UCCS nursing accreditation: CCNE for the programs, HLC for the university

Two layers: the university and its nursing programs

Accreditation at UCCS works on two levels. HLC looks at the university as a whole, every college and degree included. CCNE, a nursing accreditor, looks at the nursing programs themselves. A nursing student benefits from both, and each has its own public record you can check.

The Johnson Beth-El College states its CCNE status in one sentence on its nursing page: "The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, the master's degree program in nursing, the post-graduate APRN certificate program, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education."

In CCNE's own directory, the college appears under the name "University of Colorado at Colorado Springs" followed by the college's full title, with the Department Chair shown as chief nurse administrator. One college entry carries all four accredited programs.

HLC and the university

UCCS's Institutional Data office states plainly that the University of Colorado Colorado Springs is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Its summary lists a 2016 comprehensive review and names 2026 as the next scheduled one.

The result of that 2026 review was not posted on the UCCS pages checked for this guide, so HLC's own directory entry for UCCS, institution 1039, is the place to confirm current status. One practical caution: when checked in September 2026, the "HLC Institution Directory" link on UCCS's accreditation page opened a different school's record. The link on the Institutional Data summary page points to the right entry.

UCCS is one of the University of Colorado campuses, but CU Anschutz holds its own separate HLC accreditation. That distinction matters in clinical paperwork and state lists. Washington's list of approved out-of-state programs, for example, names the University of Colorado in Aurora, which is CU Anschutz, not UCCS. When a document says "University of Colorado," check which campus it means before you rely on it.

Where accreditation shows up in your clinicals

Accreditation is not only a line on a website. UCCS's Preceptor Handbook asks each preceptor for a resume "if available in accordance with CCNE requirements," which is why a complete preceptor file includes one alongside license and certification details. UCCS's own standards then decide who may precept; the preceptor requirements page sets them out for FNP and AGNP students.

Your records also carry weight after graduation. According to UCCS, the reports Medatrax produces help confirm your clinical hours for a certification board application, so accurate patient logs and evaluations are part of the paper trail that follows you. The Medatrax logs page covers what to record.

On campus, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare has accredited the college's Simulation Learning Center in the area of teaching and education, though UCCS's pages give no dates for it. The center connects to the NP clinical sequence directly: up to 20 simulation or skills lab hours there can count toward NURS 6980 Synthesis for FNP and AGNP students, and the Option Coordinator handles alternatives for anyone who cannot come to Colorado Springs.

Why UCCS students choose us

An accredited program still asks you to find your own preceptor where you live, and that search is exactly what we do. We find a preceptor who meets UCCS's standards and gather everything the college needs in one pass: the preceptor's credentials, license, certification and resume, the practice's address and signing authority, and a precise hour count for your Clinical Site Sheet.

We keep it in the form UCCS asks for: one typed Clinical Site Sheet per site and preceptor, exact hours rather than ranges, and a fresh sheet every semester. That completeness is what gets your Affiliation Agreement moving early. Approval stays with UCCS, and we make sure the file it reviews is complete and correct on the first submission. Start with a few details about your program.