CRNA Schools in Ohio: Current Programs, Requirements and Costs

CRNA schools in Ohio add up to nine current entry-to-practice nurse anesthesia options in this comparison, and that count includes the University of Toledo's accredited successor to the Lourdes program. Lourdes and Otterbein have 2026 closure dates, so neither one is a current application option. The two programs associated with Case Western Reserve are still separate accredited programs, even though they share coursework. Get those details straight before you start counting your options. COA directory, UToledo accreditation announcement, Case program identities

Use this guide to compare academic eligibility, experience timing, application cycles and where you'd actually train. Keep two things in mind as you read. An accredited program can still have a closed application window. And a university's mailing address may not tell you where its anesthesia students go to class.

Which nurse anesthesia programs are in Ohio?

All nine pathways below award a DNP, and the COA's accredited-program directory lists the first eight. UToledo's program page says its DNP in Nurse Anesthesia is accredited by the COA, with its next COA review scheduled for spring 2028. Its August 24, 2026 announcement explains that the program continues the nurse anesthesia education Lourdes offered and that the first cohort of 12 moved from Lourdes to UToledo. So count Lourdes and Toledo once, not twice.

Program and profile	Base and training distinction	Accreditation evidence
Case Western Reserve: Frances Payne Bolton	Cleveland; university-based nurse anesthesia program	COA continued accreditation
Cleveland Clinic/Case Western Reserve	Cleveland; Clinic certificate plus Case DNP; shares didactic courses with FPB	Separate COA continued accreditation
Ohio University-OhioHealth Grant Medical Center	Ohio University partnership; in-person coursework in Dublin or at Grant Medical Center, with Columbus-area and Dayton affiliates	COA initial accreditation
Ohio State University	Columbus; 106 credits, 36 months; synchronous online coursework, campus skills and simulation, Ohio clinical sites	COA initial accreditation
University of Akron	Akron; 93-credit DNP; academic and clinical components	COA continued accreditation
University of Cincinnati	Cincinnati; 36 months, nine semesters full time; clinical responsibilities begin in third semester	COA continued accreditation
St. Elizabeth/Youngstown State	Youngstown; school certificate and YSU DNP; 36 months, nine semesters	COA continued accreditation
Ursuline with Somnia	Pepper Pike; 36-month hybrid program with annual campus immersions and U.S. clinical sites	COA initial accreditation
University of Toledo	Toledo; nine-semester full-time program continuing the regional pathway formerly at Lourdes	COA accreditation stated on UToledo's program page, next review spring 2028

Official program sources: Case, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio University, Ohio State, Akron bulletin, Cincinnati, St. Elizabeth, Ursuline, Toledo.

The COA records Lourdes' voluntary closure effective August 8, 2026 and Otterbein's effective June 1, 2026. Ohio University-OhioHealth Grant is a current program with its own initial accreditation, so don't treat it as an extra count for the closed Otterbein partnership. COA actions

Which GPA and experience rules change your shortlist?

Program	Current academic and experience distinctions
Case FPB	At least one year of recent critical care with specialty certification, such as CCRN, and one reference from a current nurse manager or assistant nurse manager.
Cleveland Clinic/Case	Science GPA at least 3.0 and CCRN. You need at least one recent critical care year to apply, and by matriculation either two critical care years or one year plus subspecialty certification.
Ohio University	Undergraduate GPA at least 3.20 across all transcripts; two full-time RN-equivalent years within five years, including at least one ICU year within three years by application deadline; CCRN by deadline.
Ohio State	Most recent relevant degree GPA 3.0, with possible consideration below that; physical science GPA at least 3.2 in specified biology, chemistry and microbiology courses; one qualifying critical care year within two years by deadline.
Akron	Nursing-degree GPA at least 3.4 and at least 3.0 on your first attempts at the required science prerequisites. CCRN with score report and one consecutive year of current adult critical care. If your nursing GPA sits between 3.0 and 3.4, confirm your eligibility with the program before you apply.
Cincinnati	Overall and science GPAs of 3.4 are recommended, and the most recent admitted class averaged a 3.6 overall. Prerequisites require B grades. At least one full-time ICU year within two years by deadline; CCRN and AHA ACLS.
St. Elizabeth	At least 3.0 in undergraduate nursing coursework and 3.0 in undergraduate sciences; undergraduate statistics B or better; one adult critical care year within three years at application; adult CCRN by deadline.
Ursuline	Cumulative GPA at least 3.0 and prerequisite GPA at least 3.2; one critical care year at application, within three years of planned start; CCRN and eight CRNA observation hours within two years.
Toledo	BSN and GPA at least 3.0; specified sciences and statistics at 3.0 or higher, no older than seven years at application; CCRN; one critical care year excluding orientation/residency, with continued ICU work until four weeks before matriculation.

Sources: the official program pages above, Ohio University admissions, Ursuline admissions, St. Elizabeth admissions, and Akron bulletin.

Akron needs a little extra planning. Observe a CRNA for at least 16 hours on its Observation Form, and have your full consecutive year of current adult critical care done by the time you apply. Its program page also says courses you take after your degree won't be added into its GPA calculation, so a new class won't rescue a GPA that's short of the minimum there. Akron program requirements, current bulletin

Ohio University asks for two RN years, and those shouldn't get rewritten in your head as two ICU years. It cuts the other way too. Meeting a one-year national baseline won't satisfy a school that wants the experience complete by application. Picture two nurses (a hypothetical, to show eligibility timing, not admission odds). One has two years of RN practice that include 14 qualifying ICU months. The other has only 14 total RN months. They'd come out in very different places against Ohio University's rule.

Which pediatric, neonatal and prerequisite policies differ?

Cincinnati accepts adult and pediatric ICU experience but excludes neonatal ICU, emergency department, stepdown, PACU and the other non-ICU areas listed in its policy. Akron's bulletin explicitly excludes NICU and emergency department experience. St. Elizabeth specifies adult critical care and considers other settings only when you can demonstrate the required unstable-adult-patient competencies. Toledo explicitly includes PICU and NICU among accepted units, and Ursuline's FAQ says both qualify there too. Ohio State's examples include PICU and NICU too, with competency-based review of other areas. So a statewide "all schools accept NICU" or "no schools accept it" label would be wrong either way. Cincinnati admissions, Akron bulletin, St. Elizabeth, Toledo, Ohio State

Prerequisite definitions matter just as much. Ursuline calculates its prerequisite GPA from chemistry, statistics and anatomy/physiology, leaves out separate labs, and wants at least one course in each category within ten years of the deadline. Akron uses your first attempts at its specified science prerequisites and requires a separate graduate statistics course that doesn't earn degree credit. Cleveland Clinic describes statistics within five years, writing and two chemistry/physics courses before enrollment, rather than before you apply. Ursuline requirements, Akron catalog, Cleveland Clinic FAQ

Cincinnati is the Ohio program that asks for GRE scores, sent to UC with code 1833. The other programs' published admission requirements don't list the GRE, so if you're counting on skipping it, confirm on the checklist for your entry term. Ohio University and St. Elizabeth both want your CCRN in hand by the application deadline, and neither accepts a scheduled test date. Use the prerequisite guide to track course approval, testing and certification questions separately.

Which application dates apply to the next cohort?

Program	Published timing
Case FPB and Cleveland Clinic	One Case application process; nurse anesthesia applications due June 1 for the following year. Clinical-program placement follows a mutual selection process after university admission.
Ohio University	Fall 2027 application opens September 14, 2026 and closes October 26 at close of business; all materials must be completed by November 9, 2026. Treat those as separate steps, not an automatic extension of the application window.
Ohio State	The Autumn 2027 window ran August 3 to September 16, 2026. Autumn 2028 applications open August 3, 2027. You also record a HireVue interview before the deadline, and selected applicants get a 30-minute Zoom interview in late October.
Akron	Its admission timeline paired an August 1, 2026 deadline and September/October interviews with June 2027 entry.
Cincinnati	Opens August 8, 2026; priority October 1, 2026; standard March 1, 2027 for spring-only admission. Priority applicants interview in November 2026 and standard applicants in April 2027. It may close before the standard date if enough qualified applicants apply.
St. Elizabeth	May 1 to July 31 annual NursingCAS window, with interviews that summer and a class start the following May. Apply to YSU only after the school accepts you.
Ursuline	Current page advertises January 2028 applications with April 1, 2027 deadline.
Toledo	The summer 2027 application window ran August 17 to September 30, 2026. The summer 2028 window is March 1 to June 1, 2027.

Sources: Case process, Ohio University cycle, Ohio State dates and 2028 cycle, Akron timeline, Cincinnati cycle, St. Elizabeth, Ursuline, Toledo.

How much does CRNA school in Ohio cost?

It depends on the program, the academic year and the cohort, so tie your budget to all three. The figures below aren't interchangeable all-in prices.

Program	Official cost evidence and scope
Case FPB/Cleveland Clinic	2026-2027 DNP tuition $2,572 per credit before fees and support. Cleveland Clinic describes a 20% tuition grant and a separate stipend; confirm eligibility and your actual credit plan before calculating net cost.
Ohio University	Program page lists estimated tuition $107,836 resident/$109,204 nonresident. Tuition and fees are subject to change, and additional fees may apply.
Ohio State	Charges a nurse anesthesia differential fee on top of base tuition. Get the full budget for the 106-credit plan, with tuition, term fees and clinical expenses separated.
Akron	2026-2027 tuition: 42 anesthesia credits at $1,200 plus 51 non-anesthesia/DNP credits at $500 = $75,900 resident tuition. A $1-per-credit nonresident surcharge adds $93 if assessed on all 93 credits. Fees and non-degree statistics are additional.
Cincinnati	Specialty cost page explicitly labels rates 2025-2026: full-time semester tuition $8,359 Ohio/$8,609 metro/$14,228 nonresident, plus listed fees. It warns the program has three semesters annually. Get updated rates before pricing a future cohort.
St. Elizabeth/YSU	Document labeled 2026-2027 estimates $92,752 in-state/$94,132 out-of-state, including tuition/general fee, clinical fees, parking and health center fees. Footnote says calculations use 2025-2026 schedules. Other expenses and living costs are extra.
Ursuline	January 2027 cohort: $182,907 tuition over 36 months, with $225 technology and $50 facilities fees per semester plus a $100 matriculation fee. Rates are subject to change, and there's no out-of-state increase.

Sources: Case current DNP rates, Ohio University costs, Ohio State cost guidance, Akron current tuition, Cincinnati dated costs, St. Elizabeth estimate, Ursuline January 2027 budget.

Don't line these up as a cheapest-to-priciest ranking, because each school includes different charges and some quote an earlier rate year. For Toledo, get the nine-semester tuition and fee budget from UToledo's program page before you compare. Add insurance, clinical transportation, temporary housing, licensing and living expenses to whatever number a school quotes you. And verify your resident classification instead of assuming a move will change your tuition automatically.

What do training geography and outcomes show?

Ohio University's anesthesia teaching happens in Dublin and at Grant Medical Center, so don't let an Athens university address drive your housing choice. Ohio State uses online coursework but requires campus activities and Ohio clinical placements, and students can't arrange their own clinical sites. Ursuline combines remote instruction with annual campus immersions and nationwide clinical assignments. St. Elizabeth lists clinical sites in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Before you lean on a hybrid label, ask where your cohort will train, who assigns rotations and which licenses you'll need. Ohio University format, Ohio State placements, Ursuline format, St. Elizabeth clinical sites

For 2025, Case's FPB table reports 83% first-attempt NCE success and 25% attrition. Cleveland Clinic's 2026 row reports 94.7% first-attempt success with 5% attrition. Keep the two programs apart. Cincinnati's 2025 table reports 92% first-attempt success, and St. Elizabeth reports 100% first-attempt success for 2025. These are cohort outcomes. They aren't admission odds, and they don't make a complete statewide ranking. Case separate cohort tables Cincinnati outcomes St. Elizabeth outcomes

A newer program's outcomes start with its own graduates, so don't borrow another institution's historic rate for it, and that includes Toledo borrowing Lourdes' results. If another program fits your background or timing better, compare Pennsylvania, Michigan and the national directory. And keep each school's current policies and your unanswered questions together in the School Database.