Accreditation

* Accreditation content updated as an addendum on 08.28.25.

The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 230 S. LaSalle St., Suite7-500, Chicago, IL 60604, 312/263-0456, www.hlcommission.org. Chicago State University has been accredited continuously since 1941.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division I, 700 W. Washington Street, PO Box 6222, Indianapolis IN 46206-6222, 317/917-6222, www.ncaa.org also sanctions our intercollegiate athletics program.

In addition to Higher Learning Commission accreditation, CSU holds additional independent accreditations from the following associations:

• Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association
• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• American Library Association (ALA)
• Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)
• Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Council of Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc. (Illinois Certification Board, Inc.)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• National Education Leadership Preparation (NELP)

In addition to the accreditations listed above, the Illinois State Board of Education recognizes Chicago State University’s teacher education programs.

The University is a member in good standing of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. It is also affiliated with the American Council on Education.

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) 

Chicago State University is also approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). As such, the University’s distance learning program follows policies and standards that are overseen by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements and administered by four regional higher education compacts. For additional information, please visit http://nc-sara.org. 

Students wishing to file a complaint related to distance education should note the following policies related to NC-SARA 

1. Only those complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations provided by SARA-participating institutions to students in other SARA states come under the coverage of SARA. Complaints about a SARA institution’s in-state operations are to be resolved under the state’s normal provisions, not those of SARA.  

2. Complaints against an institution operating under SARA policies go first through the institution’s own procedures for resolution of grievances. Allegations of criminal offenses or alleged violations of a state’s general-purpose laws may be made directly to the relevant state agencies.  

3. If a student bringing a complaint is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the SARA Portal Entity in the home state of the institution against which the complaint has been lodged. 

Details are available here: SARA-Policy-Manual-25.1-Blackline-07.01.25.pdf