Institutional Accreditation
National Louis University (NLU) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), one of six accreditors recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
NLU is on the Standard Pathway to accreditation, which follows a 10-year cycle and is focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement. NLU wrote to the Criteria for Accreditation and submitted their Assurance Argument in AY2021. The Higher Learning Commission continued the accreditation for the university for another 10 year with no concerns, no monitoring, and no sanctions. NLU will welcome HLC for our Mid-Cycle Review in May 2026.
- 2026 Mid-Cycle Review Assurance Argument
- 2022 Assurance Argument**
- 2015 Systems Portfolio*
- 2012 Systems Portfolio*
*Past reports were written to previous criteria for accreditation and a different HLC pathway (AQIP).
**Written to previous criteria for accreditation
Standard Pathway Timeline
| Timeframe | Years | Accreditation Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Years 1-4 | 2022-2026 | Prepare Assurance Filing |
| Year 4 | 2025-2026 | Comprehensive Evaluation (Report + Visit) |
| Years 5-9 | 2027-2031 | Prepare Assurance Filing |
| Year 10 | 2031-2032 | Comprehensive Evaluation/Reaffirmation of Accreditation (Report + Visit) & Federal Compliance |
Programmatic Accreditation
Please visit the program page for more details.
| Program Name | Year Reaffirmed | Accrediting Agency | Accreditation Term | Next Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate College | ||||
|
*formally BA Business Administration |
Reaffirmed 2025 | International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) | 2025-2032 | 2032 |
| BS Health Care Leadership | Reaffirmed 2025 | International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) | 2025-2032 | 2032 |
| BS Management | Reaffirmed 2025 | International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) | 2025-2032 | 2032 |
| BS Nursing | Seeking Initial Accreditation | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) | Seeking Initial Accreditation - 2026 | |
| BSW | Initial Accreditation | Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) | 2021-2032 | 2032 |
| College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences: Graduate | ||||
| ISPP's PsyD Clinical Psychology | See program page | American Psychological Association (APA) | 2021-2031 | 2031 |
| FSPP's Clinical Psychology (PsyD, MA) | See program page | American Psychological Association (APA) | 2021-2031 | 2031 |
| MS Counseling (Illinois) | Reaffirmed 2019 | Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) | 2019-2027 | 2027 |
| MS Counseling (Virtual) | Accredited 2022 | Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) | 2022-2030 | 2030 |
| EDD Counselor Education & Supervision | Accredited 2022 | Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) | 2022-2030 | 2030 |
| National College of Education | ||||
| Initial and Advanced Teacher Preparation Programs | Affirmed 2020 | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) | 2020-2027 | 2026 |
| Graduate School of Business & Leadership | ||||
| M.A. in Human Lactation Studies & B.S in Maternal Child Health | Initial Accreditation 2024 | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) | 2025 | |
| MBA | Reaffirmed 2025 | International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) | 2025-2032 | 2032 |
| MHA | Reaffirmed 2025 | International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) | 2025-2032 | 2032 |
| MS Human Resource Management & Development | Reaffirmed 2025 | International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) | 2025-2032 | 2032 |
| MS in Business Data Analytics | Initial Accreditation 2025 | International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) | 2025-2032 | 2032 |
| Doctorate of Business Administration | Initial Accreditation 2025 | International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) | 2025-2032 | 2032 |
| Kendall College | ||||
| AAS Culinary Arts | Reaffirmed 2020 | American Culinary Federation (ACF) | 2020-2027 | 2027 |
| AAS Baking & Pastry | Reaffirmed 2020 | American Culinary Federation (ACF) | 2020-2027 | 2027 |
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 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 has been approved to participate in 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.
We’ve designed these pages to provide advice, University guidelines, and resources to support the various phases of teaching a course at NLU, so new-hire and veteran faculty are equipped to continuously evolve their practice to meet the needs of unique student populations.
