CRNA Programs in Delaware: Admissions, Cost & 2028 Entry

Your in-state options for CRNA programs in Delaware start and stop with one school: the Delaware Nurse Anesthesiology Program at ChristianaCare and Wilmington University in New Castle, the only nurse anesthesia program in the state listed in the COA directory. It leads to a Doctor of Nursing Practice through a full-time, 36-month curriculum. For January 2028 entry, the published application window opens January 4, 2027, and all materials are due March 31, 2027.

With one in-state option, the real question is whether this program fits your academic record, your critical care preparation and your ability to get to its regional training sites. You'll also want to compare out-of-state programs before you commit your application budget. And a Delaware address doesn't mean every class or clinical assignment will be close to home.

Which nurse anesthesia program is located in Delaware?

The Delaware Nurse Anesthesiology Program is a collaboration between ChristianaCare and Wilmington University, with support from Anesthesia Services, P.A. Count it as one educational program. The university, the health system and the clinical sites aren't separate schools.

The COA's current directory lists initial accreditation dated October 21, 2025, and a next review of October 1, 2030. So the program is accredited, not awaiting initial approval. Its first cohort of 25 students started in January 2026.

Delaware program	Key details	Where it comes from
Delaware Nurse Anesthesiology Program at ChristianaCare and Wilmington University, New Castle	DNP; 36 months, full time; 90 credits across nine semesters; blended coursework with required in-person training	Program overview and 2026-27 curriculum
Academic requirements	Nursing GPA at least 3.2; science GPA at least 3.0	Current admissions page for January 2028 entry
Experience and certification	At least one year of current, continuous full-time critical care RN experience at application; two years preferred; CCRN required	Current admissions requirements
Cost	Total tuition published by graduating class: $145,511 for the Class of 2028 and $152,785 for the Class of 2029, with about 5% increases expected each year	Program cost page
Application cycle	January 4 to March 31, 2027, for January 2028 entry	Current admissions announcement

Keep this program next to your other targets on its CRNA Club program profile, and confirm the cycle-specific rules with the official sources linked here.

What GPA, coursework and ICU experience does the program require?

Keep the nursing GPA, the science GPA and the preferred course grades in three separate boxes. The admissions page lists a nursing GPA minimum of 3.2 and a science GPA minimum of 3.0. It describes a B in undergraduate statistics, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, and pathophysiology as preferred. That's a preference. Don't turn it into a mandatory B-grade rule for every one of those subjects.

You need a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing or an appropriate major from an accredited program, plus an active, unencumbered U.S. RN license. When you submit the application, the program requires at least one year of current, continuous full-time RN experience in a critical care setting, and two years is preferred. That experience has to be in the United States or its territories or protectorates.

The program defines qualifying experience by what you do: acute critical care that makes you an independent decision-maker who uses and interprets advanced monitoring. It doesn't name specific units. So if you work in PICU, NICU, an emergency department or transport, send admissions your job description and your patient-management responsibilities before you apply.

CCRN certification and scores have to go in with the application. The life-support rules are specific too. The page lists BLS and advanced life support appropriate to your background, and it says PALS is required before the fourth semester. So your credentials don't all share one deadline. Follow the official admissions requirements for each one.

How do the curriculum and clinical locations affect where you live?

This is a blended program with a big in-person commitment. The published curriculum combines online coursework with in-person classes, skills labs and simulation, and clinical experience is planned to start in the second year. The 2026-27 plan is a nine-semester, 90-credit sequence. If it changes, ask for the plan for your entering cohort.

The official clinical-site list includes Christiana Hospital in Newark and Wilmington Hospital, Bayhealth locations in Dover and Milford, and Nemours locations in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It also lists TidalHealth Peninsula Regional in Salisbury, Maryland. Those are training locations inside one program. They aren't extra Delaware degree programs.

Before you decide where to live, ask which assignments require travel, how rotations get allocated and when students find out their schedules. Seeing a site on the list doesn't guarantee you'll train there or get to choose it. Build your housing and transportation plan around the program's actual assignment rules.

That's also why a blended course format shouldn't be read as a promise that you'll keep your current work schedule. Ask about employment expectations and the full weekly attendance requirements before you count on continued RN income (worth a phone call).

How much does CRNA school in Delaware cost?

Use the tuition table for the right graduating cohort, then add fees and living expenses. The current program cost page publishes these estimates:

Source's cohort label	Published total tuition	What the number excludes
Cohort 1, Class of 2028	$145,511	University fees, listed out-of-pocket expenses and living costs
Cohort 2, Class of 2029	$152,785	University fees, listed out-of-pocket expenses and living costs

A graduating Class of 2028 is a different group from a cohort entering in January 2028. Cohorts start each January and graduate 36 months later, so a January 2028 entrant finishes with a later class than either row. Cohort 2's total runs about 5% above Cohort 1's, which matches the program's anticipated 5% annual tuition increase. Ask financial aid for the schedule for your own entering class before you budget.

The table spans academic-year labels, while the program describes a 36-month curriculum. Don't read those academic-year rows as four full years of enrollment. The page also expects annual tuition increases, and it lists fees and additional costs separately, including books, technology, clinical logging, insurance, licensure and certification expenses.

Wilmington University's 2026-27 tuition policy says it doesn't differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students. That still leaves cohort-based rate changes, plus the cost of relocating and traveling to clinicals.

Ask financial aid for a written estimate that names your cohort, the semesters it covers, tuition, required fees and the living-expense allowance. If you're looking at employer-linked tuition support, get the repayment and service terms before you count it as available funding. A March 2026 ChristianaCare report describes assistance tied to post-graduation employment. It isn't a universal scholarship for every applicant.

Which application dates and documents should you track?

Track the January 2028 entry cycle by the announcement's actual opening and closing dates. The official admissions page says applications open January 4, 2027, and all supplemental materials must be received by March 31, 2027.

The program reviews applications as they're completed and invites selected applicants to interview until the cohort and waitlist are set. Demand is real: the first cycle drew 250 applicants, and nearly 200 applied within weeks for the January 2027 cohort of up to 35 students. So plan for a complete application well ahead of time. The final deadline isn't your ideal submission date.

Your prep checklist should include transcripts from every college, the required writing sample, a current resume or CV, certification documents and at least two recommendations from professional colleagues in critical care leadership roles. Follow the portal's instructions for requesting recommendations and uploading materials. If you have international transcripts, you'll need the specified course-by-course evaluation.

Worked planning example: If your CCRN exam or a recommender's availability lands close to March 31, give yourself an earlier internal completion date. Work backward from when each document will be ready and the program's receipt requirement. This is a scheduling example only. It doesn't claim that submitting on a particular date improves your admission odds.

Use the CRNA prerequisite verification guide for any course equivalency you're unsure about, and save the interview preparation guide for after your eligibility and materials are in place.

What do accreditation and student outcomes show?

The program is accredited, and its first class hasn't graduated yet, so outcome reporting is still pending. Those two statements describe different things.

university's outcomes page

With a newer program, ask about faculty support, simulation, clinical placements and how they help a student who's struggling. Then check back on actual graduate results once they're available. A partner health system's reputation can't stand in for the program's own student outcomes.

Which nearby states should Delaware applicants compare?

If you need more than one regional option, compare Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. Look at the actual campuses and clinical assignments, since a neighboring state doesn't automatically mean an easy commute.

For each candidate, write down its entry year, GPA calculation, critical care policy, required courses, full cost scope and attendance commitments. Then line those up against the Delaware program's January 2028 timeline. A nearby program on a different application calendar might need your materials finished much earlier.

Start that comparison in the program directory. From there, your next step is a short list of programs you actually meet the requirements for, and then written answers to whatever course, ICU or cost questions are still open.