by our College Data Analytics TeamA 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. Continue reading for the important information every nurse anesthetist student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering nurse anesthetist programs.
Nationwide, nurse anesthetist is a widely-pursued major, with 1,960 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Nurse Anesthetist Schools ranking analyzes these 73 schools to determine the best overall colleges for nurse anesthetist students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of nurse anesthetist programs later in this article.
Programs in Nurse Anesthetist develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations nurse anesthetist graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a nurse anesthetist program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a nurse anesthetist major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several nurse anesthetist degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 408 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 1,552 |
People currently working in careers related to nurse anesthetist tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| 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% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in nurse anesthetist careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in nurse anesthetist can lead to many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to nurse anesthetist.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to nurse anesthetist.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | 4,005,201 | 14.8% |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 790,445 | 5.7% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of nurse anesthetist graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $83,453 |
| 4 years | $80,149 |
| 5 years | $90,156 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for nurse anesthetist graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers nurse anesthetist grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $69,718 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $66,747 |
With 73 different nurse anesthetist programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased nurse anesthetist school rankings to help you.
Students interested in nurse anesthetist, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 256,965 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 14,847 |
| Nursing Practice | 9,206 |
| Nursing Administration | 7,911 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 4,379 |
| Nursing Science | 4,245 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other | 4,125 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,457 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,505 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 641 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
