COA Required Information

The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Program BSN to DNP and MSN to DNP programs are currently accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs until 2030.

The Program received a 10-year accreditation in June 2020 (this is the maximum accreditation length) and received no citations. This was our 3^rd consecutive 10-year citation free accreditation!

The Nurse Anesthesia DNP Program is also accredited by the Council on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing until 2030. The University of Pittsburgh as a whole is accredited by the Regional Accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education until 2030.

The BSN-DNP program is a 36-month program, full-time, with 85.5 credits.

Accrediting Organizations

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
10275 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 906
Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
224-275-9130

Council on Collegiate of Nursing Education (CCNE) of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
1 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 530
Washington, DC 20036
202-463-6930

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street, 2^nd Floor West
Philadelphia, PA 19102
267-284-5000

Additional Evidence of Academic Quality at the University of Pittsburgh

Rankings

US Nurse Anesthesia Program rankings began in 1998 with our program ranked #2. We are very proud that since the rankings began, we have remained in the top ten. In 2016 the Pitt BSN to MSN Nurse Anesthesia program was ranked #1. In the most recent U.S. News & World Report DNP rankings in 2026, we are ranked #5 (tie)! Overall, The School of Nursing DNP program is ranked #9.

In addition to rankings, evidence for academic quality which correlate positively with National Certification Examination first time pass rates include GPA, SEE performance, Program Comprehensive Examination performance, APEX practice exam performance and Nurse Anesthesia Program developed practice exam performance. We also compete nationally for AANA Foundation Scholarships with Pitt students typically receiving a high percentage of these scholarships on an annual basis.

Attrition

Attrition is the ratio of number of students who failed to graduate divided by the number of students who were originally admitted. We prefer to focus on retention which is the % of students graduated divided by those admitted as our goal is to support successful completion of the program. The most recent class completed the program in December 2025 with a retention rate of 89% (11% attrition). Over the past thirteen graduating cohorts, our attrition has averaged 4-5%. Reasons for attrition vary but include failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA, inability to perform safely in the clinical area, and family/ personal illness. Counseling and personalized advising are offered to help address these issues.

Fall 2012-Fall 2024 Student Retention/Attrition Statistics, University of Pittsburgh

Employment at 6 months post-graduation

The historical employment rate of the program since 1991 (successfully employed within 6-months of graduation) is 99.9%. For the class of 2025, 100% of program graduates were employed within 6 months with all students receiving multiple employment offers.

National Certification Exam, Self-Evaluation Examination and Nurse Anesthesia Program Comprehensive Examination

From the beginning of the Pitt BSN to DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program, faculty advisors work with students to guide their overall study and their preparation toward sitting for the mandatory Program Comprehensive Examination, the NBCRNA Self-Evaluation Examination (SEE) and the NBCRNA National Certification Examination (NCE). This process includes meetings every term with guided development of individualized study plans, use of the Apex™ study system, a structured continuous review process built into the curriculum and incorporation of the national Self Evaluation Examination into the curriculum with a required score threshold. Data from the NBCRNA indicates that the SEE has a high positive correlation with NCE if students prepare for the SEE rigorously. Further, current data indicates the SEE exam should be taken within 4 months of graduation and that the NCE should be taken as soon as possible after graduation. It is critical that students pass the NCE on the first attempt as this is a publicly reported Program metric, a requirement for employment, a factor in gaining state and local credentials and is discoverable in malpractice litigation. The program requires students to complete a Board Review course in their final term with multiple board like exams incorporated. Students are also required to take an Anesthesia-Specific Comprehensive Examination which also demonstrates a significant positive correlation with the National Certification Examination (NCE).

Pitt National Certification Examination (NCE) 1st Time Pass Rate

All Pitt program graduates are eligible to take the National Certifying Examination (NCE) administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA). The national first-time pass rate typically ranges from 83-85%. The table below demonstrates the University of Pittsburgh success rate with benchmarking against national performance statistics. On average, our 1st time pass rate exceeds the national 1st time pass rate by 6-7%.

Pitt vs. National NCE pass rates 2010-2025

Data on National 1st time pass rates was extracted from the NBCRNA website.