CRNA Programs Without the GRE (And Who Still Requires It)

Updated August 2026

Most CRNA programs have dropped it. Of the 154 accredited programs we track, 109 do not require the GRE and 40 still do. Five don't publish a clear policy.

So the honest answer to "do you need the GRE for CRNA school" is: probably not, but check your specific list before you assume either way. I've watched people study for four months for a test none of their target programs wanted.

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How many CRNA programs require the GRE?

The trend has been one direction for years. Programs keep dropping it, so a blog post from 2021 telling you it's required is probably wrong about your school by now. Check the program's own site, and check it this cycle.

Some programs waive the GRE based on your GPA

This is the part people miss. Twelve programs publish conditional rules rather than a flat yes or no. The usual shape:

• GRE required only if your cumulative GPA is below a threshold, often 3.3 or 3.5.
• GRE waived if your undergraduate GPA is above a threshold, sometimes 3.6.
• GRE waived if you hold the CCRN.
• GRE optional, but scores considered if submitted.

So whether you need it can depend on your own transcript. If you're sitting just under a waiver threshold, that changes the math on retaking a class, because clearing the cutoff might save you the test entirely.

What GRE score do CRNA programs want?

29 of the 40 programs requiring it publish a target. The pattern that shows up most:

• Around 300 combined verbal and quantitative, with 310 or above reading as competitive.
• Roughly 150 to 153 on each of verbal and quantitative separately.
• Analytical writing at 3.5 or 4.0.

Those are minimums, and a minimum is not a target. If a program lists 300 and you score 302, you've cleared the filter but you haven't strengthened anything. If the GRE is going to be part of your application, it's worth doing properly or not at all.

Should you take it if it's optional?

Only if you'll score well, and only if it fixes something.

A strong score can offset a weaker GPA, which is the main reason to bother. If your GPA is already competitive, an optional GRE adds a way to lose and very little to gain. Put those months into the CCRN, a certification, or a unit project instead.

Our Final Thoughts

Before you register for anything, list your target programs and check each one's current policy. It takes an hour.

Most people find they need it for fewer schools than they assumed, and a few find they're one GPA point away from a waiver. Both are worth knowing before you spend a season studying.