CRNA Schools in Kentucky


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Kentucky, known as the Blue Grass State, is ranked #16 in total number of CRNA Schools in the United States.  It shares the #16 CRNA School ranking with Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina, New Jersey as well as several other States.  When CRNA students describe studying in Kentucky, they describe it as very rustic and beautiful agrarian countryside.  Most of the students in CRNA schools in Kentucky were already residents in the State and had intended to continue working in the State after graduation.  Others were drawn to the unique programs which we will discuss below.

Kentucky is included in the RN Compact States agreement that means RN nurses in Kentucky are able to move around freely and work within all 33 approved multi-license states.  However, it’s important to note that there is no such APRN Compact for nurse anesthetists yet though this may change in the future.  This is something that is important when people consider CRNA Schools in KY.

Nurse Anesthetist Schools in Kentucky

There are two CRNA Schools in Kentucky located in the suburbs of Highland Heights and Madisonville as shown below:

  1. NKU CRNA, Highland Heights (Doctor of Nursing Practice)
  2. Murray State CRNA, Madisonville (Doctor of Nursing Practice)

All CRNA programs in KY are 3-year doctorate degrees.  Master of Nursing in Anesthesia degrees are no longer available in Kentucky.  What separates the CRNA programs in KY from schools in other States is that the two schools are located in relatively smaller suburban towns.  Highland Heights has a population of less than 7,000 at the last US census and Madisonville isn’t much larger with a population of just under 20,000 residents.

CRNA Programs in Kentucky

NKU CRNA offers two CRNA programs.  The first is a BSN to DNP program while the second is a post-masters CRNA program which is entirely online with no campus attendance required.  Likewise, Murray State CRNA also offers a blended distance learning format where 100% of the first year program is conducted online.  The second- and third-year formats are online for the core subjects and specialty courses in person.  This provides the opportunity for students to work part-time in other jobs to earn income to pay for their tuition.  In addition, the tuition rate at Murray State CRNA is very competitive as all students pay in-state tuition rate.

As of Year End 2020, there are 122 CRNA schools in the United States and 2.4 CRNA schools in each State on average.  To compare, there are 13 CRNA schools in Pennsylvania and 9 CRNA schools in Florida.  In addition, North Carolina and Tennessee both have 6 CRNA schools.  On the other hand, there are no CRNA programs at all in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico, Vermont, New Hampshire, Alaska, and Hawaii.  Oftentimes, the States with more CRNA schools tend to have more CRNA jobs as well.  Unfortunately, BLS does not publicize the number of CRNA jobs in Kentucky.

CRNA Programs in Kentucky Acceptance Rate

CRNA Programs in Kentucky Acceptance RateThe average acceptance rate for CRNA schools in Kentucky is 20%.  This is significantly lower compared to the national CRNA average acceptance rate of 26%.  Both programs in Kentucky are very competitive.  The NKU CRNA acceptance rate is 22% while the Murray State CRNA acceptance rate is a mere 17%.  In general, the easiest CRNA schools to get into by State are generally in the States with more CRNA schools.  For example, the average acceptance rate for CRNA schools in Florida is 30% with 9 CRNA Schools.  This compares with an acceptance rate of 13% for CRNA schools in Georgia and 24% in South Carolina, which only have 2 CRNA schools.

Best CRNA Schools in Kentucky

best crna schoolsPlease see the list below for the best CRNA schools in Kentucky.

Best CRNA School RankingAll CRNA SchoolsCityDegree Offered
52NKU CRNAHighland HeightsDNP
63Murray State CRNAMadisonvilleDNP

Be sure to check out our exclusive best nurse anesthetist schools list.  Through interviewing over 125 real CRNAs, we ranked all CRNA schools to come up with the best CRNA schools in America.

Other Kentucky CRNA Information

CRNA Programs in KY InformationWhether you’re looking to apply to CRNA programs in Kentucky or already a CRNA, check out CRNA Salary in Kentucky and Kentucky Board of Nursing to learn more about nurse anesthesia in the State.

Map of CRNA Schools by State

With two CRNA schools in Kentucky, you may also be interested in applying to CRNA programs nearby in other States.  The States that have nurse anesthetist schools include:

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC

Notes:
The darker the blue color equivocates to more CRNA Schools in the State.
Tier 1 = 6 or more CRNA Schools
2nd Tier  = 3 to 5 CRNA Schools
Tier 3 = 1 or 2 CRNA Schools
White means no CRNA schools in the State.
Data source: everythingCRNA

CRNA Salary in Kentucky

crna salary in kentuckySince you’re reading about CRNA Schools in Kentucky, we thought you might be interested in learning about the CRNA Salary in Kentucky if you’re going to work in the State.  Be sure to also check out our CRNA Salary Guide and CRNA Starting Salary if you’re still a student or if you’re wondering how much a fresh CRNA can make right out of nurse anesthesia school.  Different States have different demand and supply economics of nurse anesthetists, so my advice is to be sure to read up on different states to see which ones fit you best.

Nurse Anesthetist Programs in Kentucky Conclusion

In summary, CRNA Schools in Kentucky offer the very interesting flexible option of online distance learning.  NKU CRNA offers this option only for existing master’s prepared CRNAs wanting to get their DNP while Murray State CRNA offers this option for the entire first year for all its CRNA students.  Although the small suburban towns that the CRNA programs in KY are located in may not be very compelling, the schools are a good choice for in-State residents as well as those wishing to remain in Kentucky after graduation.  This is because it is common that a SRNA nurse can find nurse anesthetist jobs within the same State easier than students from out of State upon finishing school.

Did you graduate from one of the two CRNA Schools in Kentucky?  Please let us know what you thought of the programs and experience working with the graduates.  Click on the image gallery below to learn more about nurse anesthetist schools in KY.

 

Nelson
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Nelson

Author Bio: Nelson started everythingCRNA to help aspiring, student and practicing CRNAs & CAAs. Nelson is currently a CRNA in New York City.  Previously, he worked as an ICU Travel RN and Critical Care RN in Philadelphia, Miami, Washington DC, and Boston.  He earned his BSN from Penn State and his MSN from Bloomsburg.  He is also a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). In his free time, he enjoys working out, exploring the outdoors, and helping future CRNAs.

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