Accreditation

NCE maintains national, state-level, and institutional accreditation to ensure that our students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for high-impact careers.

National Recognition

National Louis meets rigorous national standards for educator preparation set by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). CAEP is the only educator preparation accreditor recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

CAEP accreditation is awarded to institutions that pass peer review on five standards, based on two principles:

1. Solid evidence that the provider’s graduates are competent and caring educators, and
2. Solid evidence that the provider’s educator staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence and use it to maintain and enhance the quality of the professional programs they offer.

“Institutions [with CAEP Accreditation] meet high standards so that their students receive an education that prepares them to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate,” said CAEP President Dr. Christopher A. Koch.

More information on CAEP Accreditation http://caepnet.org/accreditation/about-accreditation/what-is-accreditation

Institutional Approvals

National Louis University (NLU) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), one of six institutional accreditors recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. For more information about accreditation, visit our institutional accreditation website.

State Approvals

National Louis University (NLU) is authorized to operate as a degree-granting institution in Illinois by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). NLU has grandfathered status in four regions of Illinois: Chicago, North Suburban, South Metropolitan, and West Suburban. IBHE resources for NLU faculty and staff can be found here.

NLU holds a license by means of accreditation from the Florida Commission for Independent Education (CIE) of the Florida Department of Education to operate as a university in Florida, to offer programs of instruction, and to award degrees. For a list of approved programs in FL, click here.

NLU is also a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). As a SARA member, NLU is authorized to offer distance education to other SARA member states. To view a list of SARA states, click here. 

Initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator licensure and endorsement programs are all approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Specialty Area Program Approvals (SPAs)

Specialized Professional Associations (SPA) develop and describe the national standards for their particular educational field. SPAs, along with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), review teacher preparation programs to ensure the programs are meeting national standards. The following degree programs are recognized by their professional organization:

Initial Teacher Preparation

• Early Childhood MAT
• Elementary MAT
• Middle Grades Education
• English/Language Arts Secondary
• Foreign language Secondary
• Science Education Secondary

Advanced Programs

• Reading Specialist
• Educational Leadership Principal Preparation
• Educational Leadership Superintendent Preparation

NCE Candidate Performance

• Candidate Outcomes - CAEP Annual Indicators
• Assessment System