Best CAA programs, honestly.
There is no single best CAA program — there is the best program for you. Below: what actually separates anesthesiologist assistant programs, then all 30 of them sorted by the questions applicants really ask — prerequisites, exam policy, length, and cost.
No program publishes its scoring formula, and no one outside an admissions committee can rank these credibly — so a numbered list would be invented, not measured. Every program is listed equally and sorted by facts you can verify. Where we don't have a figure, we leave it blank rather than fill it in.
Figures are published minimums verified against program pages, not admitted-class averages — admitted applicants typically sit well above a minimum. Programs listed as not yet accredited are labeled as such. Always confirm on the program's own site.
What actually separates CAA programs
CAAHEP accreditation (through ARC-AA) is what lets you sit for the certifying examination. A program that isn't accredited — or is still seeking it — is a different kind of risk, and this directory labels that status plainly rather than burying it.
Programs differ on which courses they require and how recently you took them; some age out coursework after five to ten years. One missing or expired prerequisite can cost you an entire cycle, so verify the list line-by-line, per program, before you plan.
Some programs take the MCAT, some the GRE, a few either. Hitting a program's typical range matters far more than maximizing a score it doesn't weigh heavily. Find out which exam each of your programs accepts before you book a date.
Programs run roughly 24–28 months of continuous full-time study with no realistic ability to work. Published tuition is one input; fees, relocation, and two-plus years of lost income are the rest of the number.
CAAs practice in the states that license them, and that map — while growing — is defined. Where you train shapes both your clinical exposure and the network you graduate into, so weigh geography as a career decision, not a preference.
CAA programs that don't require an entrance exam
4 of the 30 listed programs publish no required entrance exam. Policies change between cycles, so confirm on the program's own admissions page before you plan around it.
Shortest CAA programs
Published program length, shortest first. Most run 24–28 months of continuous study, and a few months matters when you can't realistically work during the program.
- Case Western Reserve University (Austin)Austin, TX24 mo
- Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland)Cleveland, OH24 mo
- Case Western Reserve University (Houston)Houston, TX24 mo
- Case Western Reserve University (Washington)Washington, DC24 mo
- Ohio Dominican University (Columbus)Columbus, OH24 mo
- Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta)Atlanta, GA27 mo
- Nova Southeastern University (Centennial)Centennial, CO27 mo
- Nova Southeastern University (Clearwater)Clearwater, FL27 mo
Lowest published tuition
Published annual tuition, lowest first. Tuition is one input — fees, relocation, and two-plus years without income are the rest. Treat this as a starting point, not the answer.
- Nova Southeastern University (Orlando)Orlando, FL$60,795/yr
- Kansas City University (Joplin)Joplin, MO$64,786/yr
- Nova Southeastern University (Centennial)Centennial, CO$69,604/yr
- Nova Southeastern University (Clearwater)Clearwater, FL$69,604/yr
- Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale)Fort Lauderdale, FL$69,604/yr
- Nova Southeastern University (Henderson)Henderson, NV$69,604/yr
- Nova Southeastern University (Jacksonville)Jacksonville, FL$69,604/yr
- Lipscomb University (Nashville)Nashville, TN$70,000/yr
Programs that publish no minimum GPA
These programs don't publish a hard GPA floor, generally using GPA as a ranking factor instead. That's an opening if your numbers are borderline — but no minimum is not the same as no standard; admitted files still run competitive.
- Bluefield University–VCOM (Auburn)Auburn, ALNo published min
- Bluefield University–VCOM (Blacksburg)Blacksburg, VANo published min
- Bluefield University–VCOM (Spartanburg)Spartanburg, SCNo published min
- Burrell College of Health Sciences (Melbourne)Melbourne, FLNo published min
- Case Western Reserve University (Austin)Austin, TXNo published min
- Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland)Cleveland, OHNo published min
- Case Western Reserve University (Houston)Houston, TXNo published min
- Case Western Reserve University (Washington)Washington, DCNo published min
- Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis)Indianapolis, INNo published min
- Kansas City University (Joplin)Joplin, MONo published min
- South University (Orlando)Orlando, FLNo published min
- South University (Royal Palm Beach)Royal Palm Beach, FLNo published min
CAA programs by state
Where you train shapes your clinical sites and your first job market — and CAAs practice where they're licensed. These states have the most programs, or browse every state.
How to build your actual list
Cumulative and science, separately. Those two numbers decide which tier of programs is realistic, and every other decision this cycle is built on them.
Requirements and recency rules differ program to program. One expired course can cost a cycle — check line-by-line before you shortlist, not after.
Confirm which exam each target program accepts, then book. A booked date beats a study plan, and it fixes the shape of your year.
A list of only reaches is a plan to not matriculate. Weight toward programs whose published profile actually looks like your file.
Common questions
There isn't one. Accredited programs all prepare you for the same certifying examination, and none publish a scoring formula, so a national ranking would be invented rather than measured. The useful question is which accredited program fits your prerequisites, your exam, your budget, and where you can live for two-plus years.
Most anesthesiologist assistant programs run about 24 to 28 months of continuous full-time study, including didactic and clinical phases. Published lengths are listed per program where we've verified them.
It depends on the program: some accept the MCAT, some the GRE, and some take either. A few also accept other exams. Confirm which exam each of your target programs accepts — and whether a score is required or merely considered — before you book a test date.
Many programs set a floor around 3.0, though competitive files typically run higher and some publish no minimum at all. Science GPA and the recency of your coursework usually matter more than the cumulative number alone.
CAAs practice in the jurisdictions that license them — a growing set of states plus Washington, D.C. Because the map is defined and changes by legislative session, check the current status for anywhere you intend to train or work before planning around it.
Keep going
The free 12-month guide: timeline, weighting, checklists, and interview answers.
Which courses programs expect, and how recency rules work.
Which exam to take, and how to decide before you book.
The role, the care-team model, and how the path actually works.
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Prerequisites, accepted exams, deadlines, and costs change between cycles. Everything here is confirmed against each program's official page and re-checked on a schedule, but a program's own admissions page is always the authority — if it contradicts us, believe the program. Boost builds readiness and confidence; it does not promise admission.