Choosing an online college or institution for your nursing degree has a lot of benefits.
Getting a degree online is a big time saver. You’ll have a flexible schedule while earning your nursing degree. And it can also save you a lot of money as well as effort on your end.
Not All Nursing Schools Are Created Equal
But not every online nursing school, or online nursing degree programs, is the same. Each offers different learning experiences and different approaches to learning.
Accredited Online Nursing Schools
Despite all the differences, there’s one thing to look for that is super important. And that is the relevant accreditation. This is a critical factor that you should always check when researching online nursing schools.
You want to find schools with proper accreditation. To do this, you need to get familiar with certain accrediting agencies in your field of study. Once you are familiar, you can use that knowledge when you’re looking for online schools to enroll.
Accrediting Organizations for Online Nursing Schools
For online nursing schools, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the ACEN is the primary programmatic accrediting body. Any nursing degree program with an ACEN accreditation has been evaluated by nursing professionals. Accreditation means that the program has met or exceeded the current educational quality standards.
So, if you’re looking for an online nursing degree, or at least a certificate, then you definitely want to see if the program is ACEN accredited. With this accreditation, you can make sure that you are getting an education that has everything you need to prepare you for the challenges of a career in health care.
To help you with finding accredited online nursing schools, we have gathered a list of a number of online ACEN accredited nursing programs. Below, you will find the list of ACEN accredited schools, and the cost per credit.
Accredited Online Nursing Programs
Be sure to check out each school, and research more about the programs they offer.
- North Carolina Central University – SACSCOC, ACEN, NCATE accreditations, $144-$574 per credit
- North Carolina A&T State University — SACSCOC, ACEN, AACSB, ABET, ATMAE, CACREP, CSWE, LAAB, NASAD, NASM, NAST, NCATE accreditations $125–$563/credit hour
- Great Basin College —NWCCU, ACEN, JRCERT accreditation, $142–$234
- Montana State University – Northern — NWCCU, ACEN, ABET, NATEF accreditation, $163–$757
- Florida State College at Jacksonville — SACSCOC, ACEN, ACBSP, ACFEF, AOTA, CAAHEP, CAHIIM, CAPTE, CODA, JRCCTV, NAACLS accreditation, $219
- Brigham Young University – Idaho —NWCCU, ACEN, CCNE accreditation, $163
- Northeastern State University — HLC, ACEN, NCATE accreditation, $206
- New England Institute of Technology — NEASC, ACEN, ABET, ACOTE, CAAHEP, CAPTE, CoARC accreditation, $230
- Oklahoma Panhandle State University — HLC, ACEN, CAEP, NCATE accreditation, $257
- Hannibal-LaGrange University — HLC, ACEN accreditation, $249
- Stephen F. Austin State University — SACSCOC, ACEN, ABET, CAATE, CACREP, CAEP, CIDA, NASP, NASAD, NASM, NCATE accreditation, $275
- Arkansas State University – Main Campus — HLC, ACEN, AACSB, ABET, CAEPNET, NASAD, NASM, NCATE accreditation, $236–$333
- Eastern New Mexico University — NEASC, ACEN, ABET, ACOTE, CAAHEP, CAPTE, CoARC accreditation, $264–$534
- Minot State University — HLC, ACEN, CAATE, CSWE, IACBE, NASAC, NASM, NCATE accreditation, $28
- Indiana University Online — HLC, ACEN accreditation, $285–$1426
More About Online Nursing
This article is part of our series about getting a nursing degree online.
Check out the next topic in the series: Prerequisite Courses for Nursing School Online