requirements
To be considered for the WVU Nurse Anesthetist program, you need:
- A BSN or graduate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited nursing program
- A nursing GPA of at least 3.0 and a cumulative 3.0 on all college work
- At least 1 year of post-orientation, current, full-time critical care experience (2 to 3 years preferred)
- A current, unrestricted RN license
- AHA BLS and ACLS (PALS is required before clinicals begin)
- A CV or résumé and a professional goals statement
- Three letters of recommendation: a professor, the supervisor who does your annual review, and a colleague, physician, or CRNA
Read the critical care rule carefully. Telemetry, cardiac cath lab, operating room, PACU, interventional radiology, and emergency department experience do not count. If your ICU background is pediatric or neonatal, ask the program before you apply.
Neither the GRE nor the CCRN appears in the requirements. Shadowing a CRNA is strongly recommended. Plan on a West Virginia RN license during the program, and possibly a Maryland, Ohio, or Pennsylvania license for rotations.
Admitted students must pass a background check and drug screen. A positive drug screen means you lose your seat.
When Is the WVU CRNA Application Deadline?
Applications for the Fall 2027 class opened August 1, 2026 and close November 1, 2026. Official transcripts are due November 15. You apply through WVU’s graduate application and choose “Professional” and “Nurse Anesthesia” in the enrollment section.
Unofficial transcripts work for the review, but official ones are required before a decision is final. WVU recommends sending them early through an electronic service. Have your references lined up now, because they receive their forms by email after you list them.
How Much Does the WVU CRNA Program Cost?
The School of Nursing posts CRNA-specific rates for the 2026-2027 academic year on its DNP nurse anesthetist tuition page. A full-time term costs $13,797 for West Virginia residents and $24,399 for non-residents. That includes university tuition, the university fee, and the program fee.
- West Virginia residents: about $115,000 total, tuition and fees (estimated)
- Non-residents: about $203,000 total, tuition and fees (estimated)
- Per credit hour: $1,533 resident, $2,711 non-resident
Those totals are our estimates. Seven of the nine semesters carry at least 9 credits and bill at the term rate, and the two 6-credit semesters bill per credit. The rates are for 2026-27, so a class starting in Fall 2027 will likely pay a bit more. Confirm current rates with the program before you build your budget.
Tuition and fees are not the whole bill. Plan for books, a board review course ($1,500 to $3,000), certification exam fees, licensing in more than one state, and travel to rotations. WVU says students must have their own reliable transportation.
Nurse anesthetists earned a national average of $248,320 a year as of May 2025 (BLS).
One financing note for every CRNA applicant now: federal graduate borrowing for programs like nurse anesthesia is capped at $20,500 a year and $100,000 lifetime under the Department of Education rule that took effect July 1, 2026. Even the resident total here is above that lifetime cap, so plan for savings or private loans.
Clinical Rotations and Training Sites
WVU lists 25 affiliated clinical sites. The anchors are in Morgantown: J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children’s, both WVU Medicine, plus Mon Health Medical Center.
From there the list covers the state: Martinsburg, Ranson, Parkersburg, Huntington, Charleston, Beckley, Princeton, Wheeling, Weirton, Bridgeport, Buckhannon, Weston, Keyser, Gassaway, and Summersville. Out of state, sites include Johnstown, Uniontown, and Washington in Pennsylvania; Oakland and Cumberland in Maryland; and Marietta, Ohio.
WVU says its students train in team-based models at academic medical centers and community hospitals, with rotations at critical access hospitals across the state. Expect to travel, and ask at your interview how rotation assignments work.
Pass Rates, Attrition, and Employment
WVU posts its outcomes on its accreditation outcome data page. For the August 2025 class:
- First-time NCE pass rate: 73%
- Overall NCE pass rate: 100%
- Employed within 6 months: 100%
- Attrition: 0%
Living in Morgantown While Attending WVU
Morgantown is a college town built around WVU, on the Monongahela River. One-bedroom apartments run about $770 a month (Zumper, October 2026), and the overall median rent is higher.
Pittsburgh is about 75 minutes north when you want a bigger city. Just keep the rotation map in mind. Once clinicals spread out, you may spend stretches in Beckley, Martinsburg, or western Maryland, so hold your housing plans loosely after the first year.
Is the WVU CRNA Program Right for You?
WVU is a great fit if you:
- Are a West Virginia resident who wants in-state public tuition, about $115,000 at 2026-27 rates
- Want a small class: 15 students, growing to 20
- Would rather skip the GRE and the CCRN
- Have at least a year of current, full-time adult ICU experience
- Want a program accredited until 2035
- Want training at an academic medical center plus community and rural hospitals
- Are willing to travel for rotations across West Virginia and neighboring states
Consider other options if you:
- Are out of state and cost is your deciding factor: about $203,000 at non-resident rates
- Your experience is ER, PACU, OR, cath lab, IR, or telemetry. None of it counts here
- Need to stay in one city for all three years
- Do not have reliable transportation for distant rotations
- Want a January or May start. WVU starts in August only
- Cannot get your application in by November 1
- Need a guaranteed seat. Every admit interviews on campus, and seats are limited
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WVU a good CRNA program?
WVU’s program is accredited by the COA until 2035, after a 10-year accreditation granted in 2025. For its August 2025 class, WVU reports a 73% first-time NCE pass rate, a 100% overall pass rate, 100% employment within six months, and 0% attrition.
How much does the WVU CRNA program cost?
About $115,000 for West Virginia residents and $203,000 for non-residents, our estimate of tuition and fees across the 88-credit program at 2026-27 rates. WVU charges $13,797 per full-time term in-state and $24,399 out-of-state. Confirm current rates with the program.
Does WVU require the GRE or CCRN for the CRNA program?
No. Neither appears in the admission requirements. You need a BSN with a 3.0 nursing and cumulative GPA, a current RN license, at least 1 year of current full-time critical care experience, BLS and ACLS, a CV, a goals statement, and three letters of recommendation.
What ICU experience does WVU accept?
At least 1 year of post-orientation, current, full-time critical care experience, with 2 to 3 years preferred. Telemetry, cath lab, operating room, PACU, interventional radiology, and emergency department experience do not count. If your ICU is pediatric or neonatal, ask the program directly.
When is the WVU CRNA application deadline?
November 1, 2026 for the Fall 2027 class. Applications opened August 1, and official transcripts are due November 15. Competitive applicants are invited to an on-campus interview, and no one is admitted without one.
How many students does the WVU CRNA program accept?
Cohorts have been 15 students. In August 2026, WVU announced it is expanding to 20 students per cohort, with COA approval for the added capacity. Ask the program which application cycle the larger class starts with.
Next Steps
If you are aiming for November 1, the clock is short. Confirm your ICU experience qualifies, get your three references set up, and write your goals statement this week. Then order your official transcripts so they land by November 15.
You can read more about CRNA school in West Virginia, look at the state’s other program at CAMC / University of Charleston, check nearby programs in Pennsylvania and Ohio, or compare every state on our CRNA Schools by State page.
Contact the Program
WVU School of Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthetist
Program Director: Aaron Ostrowski, DNP, APRN, CRNA
Director of Recruitment and Retention: Phillip Engelkemier
Morgantown campus, West Virginia University
Program page: nursing.wvu.edu – DNP Nurse Anesthetist
How to apply: nursing.wvu.edu – application information
Tuition: nursing.wvu.edu – tuition and fees (2026-27)
Outcomes: nursing.wvu.edu – accreditation outcome data
Accreditation: Council on Accreditation (COA) · Salary data: BLS OEWS, May 2025