What to Know About Accreditation for Online Nursing Degree Programs

Most people looking for an online nursing program know that accreditation matters. Fewer know what it is, which agencies grant it, or how much weight to give it when making a decision about which nursing school to choose.

Accreditation matters. It can affect credit transfer, how graduate programs read your degree and, for pre-licensure students, whether you'll be eligible for the licensure exam at the end. In this article, we’ll take you through what accreditation is, who the accrediting bodies are and how you can check any program's status yourself in a few minutes.

What Is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a voluntary quality review. A school or a program opens itself up to an outside agency that measures it against published standards, and accredited status follows when the standards are met. The review continues on a cycle, so accredited status has to be maintained.

Accreditation looks at everything from the way programs are taught to how a school’s support services operate. There are two kinds of accreditation, and knowing the difference between them can help you better evaluate an online nursing degree program.

Institutional accreditation applies to the whole university. Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Institutional accreditation has practical consequences for your budget: according to the Federal Student Aid Handbook, colleges and universities must be accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to participate in federal student aid programs.

Programmatic accreditation applies to one program or department. It’s awarded by an agency that specializes in the program’s field of study. In nursing, that means nurse educators review the curriculum, the qualifications of the faculty, the clinical experiences students receive and outcomes like licensure exam pass rates.

You’ll want to look for both institutional and programmatic accreditation when choosing an online nursing degree program. The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) notes that “transfer credits from accredited organizations are widely accepted by most graduate schools." If you’re looking for an accredited online BSN degree program, but think you might pursue a graduate program later, it’s worth confirming programmatic accreditation before you enroll.

There may also be implications beyond graduate school: the ACEN claims that “many large healthcare providers only accept applicants who graduate from an accredited program.”

Accreditation vs. Approval

If you're preparing for your first nursing license, you'll want to confirm that your online BSN degree program is approved by your state board of nursing as well as accredited by one of the nursing accreditors.

Boards of nursing are state government agencies that standardize the requirements for nurses to practice, issue licenses and approve nursing education programs (NCSBN). A program that prepares you for initial RN licensure has to hold approval from the board of nursing in the state where it operates, because that approval is what makes graduates eligible to take the NCLEX.

Online and hybrid programs work the same way here as on-campus programs do. Our online BSN degree program pairs online coursework with in-person clinicals, and our BSN pre-licensure plan is approved by the state boards of nursing in the select states where it is currently offered.

Post-licensure programs follow a different path. Programs like our RN to BSN, MSN, and DNP aren't preparing you for initial licensure, so they don't go through that pre-licensure approval process. Requirements tied to advanced practice licensure and certification can still vary by state, so it's worth a look at the education requirements for your state board of nursing before you enroll in one of our online nurse practitioner programs.

Comparing the Nursing School Accreditors

Three agencies accredit nursing programs in the United States. All three are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and their scopes overlap at several program levels.

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is an autonomous accrediting arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. It accredits baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs, which covers BSN, master's, DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate programs, along with entry-to-practice nurse residency and nurse practitioner fellowship programs. Its focus stays at the bachelor's level and above.

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) accredits “practical, diploma, associate, baccalaureate, master's including post master's certificate, and clinical doctorate including DNP specialist certificate nursing programs.”

The National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) is the newest of the three. It accredits programs "across the academic spectrum, including practical/vocational [diploma programs], diploma (RN), associate, bachelor, master's, post-graduate certificate, practice doctorate, and distance learning programs." CNEA is the only programmatic accreditor for the Doctor of Nursing Education (DNE). Our DNE program currently holds pre-accreditation status.¹

Here's how their scopes compare by program level:

At Herzing, the accreditor varies by program and campus. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Herzing University Madison are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.²

Herzing University is approved to offer programs in an online learning modality through association with the main campus in Madison, Wisconsin. The associate nursing program at our Madison campus is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Our full accreditation page lists every program and campus, including the practical nursing diploma and associate degree programs accredited by ACEN (offered at select campuses).

How to Check the Accreditation of an Online Nursing Degree Program 

You can verify all of this yourself in a few minutes.

1. Start with the program page. Look for a statement that names the accrediting agency and the specific program level. Precise language is a good sign. A vague claim that a school is "fully accredited" without naming an agency tells you very little.

2. Find the school's accreditations and approvals page. Most universities have a page like this (Herzing’s accreditation page is here). Because nursing accreditation is granted to individual campuses and programs, check to make sure that your program and your campus or online option appear there.

3. Confirm it with the accreditor. Each agency publishes a searchable record of the programs it accredits: the CCNE directory, the ACEN program search, and the NLN CNEA accredited program list. Search by institution, then confirm the program level and the current status.

4. Check your state board of nursing for pre-licensure approval. This applies if you’re looking for an accredited online BSN degree program or an accredited direct-entry MSN program (like our MSN-DE program). The NCSBN maintains a directory of every state board, where you can find approved program lists and licensure requirements for your state.

If what a school says about its nursing program doesn’t line up with what the accreditor's records show, talk to an admissions advisor about it before you apply to the program. Any school should be able to give you a clear, direct answer.