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Updated on August 1, 2024
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- Accreditation Explained
- Nursing School Accreditation
- Nursing Program Accreditation
- Checking Accreditation
Nursing accreditation ensures schools meet quality standards. Learn what accreditation nursing schools and programs need.
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One of the most important steps when researching or applying to nursing school is ensuring the program is accredited.
At the national level, three major agencies accredit nursing programs:
- The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) accredits all nursing programs, from practical to doctorate degrees.
- The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits only bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
- The National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) accredits all nursing programs, including internationally, from practical to doctorate degrees.
The ACEN and CCNE have accredited more than 2,000 nursing programs in the U.S., ensuring they meet industry standards.
Learn what nursing accreditation is, why it is important to your education and career, and how to find out whether your nursing school or program is accredited.
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School Accreditation Explained
Nursing accreditation is the process of an independent, nongovernment peer review of a nursing program or school by an established authority. During this peer review, the accrediting organization reviews all aspects of a program to determine if its graduates are qualified to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) exam and practice as nurses.
An accredited nursing program and school immediately distinguish themselves from other nursing education institutions. Accreditation ensures that a nursing program has undergone rigorous scrutiny, meets national quality standards, and prepares nursing students for their professional roles in the workforce.
Nursing Accreditation: Process and Criteria
Schools must follow certain processes and meet certain criteria before applying for accreditation. The peer reviewers consider the school’s curriculum, teachers’ qualifications, and other factors related to the teaching quality. The accreditation process judges:
- The faculty, staff, and students
- The school’s mission and vision statement
- Curriculum
- Resources
- Institutional commitment
- The outcomes of the program
Schools maintain nursing accreditation after the initial accreditation through periodic reviews, self-assessment, and ensuring they follow industry standards.
The ACEN’s initial nursing accreditation lasts five years. Once the ACEN grants continuing accreditation to the institution, it lasts eight years.
The ACEN reviews the nursing program at the end of the accreditation to decide whether it meets the accreditation standards. Additionally, the ACEN surveys each program annually through a reporting process.
CCNE accreditation lasts five years. The organization then sends continuous improvement progress reports to nursing programs and schools to fill out every three years.
The Importance of Accreditation for Nursing School
Accreditation allows students to be confident and secure that they will graduate from a program eligible for licensure. Many employers require applicants to graduate from an accredited nursing program. Students attending accredited programs can transfer credits, apply for financial aid, and obtain nursing licensure.
If your nursing school or nursing program is not accredited, you may not have the same opportunities for growth in your field.
If a school lacks accreditation or loses accreditation, students risk:
- Difficulty transferring credits to other schools.
- Qualifying to sit for the NCLEX if they live in a state that requires national nursing accreditation.
- Difficulty transferring your license if you move to another state.
- Losing out on government grants and loans.
To become a certified advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), you must graduate from an accredited program.
Accreditation also signals to financial aid institutions and prospective students that the nursing program prepares students for career success. It also protects employers and the public by ensuring that graduates meet the national professional standards required to work in their field.
What Accreditation Should a Nursing School Have?
Nursing schools and programs receive accreditation from national and regional organizations. The process of school accreditation requires careful evaluation of the entire institution.
Accrediting boards typically consist of:
- Nurse educators and other leaders
- School presidents and program leaders
- Nursing school deans
- Financial officers
These professionals evaluate curricula, program data, faculty, and program resources.
Regional accreditors include:
- The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
- Northern Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
What Accreditation Should a Nursing Program Have?
Nursing programs that receive accreditation from an accredited college or university hold accreditation from the ACEN, CCNE, or NLN CNEA. (Other organizations accredit nurse-midwifery programs and nurse anesthetist programs.)
The accrediting bodies’ standards are very closely equivalent, and there is no difference in nursing program quality — they all meet the same federal standards.
How to Tell if a Nursing Program is Accredited
Students can find a nursing program’s accreditation status in the course catalog, on the school’s website, or in the school’s nursing brochure. After a nursing program applies for accreditation through the ACEN, the ACEN requires the nursing program to show its accreditation status publicly.
CCNE-accredited programs can choose whether or not to publicly disclose their accreditation status. The CCNE explains what to include in a public disclosure statement on its website’s Public Disclosure FAQ section.
NLN CNEA-accredited programs can also choose to publicly display their accreditation status. How to display the logo is explained in the NLN CNEA handbook.
If you cannot find your school’s or program’s accreditation status, the Department of Education provides a searchable list of school accreditations. You can also search current and past listings from the ACEN and the CCNE by name or program type.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing Accreditation
Properly accredited nursing schools meet the highest standards for training.
Standards and programs can vary for many reasons, but generally, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredits bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, while the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) accredit all nursing programs.
Most nursing schools are also regionally accredited. Regional accreditation also requires schools and programs to meet rigorous quality standards.
Nursing school accreditation holds nursing education to the highest quality standards, with public health at the center of the accreditation process.
If a nursing school is not accredited, students may have difficulty transferring credits to other schools and may be unable to sit for the NCLEX exam. You may also have difficulty transferring your license if you move to another state or lose out on government grants and loans.
