How Does Nursing Accreditation Work? And Which Accreditor Is Best?
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Nursing accreditation is a quality assurance process specifically applied to nursing schools or programs. It involves an independent academic evaluation to ensure a school’s nursing programs meet the required standards. Accreditation also verifies that graduating students possess the skills and professional knowledge required for licensed employment.
Technically speaking, attending an accredited nursing school is often voluntary. However, many states require candidates to have graduated from a specially accredited nursing program to complete the licensing process. If these standards apply in your state, you should treat proper nursing accreditation as a non-negotiable feature of any program you pursue.
Explore the sections below to learn more about the agencies that accredit nursing programs and the standards they use.
Types of Nursing School Accreditors
There are two different layers to accreditation in higher education, and multiple independent agencies serve as accrediting bodies. When the entire college or university is accredited, that’s called institutional accreditation. It is considered the gold standard of accreditation.
In addition, individual programs within the school can receive a separate accreditation called programmatic accreditation. This ensures the program meets strict quality standards that matter for that particular field of study and is common in healthcare fields like nursing, counseling, and allied health.
Some programmatic accreditors also function as institutional accreditors of small single-purpose institutions — such as freestanding nursing schools. For nursing schools, accreditation by a separate institutional accreditor isn’t always necessary.
Who Accredits Nursing Schools?
Accredited nursing schools meet high standards established by independent accrediting bodies and are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). These standards address faculty qualifications, facilities, learning materials, and graduate outcomes, such as the percentage of students who pass licensure exams.
Generally speaking, the two most widely recognized bodies that monitor and accredit nursing programs and schools in the U.S. are:
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
In addition to ACEN and CCNE, there is also the Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA), which is a newer accrediting body that was recognized by ED in 2021.
There are also two specialty nursing accreditors that evaluate select graduate-level programs: the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) and the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)
Compare all five accrediting bodies in the table below.
| Accreditor | Year Recognized | Scope of Accreditation |
|---|---|---|
| ACEN | 1952 | Diploma, certificate, and undergraduate and graduate degree programs in nursing |
| COA | 1955 | 2Master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, and post-master’s and post-doctoral certificate programs in nurse anesthesia |
| ACME | 1982 | Certificate, graduate, and direct-entry programs in midwifery, including distance-education programs |
| CCNE | 2000 | Bachelor’s, graduate, residential, and fellowship programs in nursing |
| CNEA | 2021 | Practical and vocational certificate/diploma programs, undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees from associate to doctorate, and post-graduate nursing certificate programs |
Why Nursing Accreditation Matters
Because there are far too many schools and programs for the federal government to monitor on its own, the education department has approved specific accrediting agencies to do this important work.
As independent nonprofits, ACEN and the other accreditors perform this work in the nursing space, developing standards and conducting reviews to ensure programs meet or exceed standards.
Nursing accreditation matters even after graduation. Most employers only hire nurses who graduated from accredited programs. In most states, you must graduate from an accredited nursing program to take the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN exam and apply for a nursing license. The same goes for advanced practice nursing certifications — you must send transcripts from an accredited program in order to sit for your board exams.
What happens if a nursing school loses accreditation?
This rare but potentially serious situation can negatively impact your education, license eligibility, and professional prospects. If it occurs, you may lose access to federal financial aid and you may no longer qualify for your licensing exam if you continue studying at the school.
Some protections may apply to the credits you have already earned, which could allow you to transfer into another accredited program with full standing.
If your school was accredited when you graduated, but the institution loses its standing before you become licensed, your exam or license eligibility could be affected. Contact your state’s nursing board if this happens to you.
ACEN vs. CCNE vs. CNEA: What’s the Difference?
ACEN is one of the largest specialized accrediting bodies in the United States. It also operates internationally, viewing itself as a “supportive partner” in quality assurance for nursing education.
CCNE is another large nursing accreditor, functioning exclusively in the United States and endorsing qualified programs offered by colleges and eligible health organizations. It was founded by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), a leading national professional organization for nurses.
CNEA is the accrediting arm of the National League for Nursing (NLN). It endorses a full spectrum of nursing programs, emphasizing diversity and inclusion in nursing education.
Differences in Accreditation Processes
The accrediting processes used by ACEN, CCNE, and CNEA share many similarities: They all involve self-studies, site visits, and multi-step panel reviews of evaluation findings.
However, they also display some notable differences. Key examples relate to eligibility and candidacy, and the length of time candidate schools have to move forward with the accreditation process:
Eligibility and Candidacy
- ACEN: Schools must undergo an eligibility evaluation before proceeding to formal candidate status.
- CCNE: Schools can go directly to “new applicant” status, which launches the accreditation process.
- CNEA: CNEA offers a “pre-accreditation” status only to schools that meet five specific eligibility standards.
Duration of Candidacy
- ACEN: A school must host a site visit within two years of achieving candidate status.
- CCNE: CCNE limits newly accredited schools to a maximum term of five years before requiring an additional review.
- CNEA: A school can only retain pre-accreditation status for three years before CNEA is required to affirm or deny its continued standing.
What Is the Best Accreditation for Nursing Schools?
Generally speaking, ACEN and CCNE are the most readily recognized accreditors of nursing programs. In most cases, programs endorsed by one of these bodies should satisfy your state nursing board’s educational quality standards.
However, there are situations in which you should consider or prioritize attending a program accredited by one of the other nursing organizations. For example, consider seeking out a COA-endorsed program if you want to pursue a career as a nurse anesthetist.
Beyond researching employer preferences in the state where you plan to work, you can also consult your state’s nursing board for additional guidance. You should consider your state nursing board the final authoritative source of accreditation requirements for the nursing role you want to pursue.
