Guide to Nursing School Accreditation: Learn What It Is, Why It Is Important & How to Check It

 

Choosing a nursing school is about more than location and cost. The nursing school accreditation status is one of the most crucial factors to consider. 

Accreditation serves as a quality assurance mechanism, telling you that a program meets established standards of excellence in nursing education. The US Department of Education presents accreditation as a voluntary, self-regulatory process in which schools or programs are evaluated against quality criteria and continuously improved. In nursing, this means that schools in different states adhere to common standards so that their graduates enter the profession with a comparable level of competence. Simply put, attending an accredited nursing program helps ensure your education is reputable, transferable, and accepted by employers and licensing bodies nationwide.

What Is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a process by which an accrediting body evaluates an educational institution and/or its programs to ensure compliance with the standards. Since this is a recognition of quality and credibility, the educational institution will be granted accredited status only if it meets the accrediting organization’s standards.

There are two types of educational accreditation, both of equal importance to any kind of university or college:

Institutional accreditation is an evaluation of the school as a whole, encompassing administration, objectives and mission, and resources and finances. This process of institutional self-assessment and peer review, based on criteria established by the accrediting agency, is an indicator of educational quality and effectiveness.

Programmatic or specialized accreditation relates to an institution's educational program. When evaluating a program, the accrediting body can look into the curriculum, faculty, staff, and resources.

Does a nursing program have to be accredited? Yes, because attending an accredited program is crucial for employment and licensing success.

Why Is Accreditation Important?

Accreditation is voluntary, yet many nursing schools pursue it because it offers many benefits for the institution and its learners.

Understanding the benefits of accreditation can help students feel more confident and reassured that their education meets quality standards, supporting their future success.

Accreditation is a strong stamp of approval for the institution, which contributes to the school’s reputation and its high status as a nursing education provider. This can translate into more concrete benefits, such as more enrollments in the school’s programs.

Knowing that accreditation guarantees quality education and impacts employment can inspire students to choose programs that support their career goals.

Understanding that accreditation is reviewed every 3-5 years can help students feel secure, knowing schools are committed to maintaining high standards over time.

Why Does Nursing School Accreditation Matter to You as a Nursing Student?

For one, accreditation opens doors: students at accredited schools are eligible for federal financial aid and many scholarships, whereas unaccredited programs often cannot offer federal assistance. 

Accreditation also serves as a green light for employers. Many healthcare employers require or strongly prefer candidates who graduated from programs accredited by agencies like CCNE or ACEN. Accreditation also correlates with better preparation for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam and clinical practice. 

Accredited nursing programs must include an approved curriculum and sufficient clinical training, so graduates are well-prepared to pass the NCLEX and provide safe patient care.

Types of Accreditation: Institutional vs. Programmatic

When evaluating a nursing school’s credentials, it’s important to understand two levels of accreditation: institutional and programmatic.

Institutional Nursing School Accreditation

Institutional accreditation applies to the college or university as a whole. It can be granted by either regional accrediting commissions or national accrediting agencies (both recognized by the US Department of Education). Regional accreditation is the older system and is generally seen as very prestigious in academic circles. 

See our video presentation on National vs. Regional Accreditation for more information.

National Accreditation

National accreditation is a type of institutional accreditation that is not bound to a specific geographic area. National accreditation is newer than regional accreditation, but it is just as authoritative. Most private colleges have national accreditation, rather than regional accreditation, which is more common among non-profit colleges.

Regional Accreditation

Unlike national accreditation bodies, regional accreditation bodies are restricted to a specific geographic area.

Six different regional accrediting organizations serve other parts of the United States, and they are all recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA):

• The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) oversees nursing accreditation in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) oversees nursing accreditation in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), which oversees nursing accreditation in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), which oversees nursing accreditation in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which oversees nursing accreditation in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which oversees nursing accreditation in California, Hawaii, Guam, and American Samoa.

Nightingale College, for instance, is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). This means it has met rigorous standards for overall institutional quality. National accreditors, on the other hand, often evaluate schools nationwide that might be career-focused, online, or specialized in trades. Agencies such as the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Council on Occupational Education represent national accreditors of vocational or technical institutions. 

National vs. Regional Accreditation

National accreditation is just as legitimate, with many institutions holding both regional and national certification. Still, credits from nationally accredited schools sometimes do not transfer as easily to regionally accredited schools due to differing academic standards. Ultimately, institutional accreditation (whether regional or national) ensures the college or university as a whole meets quality benchmarks in administration, resources, faculty qualifications, and student support.

Programmatic Nursing School Accreditation

When checking the credentials of a nursing school, you should also take a look at the programmatic accreditation for your specific learning program. Programmatic or specialized accreditation is a separate type of endorsement awarded just to the nursing education unit, similar to a stamp of approval that the nursing curriculum meets the national accreditation standards for a given profession.

A school might be institutionally accredited, but you also want to see that a recognized nursing accreditor accredits its nursing program.

State Board Approval vs. Accreditation

It is essential to distinguish state board of nursing approval from nursing school accreditation. While state approval is not the same as national or regional accreditation, it is equally crucial in its own way. A state Board of Nursing must approve a nursing education program for the school’s graduates to be eligible for the NCLEX licensure exam in that state. 

In other words, a nursing school might be nationally unaccredited yet state-approved for licensure. If you graduate from a state-approved (but unaccredited) program, you can still take the NCLEX and become a licensed nurse in that state. However, the lack of accreditation will affect you in other ways. In particular, you might not qualify for federal financial aid, your credits might not transfer to different schools, and many employers or graduate programs could be wary of your degree.

All reputable nursing programs will have both, meeting state requirements and holding national/regional accreditation for academic excellence. When evaluating schools, always verify state approval status in addition to certification, since you’ll need your program to be state-approved for your license, and accredited for your long-term career and educational benefits.

Does your State approve Nightingale College’s Nursing Programs?

Nightingale College is a nationally accredited distance-learning nursing education provider, and is is approved by the Boards of Nursing in the states where it operates and holds national accreditations, particularly in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, US Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Before enrolling learners in other states, the College works to meet the requirements at both the state and national levels. The State of Utah has approved Nightingale College to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. 

For a complete list of Nightingale College’s state approvals and additional details, you can consult the Professional License Disclosures page.

Nursing Accrediting Bodies

We’ve established that accreditation is essential for any nursing school, but who accredits nursing schools? There are two main types of accrediting organizations – the ones that accredit institutions and the ones that accredit nursing programs:

Institutional Nursing School Certification Agencies

• The Accrediting Bureau of Health Schools (ABHES)

The Accrediting Bureau of Health Schools (ABHES) is a higher education institutional accrediting organization, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. During the accreditation process, ABHES focuses on three main areas  – recognition, resources, and service.

ABHES is well known for continually improving the quality of health care nationwide, which is why ABHES accreditation is highly regarded in the nursing education field.

Many other accrediting bodies serve nursing institutions, but ABHES is the only accrediting body for general health care education programs and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Programmatic Certification Agencies

While ABHES is an institutional accreditor, nursing programs are accredited by programmatic accreditation bodies, the best-known being the CCNE and the ACEN.

• The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is a national accrediting organization for nursing education. The CCNE is responsible for accrediting nursing baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs that meet specific quality standards. The CCNE will use the same guidelines to determine the eligibility of a particular type of nursing program, regardless of the institution, so BSN programs from two different universities will be evaluated according to the same criteria.

• The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is a national accrediting body that evaluates and accredits nursing programs at all degree levels. The ACEN-accredited programs include LPN programs, diplomas, associate’s, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral nursing programs.

The main difference between the ACEN and the CCNE is that the CCNE does not accredit LPN or ADN programs, while the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) does.

• National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA)

In recent years, a third accrediting option emerged: the accrediting arm of the National League for Nursing. The National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA), like ACEN, can accredit programs at the PN/VN, diploma, ADN, BSN, and MSN levels.

Nightingale College’s associate and PN programs, for example, are accredited by NLN CNEA.

All three nursing school certification bodies, the CCNE, ACEN, and NLN CNEA, are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as approved accreditors. 

Besides the accrediting bodies that serve generalized nursing programs, there are specific organizations that accredit specialized nursing programs. Here are two of the most critical such accrediting bodies:

• The American College of Nurse-Midwives Division of Accreditation (ACNM) was an accrediting organization specializing in nurse-midwifery education programs.
• The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) accredits nurse anesthesia programs.

Accredited institutions and programs adhere to standards set by their accreditor. The metric for programmatic success may vary from one accreditor to another. You can find the standards on the accreditor’s website. For example, the ACEN standards are in their Accreditation Manual, and the CCNE standards are in their Standards for Accreditation.

Nightingale College understands the importance of accreditation and is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), and also holds programmatic accreditation for its nursing degrees:

• The Practical Nursing Program (PN Diploma Program) offered via distance education at Nightingale is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA).
• The Nightingale College LPN-to-ASN Nursing Program (delivered via distance education) is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation.
• The Baccalaureate Degree Program in Nursing (BSN Program) and the RN-to-BSN Track at Nightingale College are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
• The Master’s Degree Programs (MSN FNP, MSN Ed, and MSN PMHNP Programs) in Nursing at Nightingale College are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Additionally, Nightingale College is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, has entered into a Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understating (MOU) with the Department of Defense (DoD), is a signatory to the White House’s Joining Forces Initiative, and a member of the National League for Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

Learn more about the Approvals and Affiliations on the Nightingale College Disclosures page.

What Type of Accreditation Should a Nursing School Have?

Ideally, a quality nursing school should have institutional accreditation (national or regional), as well as programmatic nursing accreditation (from either the CCNE, ACEN, or NLN CNEA) for its programs. Institutional accreditation ensures the college as a whole is credible, while the program accreditation ensures the nursing program itself meets professional standards.

At the institutional level, nursing schools should be accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Schools (ABHES) or one of the six regional accreditation bodies, depending on the state in which the school is based.

At the programmatical level, nursing schools can be accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or by an accrediting body for specialized nursing programs, such as the American College of Nurse-Midwives Division of Accreditation (ACNM) or the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), depending on the type of program.

Since both national and regional accreditations are equally authoritative, nursing schools don't need to have either one or the other; they can choose either, or both.

What Type of Accreditation Should an Online College Have?

Accreditation is just as crucial for online colleges, if not more important. Employers pay even more attention to nursing college graduates’ resumes and are keen on verifying the accreditation of any online nursing program.

The types of accreditation required for physical nursing schools also apply to online nursing schools. The same goes for the accreditation standards set by national and regional accrediting bodies, which apply to both traditional and online nursing schools.

In addition to accreditation, online nursing schools must have their programs approved by a state to be recognized there. State approval ensures that if you are a graduate of that program, you can sit for the NCLEX exam and earn your nursing licensure.

Which Is the Best Accreditation for Nursing Schools?

How to Find out if a Nursing School Is Accredited?

How to Verify a Nursing School’s Accreditation

There is no doubt that accreditation is a must-have for any nursing college you choose to attend, so you must know how to verify accreditation. To find out which schools are nationally accredited, follow these easy steps:

1. Start with the school’s official information. Accredited institutions will publicize their accreditation status, typically on a dedicated page on their website. Nightingale College, for instance, lists its accrediting bodies (NWCCU, CCNE, CNEA, etc.) on a dedicated Disclosure page.
2. Cross-check by visiting the accrediting agency's website. Each recognized accreditor maintains a database or directory of the programs it has accredited. You can search for the college name or program name on the accreditor’s site. If the program isn’t listed there, it’s not truly accredited.
3. It is also a good idea to verify the expiration date. Accreditation is not granted forever; programs must be re-evaluated periodically, usually every 5 to 10 years. Make sure the accreditation is current and active.
4. Additionally, you can reference the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) database, which both allow you to look up institutional accreditations.
5. Do not forget to confirm that the program is approved by the State Board of Nursing in the state where it is located, or otherwise check if it is approved for education at a distance in the state where you reside. Most school websites will note Board of Nursing approvals, or you can find a list on the state board’s website.

Doing this homework upfront will help you ensure that your academic choice is safe and can provide top-quality education. For example, Nightingale College’s BSN and RN-to-BSN programs are accredited by CCNE. You can visit the CCNE website and enter “Nightingale College” (since it's based in Utah, enter Utah in the state field) to view the BSN and RN-to-BSN programmatic accreditation.

For a complete list of Nightingale College’s accreditations, you can visit our accreditation and affiliations page.

Nursing School Accreditation Process: How Schools Get Accredited

No type of accreditation is simply a one-time rubber stamp. Nursing schools must earn their certification through a rigorous process and then maintain those standards to keep it.

Accreditation is voluntary in the United States, so nursing schools voluntarily seek accreditation. Schools review the various accrediting bodies that can provide certification and select the one that best suits their institution and program.

The process usually begins with the school self-evaluating and preparing an extensive report demonstrating how it meets the accreditor’s criteria, which covers everything from curriculum and faculty qualifications to student outcomes and resources. 

The school then submits an application or candidacy request to the accrediting body. For example, a new nursing program might apply to ACEN for initial accreditation. The accreditor will review documentation and, if it meets the preliminary requirements, schedule an on-site visit by a team of evaluators to audit the program in person. 

During the visit, evaluators interview faculty and students, review facilities and clinical sites, and validate the information from the self-study. If the program meets all standards, the accreditor grants an initial accreditation, often for a finite period, like 5 years. Regular re-evaluation is part of the system. For instance, ACEN may revisit a program after 5 years for a renewal, and then every 8 years thereafter.

If a school falls short in some areas, the accreditor may grant conditional accreditation or place the program on probation, requiring improvements by a certain deadline rather than immediately withdrawing accreditation. 

The entire initial accreditation process represents a considerable undertaking for the institution and typically takes 1-2 years from application to decision, during which the new nursing programs or institutions maintain candidate status. Accreditation is an ongoing commitment. Accredited nursing schools must continuously collect data (NCLEX pass rates, graduation rates, student feedback) and submit reports to the accreditor to show they’re still meeting standards and fostering quality improvement in their curriculum. 

You can also consult the performance of institutions on your own: discover Nightingale College’s College Performance Data.

How Nursing Programs Get Accredited

The accreditation process for programs broadly follows the same guidelines as that for institutions, though it may differ slightly depending on the accrediting body.

For the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the process starts with programs applying for accreditation, after which they have 2 years to host the accreditation visit. They can do it sooner, but not later.

Before the evaluation visit, nursing programs have to prepare a Self-Study Report. Based on this report and, most importantly, the on-site visit, the Evaluation Review Panel will assess the program. Then the ACEN Board of Commissioners will make the accreditation decision.

How Can a Nursing School Lose Accreditation?

Although uncommon, nursing programs can lose their accreditation, either by failing to meet standards or due to external factors affecting the accreditor.

One common trigger is when a program’s outcomes decline significantly. If a school’s metrics, such as the NCLEX pass rates, drop too low, it may be placed on probation, with the school typically being given a chance (usually 1-2 years) to improve and meet the required benchmark. Failure to rebound can result in accreditation being withdrawn.

Other serious deficiencies, such as inadequate faculty qualifications, subpar clinical training opportunities, not following the accredited curriculum, or falsifying data, can forfeit a program’s accreditation. In cases of egregious violations of standards, an accreditor might skip probation and move to revoke accreditation directly. Additionally, if a school doesn’t apply for renewal or doesn’t pass the renewal evaluation, the accreditation will lapse.

The very rare case of the accrediting agency losing recognition by the Department of Education is considerably more impactful. If the government decides an accreditor is not meeting its own oversight responsibilities, it can withdraw recognition of that agency. This happened in 2022 with the ACICS (Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools), which was a national institutional accreditor. When ACICS was derecognized, every school that relied on ACICS accreditation suddenly had no valid accreditor, through no fault of their own. The Department of Education gave ACICS-accredited schools an 18-month window to find a new accrediting agency.

Thus, a nursing school could lose accreditation either because its quality dropped below acceptable standards or because its accreditor ceased to be recognized. In all cases, the school would be notified, and students should be alerted well in advance – accrediting bodies typically allow time for currently enrolled students to finish or transfer before the loss fully takes effect.

What Happens If a Nursing School Loses Accreditation?

Learning that your nursing program lost accreditation can be alarming. The consequences vary depending on timing, but either way, it’s a serious situation.

If a school’s loss of accreditation occurs while you are enrolled and before you complete your program, you will face significant hurdles to becoming a licensed nurse through that program. Graduating from an unaccredited program means you won’t be eligible for federal financial aid or tuition reimbursement programs, your credits likely won’t transfer to other accredited schools, and crucially, you may not be allowed to take the NCLEX-RN exam in many states.

In this case, the best course of action is often to transfer to another accredited nursing program as soon as possible. Schools that lose accreditation are required by the Department of Education to develop a teach-out plan or agreement, which essentially is a pathway for students to complete their education via alternative avenues. If you accept the teach-out deal, the transition is typically streamlined, and your credits are honored as if you’d been at the new school all along. If you decline a structured teach-out transfer, you can certainly attempt to transfer elsewhere on your own, but other colleges will have to evaluate your transcripts course by course, and may reject transferring some credits. Additionally, once a program loses accreditation, students lose eligibility for federal student loans and aid at that institution.

What Happens If a Nursing School Loses Accreditation After You Graduate?

In this case, your degree remains valid as long as the program was accredited at the time you earned it, since future changes do not retroactively affect your diploma or degree. This means your eligibility for NCLEX, your license, and your ability to get jobs or apply to graduate school should not be affected by any subsequent loss of nursing school accreditation on the part of the institution you attended.

Importance of Attending Accredited Nursing Schools

Attending an accredited nursing school is not only a guarantee that you will receive high-quality education and training, but also a necessity for taking the NCLEX and going on to work as a nurse. Comparatively, enrolling in a non-accredited nursing university can pose many risks for a future nurse. Here are the main dangers you are facing when attending a non-accredited school:

1. The quality of the education you receive may be questionable. Accreditation is a stamp of approval that certifies the quality of a nursing school and its programs. One of the most significant risks of attending a non-accredited nursing school is that you have no way of knowing if they can provide you with a quality education.
2. Transferring to another nursing school may not be possible. If you decide to transfer to another university, you may not be able to, as accredited schools may not accept transfer credit from non-accredited schools.
3. You may not be eligible for federal financial aid. The U.S. Department of Education requires that all schools participating in student aid programs be accredited. Moreover, your state education agency’s financial programs may be unwilling to grant financial aid to non-accredited schools.
4. It can affect your employment opportunities. Employers know that accredited schools have high educational standards, so they tend to hire nurses who graduated from such schools, as they deem graduates more qualified for the job.

Thus, nursing school accreditation should be the bottom line, the minimum requirement for considering enrollment. Once you ensure that an institution is certified to teach your program of choice in the state you will study in, only then can you consult its reputation, performance, and perks, in order to deliberate whether you will choose it or another, better-performing school.

Read more about the importance of the reputation of nursing schools.

Nightingale College is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and holds programmatic accreditation for all of its nursing programs:

• The Practical Nursing (PN Diploma) and LPN-to-ASN programs, delivered via distance education, are accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA).
• The BSN and RN-to-BSN programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
• The Master’s programs (MSN FNP, MSN Ed, and MSN PMHNP) are also CCNE-accredited.

In addition, Nightingale is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), and maintains active affiliations with the Department of Defense (Voluntary Education Partnership MOU), the White House’s Joining Forces Initiative, the National League for Nursing, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

For details, visit the Approvals and Affiliations page. For information on state licensure, visit the Professional License Disclosures page.

Learn more about our academic programs and enroll today!