Yes — American College of Education is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the same body that accredits many well-known universities, and HLC reaffirmed ACE's accreditation for a full ten years in 2025. HLC accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA, so ACE degrees are legitimately accredited. What confuses people is separate: ACE is eligible for federal aid but chooses not to participate in Title IV, which is a funding decision, not an accreditation gap.
The HLC accreditation, in plain terms
ACE holds regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, one of the recognized regional accreditors in the United States. HLC recognition by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation is what makes an ACE degree count the way a regionally accredited degree should. The reaffirmation announced in 2025 runs a full ten years, with the next review in the mid-2030s.
Why no federal aid does not mean unaccredited
This is the point people trip on. ACE is eligible for Title IV federal aid but chooses not to participate, which keeps its costs and tuition low. Not taking federal aid is a business decision about funding; it has nothing to do with accreditation. A regionally accredited school can, and in ACE's case does, opt out of federal aid while remaining fully accredited.
Program-level accreditations too
Beyond the regional accreditation, ACE's teacher-preparation programs are accredited by CAEP (the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) and its nursing programs by CCNE (the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education). For education and nursing students, those programmatic accreditations are what licensing bodies and employers look for.
How to verify it yourself
Do not take anyone's word for it, including this page. You can confirm ACE's standing directly on the Higher Learning Commission's site and on ACE's own accreditation page, both linked in the sources below. Verifying an accreditor claim yourself is a good habit for any online school.
Sources and verification
Facts on this page come from official sources; details change, so confirm the current version with ACE:
- ace.edu: American College of Education's official site
- ace.edu/about/accreditation: ACE's official accreditation page
- www.hlcommission.org: the Higher Learning Commission, ACE's regional accreditor
- chea.org: the Council for Higher Education Accreditation listing for ACE