by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 72 U.S. colleges awarded 2,183 degrees and certificates in Nurse Anesthetist. Doctorates are the most popular award, at 88% of graduates. College Factual ranks 69 schools in its 2027 Best Nurse Anesthetist Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $82,702 one year after completing, rising to $94,428 after four years.
A major in Nurse Anesthetist involves the study of Nurse Anesthetist. A Program That Prepares Registered Nurses To Administer Anesthetics And Provide Care For Patients Before, During And After Anesthesia. Includes Instruction In The Biochemistry And Physics Of Anesthesia; Advanced Anatomy And Physiology; Clinical Pharmacology Of Anesthetics And Adjunctive Drugs; Pain Management; Acute Care And Operating Room Practice; Clinical Technology And Procedures; Emergency Intervention; Patient Assessment And Education; And Legal Issues.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, nurse anesthetist is a widely-pursued major, with 2,183 degrees awarded annually. 72 colleges award nurse anesthetist degrees, an average of 30 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 219.
By level, the 2,183 awards include 270 master’s degrees and 1,913 doctorates.
Women earned 62% of nurse anesthetist degrees and certificates in the latest year (1,343 of 2,183). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (1,291) and Hispanic or Latino (419), and international students earned 9.
College Factual ranks 69 schools in its 2027 Best Nurse Anesthetist Schools ranking, including 25 for master’s degrees and 67 for doctorates. It also ranks nurse anesthetist schools within 30 states. In all, 72 colleges offer nurse anesthetist programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Nurse Anesthetist Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common nurse anesthetist credential is the doctorate: 1,913 of the 2,183 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to nurse anesthetist call most for Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking and Speaking, and for knowledge of Medicine and Dentistry, Biology and Customer and Personal Service, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension and Written Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a nurse anesthetist degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 270 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 1,913 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to nurse anesthetist, at 52.1%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 52.1% |
| Master’s degree | 42.4% |
| First professional degree | 3.0% |
| Post-doctoral training | 1.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 0.9% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.4% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Nurse Anesthetist, with an average median salary of $68,232; the strongest outlook belongs to Nurse Anesthetists, at 14.8% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Anesthesia Specialist, Nurse Anesthetist, Staff Nurse Anesthetist and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to nurse anesthetist, at 4,005,201.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | 4,005,201 | 14.8% |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 790,445 | 5.7% |
Nurse Anesthetist graduates earn a median $82,702 one year after completing their program, $94,428 after four years and $90,122 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $82,702 |
| 4 years | $94,428 |
| 5 years | $90,122 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to nurse anesthetist is Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary, with a median salary of $69,718.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $69,718 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $66,747 |
Nurse Anesthetist has 22 similar majors in the Health Professions field, which together award 315,870 degrees a year; the largest are Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (263,353), Family Practice Nurse/Nursing (14,704) and Nursing Practice (9,385). Browse all Health Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 263,353 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 14,704 |
| Nursing Practice | 9,385 |
| Nursing Administration | 7,806 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 5,359 |
| Nursing Science | 4,606 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other | 3,955 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,125 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 934 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 680 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
