Institution Accreditation
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region.
Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604
800-621-7440
Specialized Accreditation
Specialized accreditation may occur through various means: discipline-specific (social work); discipline-specific schools or colleges within universities (e.g. law schools), and in some cases stand-alone institutions, such as those serving the health industry. Not all academic disciplines have specialized accreditation entities such as history or literature. Some disciplines have more than one such as business, possessing three specialized accreditation bodies.
The following accreditation has been granted to CSC:
ACBSP
The degree programs offered by the CSC Business Academy have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a professional accreditation agency. The ACBSP emphasizes teaching excellence. Such accreditation matches CSC's central purpose as a learner-centered institution.
naeyc
The College operates a Child Development Center as a community service and a laboratory for students planning to work professionally with young children. This Center is accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) which sets standards for early childhood educational programs.
NASM
Chadron State College is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
Official Notice: Chadron State College has been placed on Probation by the NASM Commission on Accreditation. The institution remains an accredited member while on probation, and is required to submit a comprehensive response to the Commission by May 1, 2027 demonstrating compliance."
National Association of Schools of Music
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21
Reston, VA 20190-5248
(703) 437-0700
CSWE
The CSC Social Work program is accredited by CSWE. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in this country. CSWE accreditation is required for CSC graduates if they intend to be certified in the State of Nebraska and wish to practice as social workers.
CASCE
Chadron State College Strength and Conditioning Program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE), a recognized authority in quality strength and conditioning education. This accreditation demonstrates our commitment to upholding the highest standards of quality and excellence in our strength and conditioning program. Our curriculum, faculty, and facilities have undergone rigorous evaluation to ensure that we provide students with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience necessary to excel in the field of strength and conditioning and keep athletes safe.
CAEP / NCATE
The Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), formerly the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning. CAEP consolidated NCATE and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) creating the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
In addition, the Education Program is formally accredited through the State of Nebraska's Department of Education.
CACREP
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The CACREP accredited program has been evaluated against standards set by the counseling profession. The number of credit hours, rigor of student internships and practicums, expertise of faculty, and professionalism of the program have all been reviewed and found to be in alignment with best practices and professional standards. For information, please refer to the CACREP.org website.
CAEP
The School Counseling master’s degree program is accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). CAEP advances excellence in educator preparation through specialized evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen Pk-12 student learning and educational endorsements. For information, please refer to the caepnet.org website.
Programs Requiring Nebraska State Certification or Licensure
In order to practice in the State of Nebraska, graduates within Education, Social Work, and Counseling must meet the Nebraska licensing or certification requirement. For information about the requirement determined by the State see the following:
State Authorization & Reciprocity
Resources and information regarding state authorization, reciprocity, and student complaint procedures.
State authorization (SA) is a legal and regulatory term for a college’s compliance with individual statutes, regulations, and rules in each state in which it operates, has a physical presence, or engages in educational services, programs, or activities. Physical presence can mean anything from enrolling a student from another state in an online program to recruiting students at fairs or conferences. State authorization is different from institutional or programmatic accreditation, or approval from professional licensing boards. For more information about how SARA functions and the positive impact it has had on millions of students across the United States
For students who reside outside of Nebraska and are interested in an online or distance-education program with Chadron State College, we have provided an authorization map to assist with questions regarding our authorization status in their home state. This map shows all states which have agreed to follow state authorization requirements. States participating in SARA can be found here.
SARA participation benefits students in several concrete ways. Because Chadron State College has met NC-SARA’s baseline standards for accreditation and institutional quality, students residing outside Nebraska can enroll in CSC’s online and distance education programs without CSC having to seek separate authorization in every state – which keeps costs down for students rather than passing state by state compliance fees along through tuition. SARA also gives students a clear, standardized path for resolving complaints if a problem with their program isn’t resolved directly with the college. It’s worth noting that SARA governs distance education broadly, but it does not replace or guarantee state licensure or certification requirements – students pursuing a licensure track program (such as Education, Counseling, or Social Work) should review the Licensure Disclosure information for their specific state before enrolling.
CSC distance education programs have no previous, current, or pending adverse actions taken by state or accrediting agencies. If this changes, updates will be posted to this page. Students and the public may check this page for updates.
CSC provides an opportunity for enrolled students and the public in general to submit non-academic complaints. The policy, process, and procedures for submitting complaints is outlined on the Student Complaints and Appeals Page.
The policy and procedures for complaints/grievances related to Academics are outlined on the Policies and Student Handbook page.
Individuals may also submit complaints to Nebraska's Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE), the NC-SARA portal agency. The complaint process is described on the CCPE website.
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
P.O. Box 95005
Lincoln, NE 68509-5005
402.471.0030