2026 Best Value Nurse Anesthetist Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Nurse Anesthetist](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nurse-anesthetist/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for nurse anesthetist students.
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2026 Best Value Nurse Anesthetist Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the nurse anesthetist degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Nurse Anesthetist Schools
Clarkson College tops our 2026 list of the best value nurse anesthetist schools in the The Plains States Region. Clarkson College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Omaha. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,104. Nurse Anesthetist graduates carry a median of $31,289 in student loans. Soon after graduation, nurse anesthetist degree recipients from Clarkson College generally make around $99,917. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Students looking for strong value in nurse anesthetist will find it at University Of Kansas, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,102, while out-of-state students pay about $30,432. Typical student debt for nurse anesthetist graduates is $20,500. Early-career nurse anesthetist graduates make about $105,103. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. University Of Kansas admits about 94% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Missouri State University Springfield one of the best values for nurse anesthetist. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,502, with out-of-state students paying around $18,770. Students borrow a median of $26,631 to complete the nurse anesthetist program here. Soon after graduation, nurse anesthetist degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $132,297. Set against $26,631 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Missouri State University Springfield admits about 90% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in nurse anesthetist will find it at Newman University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Wichita, Newman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,500. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete the nurse anesthetist program here. Early-career nurse anesthetist graduates make about $137,199. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Metropolitan State University one of the best values for nurse anesthetist. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Metropolitan State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,840. Nurse Anesthetist graduates carry a median of $35,762 in student loans. Early-career nurse anesthetist graduates make about $84,529. Set against $35,762 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Metropolitan State University admits about 99% of applicants.
Saint Marys University Of Minnesota ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value nurse anesthetist schools. Saint Marys University Of Minnesota is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Winona. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,080. Nurse Anesthetist graduates carry a median of $40,188 in student loans. Nurse Anesthetist graduates of Saint Marys University Of Minnesota earn a median of $156,340 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $40,188 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Iowa placed #7 among the best values for nurse anesthetist. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Students borrow a median of $24,811 to complete the nurse anesthetist program here. Early-career nurse anesthetist graduates make about $96,368. Set against $24,811 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Mount Marty College came in at #8 for value in nurse anesthetist this year. Mount Marty College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Yankton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,600. Nurse Anesthetist graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Nurse Anesthetist graduates of Mount Marty College earn a median of $152,247 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 43% of applicants are accepted.
Bryan College Of Health Sciences placed #9 among the best values for nurse anesthetist. Set in the city of Lincoln, Bryan College Of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $20,640 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $30,125 to complete the nurse anesthetist program here. Early-career nurse anesthetist graduates make about $133,424. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Bryan College Of Health Sciences admits about 67% of applicants.
Webster University landed the #10 spot for nurse anesthetist value this year. Webster University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,750. Nurse Anesthetist graduates carry a median of $25,939 in student loans. Early-career nurse anesthetist graduates make about $92,391. Set against $25,939 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
