Higher Learning Commission
Complaint Contact Info
Institutional Accreditation
Universities and colleges in the United States obtain accreditation from non-governmental bodies that are recognized by the U. S. Secretary of Education. Accreditation provides public certification of acceptable institutional quality and an opportunity for critical self-analysis leading to improvement in quality. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education uses accreditation as a basis for their determination of institutional eligibility for participating in various federally funded programs, including Title IV federal financial aid to students.
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is one of six regional associations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education that accredit institutions of higher education. The Higher Learning Commission accredits Northern Arizona University. Northern Arizona University’s accreditation extends through 2027-2028.
Northern Arizona University participates in the Higher Learning Commission Open Pathways, which includes two processes: Quality Assurance and Quality Initiative.
Specialized Accredited Programs
College of Arts & Letters (CAL) Accordion Closed
| Unit | Program | Accrediting Agency | Last Review | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Art | Interior Design BS (Flagstaff & Scottsdale Locations) | Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) | 2022-Flagstaff Letter 2024-Scottsdale Letter | 2028-Flagstaff 2026-Scottsdale |
| School of Music | Music Programs in: | |||
| Music BA | National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) | 2018 Letter | 2026 | |
| Music Performance BMUS | National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) | 2018 Letter | 2026 | |
| Music MM | National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) | 2018 Letter | 2026 | |
| For each of the following: | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) | 2024 Action Report | 2031 | |
| Arizona State Board of Education | ||||
| School of Art and Design | Art Education BSED | |||
| Department of English | Secondary Education - English BSED | |||
| Department of History | Secondary Education - History and Social Studies BSED | |||
| Department of Global Languages and Cultures | Secondary Education - Spanish BSED | |||
| Kitt School of Music | Music Secondary Education BMED | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) AND Arizona State Board of Education | 2024 Action Report | 2031 |
| National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) | 2018 Letter | 2028 |
||
College of Education (COE) Accordion Closed
| Unit | Program | Accrediting Agency | Last Review | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dept. of Educational Leadership | The following programs are both CAEP accredited and state approved: | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) AND Arizona State Board of Education | 2024 Action Report | 2031 |
| Educational Leadership- Principal Pre K-12 MED | ||||
| Principal Pre K-12 GCERT | ||||
| Superintendent GCERT | ||||
| Educational Leadership – K-12 Administration EdD | ||||
| Dept. of Educational Psychology | School Psychology EDS | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) AND Arizona State Board of Education | 2024 Action Report | 2031 |
| National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) | 2022 Letter | 2028 | ||
| Combined Counseling/School Psychology PHD | Arizona State Board of Education AND American Psychological Association | 2023 Letter | 2031 | |
| Counseling - School Counseling MED | Council of Accreditation of Educational Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) | 2022 Letter | 2030 | |
| Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.A. | Council of Accreditation of Educational Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) | 2022 Letter | 2030 | |
| The program is state approved (ONLY): | ||||
| Clinical Psychology PSYD | American Psychological Association | 2023 Letter | 2025 | |
| Dept. of Educational Specialties | The following programs are both CAEP accredited and state approved: | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) AND Arizona State Board of Education | 2024 Action Report | 2031 |
| Special and Elementary Education BSED | ||||
| Special Education - Mild/Moderate Disabilities Certified MED | ||||
| Special Education - Early Childhood Special Education with Certification MED | ||||
| Dept. of Teaching and Learning | The following programs are both CAEP accredited and state approved: | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) AND Arizona State Board of Education | 2024 Action Report | 2031 |
| Elementary Education BSED | ||||
| Elementary Education - Certification MED | ||||
| The following program is CAEP and NAEYC accredited and state approved: | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) AND Arizona State Board of Education | 2025 Action Report Letter | 2030 | |
| Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education BSED | The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) | Letter | ||
| Department of STEM Education | The following program is both CAEP accredited and state approved: | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) AND Arizona State Board of Education | 2024 Action Report | 2031 |
| Teaching Science with Certification MAT |
College of Engineering (SCE) Accordion Closed
| Unit | Program | Accrediting Agency | Last Review | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering | Construction Management BS | American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) | 2023 Letter | 2028 |
| Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering | Engineering: Civil Engineering BS | Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET | 2020 Letter | 2026 |
| Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering | Engineering: Environmental Engineering BS | Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET | 2020 Letter | 2026 |
| Department of Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering BS | Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET | 2020 Letter | 2026 |
| School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems | Computer Engineering BS | Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET | 2020 Letter | 2026 |
| School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems | Electrical Engineering BS | Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET | 2022 Letter | 2026 |
| School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems | Computer Science BSCS | Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET | 2022 Letter | 2026 |
College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences (CEFNS) Accordion Closed
| Unit | Program | Accrediting Agency | Last Review | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry & Biochemistry | Chemistry & Biochemistry BS | American Chemical Society (ACS) | 2023 Letter | 2028 |
| School of Forestry | Forestry BSF | Society of American Foresters (SAF) | 2024 Letter | 2034 |
| For each of the following: | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) | 2024 Action Report | 2031 | |
| Arizona State Board of Education | ||||
| Department of Biological Sciences | Secondary Education - Biology BSED | |||
| Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry | Secondary Education - Chemistry BSED | |||
| School of Earth and Sustainability | Secondary Education - Earth Science BSED | |||
| School of Earth and Sustainability | Secondary Education - General Science BSED | |||
| Department of Mathematics and Statistics | Secondary Education - Mathematics BSED | |||
| Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science | Secondary Education – Physics BSED |
College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) Accordion Closed
College of Nursing (CON) Accordion Closed
| Unit | Program | Accrediting Agency | Last Review | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Nursing | The following programs are CCNE accredited: | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) | 2018 Proof | 2028 |
| Nursing BSN | ||||
| Nursing - Option for Registered Nurses | ||||
| Nursing – Advanced Practice MS | ||||
| Nursing MS | ||||
| Nursing Practice DNP | ||||
| Post-Master's Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate | ||||
| Post-Graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate |
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Accordion Closed
| Unit | Program | Accrediting Agency | Last Review | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geography, Planning & Recreation | Parks & Recreation BS | National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT) | 2022 Letter | 2028 |
| Politics and International Affairs | Public Administration MPA | Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) | 2022 Letter | 2029 |
| Social Work | Social Work BSW | Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) | 2019 Letter | 2027 |
| Social Work MSW | Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) | 2020 Letter | 2024 |
The W. A. Franke College of Business Accordion Closed
| Unit | Program | Accrediting Agency | Last Review | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | Accountancy BSACCY Business Administration MBA Business Economics BSBA Finance BSBA Information Systems BSBA Marketing BSBA Management BSBA | Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) | 2020 Letter | 2025 |
| Hotel and Restaurant Management | Hotel & Restaurant Management, BS | Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA) | 2018 Letter | 2024 |
Yuma Branch Campus Accordion Closed
| Unit | Program | Accrediting Agency | Last Review | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business & Administration | Bachelor of Administration BBA | Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) | 2024 Letter | 2032 |
| Business & Administration | Applied Business Management BS | Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) | 2024 Letter | 2032 |
| Business & Administration | Logistics and Supply Chain Management BS | Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) | 2024 Letter | 2032 |
| Business & Administration | Global Business Administration MGBA | Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) | 2024 Letter | 2032 |
| Secondary Education | Post-Baccalaureate Secondary Education Certification UCERT | Arizona State Board of Education | 2024 Proof | 2029 |
Academic Program Licensure Rates
College of Education (COE) Accordion Closed
| Academic Program | Year | NAU Pass Rate | State or National Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counseling / School Psychology (EPPP) | 2021-2022 | 100% | 85% (National) |
| Positive Behavioral Support, Graduate Certificate | 2021 | 53% | NA |
| Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MA (NCE) | 2020 | 93% | 63% (National) |
| School Psychology EdS (NCSP Praxis) | 2022 | 100% | NA |
Professional Education Programs: Initial Teacher Preparation Programs Accordion Closed
All NAU students pursuing an initial teacher preparation program at the undergraduate or graduate level are required to take an Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment/National Evaluation Services licensure exam intended to measure candidate professional knowledge and skills aligned to the relevant certificate area. This is an Arizona State Board of Education certification requirement. Several graduate degree programs in school leadership or other school professional programs leading to certification also require candidates to pass licensure exams. These exams provide a summative assessment of candidate knowledge and skills related to the Interstate Teacher Assessment & Support Consortium (InTASC) categories and standards or other professional standards specific to the discipline (i.e., educational leadership, counseling, school psychology).
In November 2017, NAU was nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for the initial teacher preparation and advanced programs leading to licensure in the state of Arizona. NAU’s initial teacher preparation and advanced programs are also nationally recognized by the discipline Specialized Professional Association or external accrediting agency and approved by the Arizona State Board of Education. Examples of licensure exam rates for NAU graduates are noted in the following table. NOTE: Aggregated scores are only reported when there are 10 or more candidates
Overall Teacher Certification Licensure Exams Pass Rate
| Professional Knowledge Exam | Year | NAU Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood | 2020-2021 | 91% |
| Elementary | 2020-2021 | 98% |
| Secondary | 2020-2021 | 99% |
| Special Education | 2020-2021 | 97% |
- Professional Knowledge Early Childhood: BSEd Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education
- Professional Knowledge Elementary Exam: BSEd Elementary Ed, MEd elementary Ed-Certification, BSEd Special and Elementary Education, –
- Professional Knowledge Secondary: BSEd Secondary Education-Biology; BSEd Secondary Education-Chemistry; BSEd Secondary Education-Earth Science; BSEd Secondary Education-General Science; BSEd Secondary Education-Physics; MAT-S Teaching Science with Certification; BSEd Secondary Education-Mathematics; BSEd Art Education; BMEd Music Secondary Education; BSEd Secondary Education-English; BSEd Secondary Education-History and Social Studies; BSEd Secondary Education-Spanish; BSEd Health Sciences-Physical Education.
- Professional Knowledge Special Education: BSEd Special and Elementary Education, MEd Special Education-Mild/Moderate Disabilities with Certification
Professional Education Programs: Advanced Educator Programs Accordion Closed
The Principal and Superintendent programs are the only advanced preparation programs that require completion of a licensure exam for certification.
AEPA/NES principal and superintendent exams pass rates
Note: Scores are only reported when there are 10 or more candidates, thus the Superintendent results are not reported for 2021-2022. Additionally, NAU only has access to results if candidates note that NAU may receive the results when registering for the exam.
For the Principal exams, we do have the 2021-2022 academic year test data. Your percentages are correct.
- Principal Subtest 1 and 2: MEd Educational Leadership – Principal PreK-12; GCert Principal
- Superintendent Subtest 1 and 2: EdD Educational Leadership – Pre-K-12 Administration; GCert Superintendent
Program List
| Exam | Year | NAU Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Sub-test 1 | 2021-2022 | 84% |
| Principal Sub-test 2 | 2021-2022 | 97% |
College of Engineering (SCE) Accordion Closed
| Academic Program | Year | NAU Pass Rate | State or National Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Constructor Construction Management (BS) | 2022 | 70% | 55% (National) |
| Civil Engineering | 2022 | 39% | 55% |
College of the Environmental, Forestry, and Natural Sciences (CEFNS) Accordion Closed
| Academic Program | Year | NAU Pass Rate | State or National Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geology | 2020 | 50% | NA |
College of the Health & Human Services (CHHS) Accordion Closed
| Academic Program | Year | NAU Pass Rate | State or National Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletic Training | 2022 | 94% | 77% (National) |
| Clinical Speech -Language Pathology | 2021-2022 | 88% | 87% (National) |
| Dental Hygiene | 2022 | 97% | 87% (National) |
| Fitness Wellness | 2022 | 70% | 70% (National) |
| Occupational Therapy | 2022 | 100% | 96% |
| Physical Therapy | 2021 | 94% | 99% (National) |
| Physician Assistant | 2022 | First time pass rate (98%) | 95% (First time National pass rate) |
| Registered Dietician | 2021-2022 | 83% | 59% (National) |
College of Nursing (CON) Accordion Closed
| Academic Program | Year | NAU Pass Rate | State or National Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (AANP) | 2021 | MS-FNP 93% Post Masters-FNP 100% | 83% (National) |
| Nursing (NCLEX) | 2020 | First time pass rate (94%) | 80% (National) |
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Accordion Closed
| Academic Program | Year | NAU Pass Rate | State or National Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Work MSW | 2021 | 96% | 73% |
The W. A. Franke College of Business Accordion Closed
| Academic Program | Year | NAU Pass Rate | State or National Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Public Account (CPA) | 2019 | 65.1% | 52.8% |
Note: Due to changes to the CPA exam, NASBA has ceased publishing results until further notice.
For more information on out-of-state professional licensure visit Professional Licensure Information.
Updated: 3/25/2025