What Is an Accredited Nursing Program?

Written by: University of Tulsa • Aug 25, 2026

Nursing students in scrubs studying together with a laptop and notebooks.

The U.S. Department of Education uses accreditation to verify that educational programs meet quality standards in preparing students for careers related to their field of study. The Department works with both public and private organizations called accrediting agencies that carry out this quality assurance process.

In nursing, two accrediting agencies evaluate nursing programs at various levels for standards of quality and rigor:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

Nurses looking to advance their careers should know what accredited nursing programs are and consider graduate programs accredited by ACEN or CCNE. Choosing an accredited program ensures their education meets the standards for advancement and certification.

Why Accreditation Matters

There are important advantages for students who graduate from an accredited nursing program versus those who don’t, including:

A Department of Education-approved agency has deemed the program valuable to students and their future careers in nursing.
Accreditation unlocks federal and state funding for students in the program.
Graduates of accredited programs are eligible to sit for the relevant certification and licensing examinations.
Many health care employers prefer to hire graduates of accredited programs for their nursing teams.

Students who attend a non-accredited nursing program may find themselves at a disadvantage after graduation.

ACEN Educational Standards for Accreditation

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing breaks down its 2023 criteria for evaluation into five categories: administrative capacity and resources, faculty, students, curriculum, and outcomes. The criteria that a program must meet ensure that students are set up for ongoing learning, substantive growth, and support from educational mentors. With these criteria, a student can have confidence that they will graduate with the potential for successful careers in nursing.

The specifics of these categories show what’s truly considered imperative in an accredited nursing program.

Administrative Capacity and Resources

The standards in this category state that the organization running the program must have the resources and capacity to deliver the educational experience detailed in their program. The ACEN looks at the learning and potential professional outcomes of a given program to evaluate whether the course of study is realistically able to meet those outcomes. Students of accredited programs can feel confident that they’re on a pathway to real potential career growth.

Faculty

Standards for faculty ensure that professors and mentors in accredited nursing programs are qualified, experienced professionals who can impart substantive learning to students in their program. It’s important that the program faculty — each with their own areas of expertise — are focused on guiding students toward positive educational and career outcomes and have the ability to do so.

Students

Standards pertaining to students don’t refer to the application requirements of students; that’s the school’s domain. Rather, these standards look at the policies and services of the program to ensure that they are supportive and tied to the potential professional outcomes of the program. For prospective students of nursing programs, accreditation means that policies and services are in place to support their success and growth.

Curriculum

These standards represent the instructional side of the program and evaluate whether the program includes the curriculum necessary to adequately prepare students for success in the field. Curricula are generally built around a body of knowledge as well as personal and professional competencies for success. In nursing, accreditation means that the curriculum has been deemed appropriate and valuable to students’ professional outcomes.

Outcomes

Standards in this category necessitate regular reflection by program faculty about the end-of-program student learning outcomes. This reflection is part of a process of continuous programmatic improvement that is a key indicator of an accredited nursing program.

CCNE Educational Standards for Accreditation

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education evaluates nursing programs using four accreditation standards: mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources, curriculum and teaching-learning practices, and assessment and achievement of program outcomes. Together, these standards examine whether programs have the leadership, resources, curricula, and assessment processes to achieve their stated educational outcomes and support students.

Mission and Governance

Each program applying for accreditation must align its mission, goals, and expected program outcomes with the parent institution and relevant professional nursing standards and guidelines. Nursing faculty and students must be involved in program governance, with students able to access expected program outcomes and faculty directly involved in developing and reviewing academic program policies. The program also must establish guidelines for formal complaints and review them as needed.

Institutional Commitment and Resources

This standard ensures that the parent institution remains committed to supporting the nursing program and makes resources available to achieve its mission, goals, and expected outcomes. The nursing program must have fiscal and physical resources, such as a predefined budget, classrooms, teaching supplies, clinical nursing sites, libraries, distance education support, and advising services.

Curriculum and Teaching-Learning Practices

Under this standard, a nursing program must have a curriculum that matches its mission and goals and demonstrate that faculty and staff prepare students for the workforce after graduation. Curricular objectives need to be clear and explain what the student is expected to learn. This includes baccalaureate, master’s, DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice), and post-graduate APRN certificate programs.

Assessment and Achievement of Program Outcomes

Nursing programs need an assessment process to be CCNE-accredited. Each program must have a systematic process to determine its effectiveness. This process must be written and comprehensive, including qualitative and quantitative data and timelines for data collection and review of expected and actual outcomes, to determine how successful the program is.

ACEN vs. CCNE: What’s the Difference?

Both accreditation agencies are recognized as leaders in strengthening nursing program quality across the U.S. However, ACEN accredits all types of nursing programs, including practical, diploma, and associate programs, as well as bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. CCNE accredits only baccalaureate, graduate, and residency/fellowship nursing programs.

Pathways to Becoming an RN Through an Accredited Nursing Program

There are two pathways to becoming a registered nurse (RN):

Two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN)
Four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN)

RNs used to become licensed by earning an associate degree, or even a diploma program administered by a hospital nursing school, and passing the NCLEX-RN exam. However, a few factors shifted the preferred pathway to nursing licensure toward undergraduate and graduate degree programs:

Changes and complexities in the administration of medical care
Employer preferences for higher levels of competence and clinical knowledge
Positive effect a higher level of nursing education has on patient outcomes
Nursing workforce seeking pathways to higher salaries and levels of responsibility

For these reasons, the percentage of RNs who hold a BSN degree or higher was 73% in 2024, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Key Objectives of an Accredited MSN Program

Active nurses who hold bachelor’s degrees and want to elevate their career opportunities often pursue an MSN degree. An MSN program helps RNs become more effective at bedside nursing and as team leaders. These RNs can also become medical facility administrators and nurse educators as well as health care data collection and analytics professionals.

Students of an accredited nursing program at the master’s level can be confident that their studies are equipping them with:

Practical and clinical knowledge to deliver effective patient care
Soft skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and methods of self-care
A clear pathway to career advancement
Options for specialization based on their career interests and goals

Salaries for RNs with master’s degrees are cited as $25,000 higher per year than those of RNs with bachelor’s degrees according to a 2022 study by the Journal of Nursing Regulation. Median earnings for those with BSNs were $75,000 — and $100,000 for MSN holders.

These nurses usually earn more because of the substantive increase in knowledge, skills, and ability that a motivated RN with an MSN can demonstrate.

Subject Areas and Specialties Covered in an Accredited MSN Program

So what can an ambitious nurse learn as they work through an MSN program? Subject areas covered in an accredited nursing program at the master’s level include the “3 P’s” of nursing:

Pathophysiology: The study of bodily systems (physiology) and how disease affects them (pathology) empowers students of nursing to understand and identify diseases by knowing what common symptoms and markers may appear in a patient.
Health promotion: Exploring evidence-based practices for educating individual patients and families, nurses can help them reach their optimal health. MSN students also learn ways to promote health on a broader scale and battle health inequities across populations.
Pharmacology: The branch of medicine that deals with medications and their safe administration, this subject enables MSN graduates to confidently support medical teams and patients with the appropriate administration of drugs.

An MSN program may also allow its students to specialize in a discipline that aligns with their interests and career goals. Common areas of specialty include:

Team Leadership

This specialty is for RNs whose goal is to move away from the bedside to lead nursing units through their day-to-day responsibilities. They can hold roles such as charge nurse, director of nursing, or nurse administrator.

Nurse Education

Specialties in education are for RNs who have loved working in a medical setting and are ready to share their experience and expertise with others. Their goal may be to work in teaching hospitals or at a college or university, instructing tomorrow’s nurses. Roles include nurse educator and director of nursing education.

Public Health

A specialty in public or global health is great for RNs who want to make a positive impact on health care on a broader scale. They’ve worked in clinical settings where they’ve seen the importance of promoting health and wellness among both patients and staff. These highly trained nurses may even have the goal of effecting change at the international, federal, state, or local level. Relevant roles include public health nurses working for government agencies or non-profits.

Informatics and Data Analytics

Informatics is the science of processing data. The health care industry and medical settings are full of data points — lab results and rates of infection, for example. Relevant data may also include external factors, such as insurance company policies and their effects on patient outcomes. Informatics roles can offer exciting career growth for RNs who have worked at the bedside and have discovered an interest in looking at medicine through this data-rich lens. Potential roles include nurse informatics specialist and health care data analyst.

Benefits and Professional Outcomes of Accredited Nursing Programs at Different Levels (ABSN, BSN, MSN, Post-MSN)

An accredited nursing program at the master’s level can provide a pathway to a higher salary, increased responsibility and impact, and specialization for a motivated RN. But an MSN isn’t the only way to seek career advancement. Other educational pathways could be the right choice, particularly for those seeking a career change to nursing or active nurses who have yet to earn a bachelor’s degree. Educational tracks for new and working nurses include the following.

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs

An Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program typically serves non-nurses who hold bachelor’s degrees in fields other than nursing. These programs are accelerated because students already hold bachelor’s degrees, so the curriculum can be highly concentrated on the principles and practical knowledge of nursing.

RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs

An RN to BSN program typically serves working nurses who hold associate degrees in nursing from accredited institutions and are ready to expand their careers. Common subject areas include nutrition, life span processes, population health, human anatomy, and much more. Prospective students often wonder what they can do with a BSN and are attracted by the opportunities that a BSN can unlock.

Potential roles for BSN graduates include:

Clinical Nurse Manager
- Oversees teams of nurses through their day-to-day responsibilities
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $94,623
Utilization Management Nurse
- Collects and studies information about patient experience and outcomes to set and implement improvement programs at their medical facility
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $84,337
Nurse Case Manager
- Works with long-term care patients and their families to guide them through the condition and treatment options, while also liaising with insurance.
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $84,298

MSN Programs and Roles

An MSN degree can open new career pathways for RNs to pursue roles with increased levels of responsibility, impact, pay, and specialization. An MSN program serves students who hold a BSN and are seeking career advancement. This program type can also empower students to specialize, as many MSN students know which areas interest them most.

Potential roles for MSN graduates, by area of specialization, include the following.

Leadership Roles

Nursing Manager
- Oversees nursing teams or units while taking a higher-level view into how to improve operations for effective and efficient care delivery
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $102,201
Nurse Administrator
- Manages the entire nursing department and operations at a health care facility
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $96,538
Chief Nursing Officer
- Similar to a nurse administrator, but sits on the executive team and often oversees personnel, recruitment, training, and finances of the department
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $158,194

Education Roles

Nurse Educator
- A nurse who creates and facilitates nurse training and continued development at a medical facility
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $89,674

Someone in this type of role can advance to a role such as Director of Nursing Education within a medical facility or in an educational institution as well.

Public Health Roles

Public Health Nurse
- Often works in a government setting focusing on a sector of the population and promoting improvements in its health and well-being
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $74,005
Occupational Health Nurse
- Observes how work carried out by a given organization affects the health and well-being of its employees and can work with the organization to improve conditions over time
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $87,943

Informatics Roles

Data Analyst
- Analyzes data to shape policy and practice in the industry
- Approximate median salary — across industries — as of August 2026: $70,643
Informatics Nurse
- Uses data collection and analysis to suggest improvements in patient care at their medical facility
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $85,681
Clinical Informatics Manager
- Uses their database management skills to extract and present information to the organization’s leadership to support insightful decision-making
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $105,973

Post-MSN, Post-DNP Certificate Programs

Certification programs that serve both MSN and DNP holders empower advanced practice nurses to reach a new level of specialization and expertise. For instance, a certificate program for nurse practitioners in Adult Gerontology Acute Care (AGACNP) can prepare students to work with hospitalized adults experiencing acute disruptions to health.

Potential roles include:

Emergency Department Manager
- Often a nurse, someone in this role runs on-the-ground operations of an emergency unit of a hospital.
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $103,768
Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Nurse Manager
- This role is similar to a nurse manager but specializes in ICUs.
- Approximate median salary as of August 2026: $103,936

Pursue Career Growth in Nursing With TU’s Accredited MSN Program

It’s important to understand what an accredited nursing program is and how it can be a pathway to professional possibilities for motivated nurses. A master’s degree expands the scope and depth of those opportunities. Pursuing knowledge with an educational organization that is accredited makes all the difference; you can begin your journey knowing that the organization has met the standards of quality and rigor, including the ability to support you on your way.

If you’re an active nurse who’s ready for the next step in your career, explore The University of Tulsa’s online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), accredited by ACEN. Our MSN program offers one-to-one faculty support that can help you identify and reach your professional goals. We also offer three specialty tracks to help you customize your learning journey:

Leadership and Innovation
Public Health Global Vision
Education and Evaluation

Each track prepares students for a range of advanced nursing careers from administration to education and bedside care, where you can increase your impact.

Explore our ACEN-accredited online MSN to expand your nursing career.

Recommended Readings

How Leaders Drive Quality Improvement in Nursing

MSN vs. RN: Why Earn an Advanced Degree?

Nursing Research: What It Is and Why It Matters

Sources:

AACN, CCNE Accreditation

AACN, Fact Sheet: The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice

AACN, Master’s Education

AACN, Nursing Workforce Fact Sheet

AACN, Standards for Accreditation of Bachelorates and Graduate Nursing Programs

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 2023 Standards and Criteria