by our College Data Analytics Team
[Nurse Anesthetist](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nurse-anesthetist/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for nurse anesthetist students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nurse anesthetist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is Texas Wesleyan University, our #1 best value for nurse anesthetist in Texas. Set in the city of Fort Worth, Texas Wesleyan University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,582. Students borrow a median of $26,461 to complete the nurse anesthetist program here. Early-career nurse anesthetist graduates make about $203,601. Set against $26,461 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Students looking for strong value in nurse anesthetist will find it at Texas Christian University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Fort Worth, Texas Christian University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,740. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the nurse anesthetist program here. Nurse Anesthetist graduates of Texas Christian University earn a median of $133,545 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Texas Christian University admits about 44% of applicants.
Baylor University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value nurse anesthetist schools. Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waco. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,100. Nurse Anesthetist graduates carry a median of $26,975 in student loans. Nurse Anesthetist graduates of Baylor University earn a median of $94,615 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 51%.
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This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.