Is Aspen University accredited, and by whom?
Aspen University holds two separate accreditations. The institution is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, a national accreditor recognised by the US Department of Education and CHEA. The nursing programmes are separately accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, which is the accreditation your state board of nursing and your employer care about.
Why there are two
Institutional accreditation covers the university as a whole: its governance, finances and academic standards. Programmatic accreditation covers one specific course of study against the standards of that profession.
For nursing, the programmatic one does the heavy lifting. CCNE accreditation is what makes your degree count for licensure, for advanced practice certification and for most employer requirements. Aspen has it for the BSN, the MSN and the DNP.
National versus regional, in plain terms
Aspen's institutional accreditor is national. The alternative, held by schools such as Capella and Walden, is regional.
Both are legitimate and federally recognised. The practical difference shows up in exactly one direction of travel: moving credit or a degree to another institution. Regional accreditation is universally accepted for that purpose. National accreditation is accepted by many universities and refused by some, at each institution's discretion.
So the honest framing is not better or worse. It is portable or conditionally portable, and whether that matters depends entirely on whether you plan to go anywhere afterwards.
Common questions
Is DEAC accreditation legitimate?
Yes. The DEAC is recognised by the US Department of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. It is national rather than regional accreditation, which affects credit transfer to other institutions rather than the validity of the degree.
Does Aspen's accreditation let me sit for licensure?
For nursing, yes. CCNE programmatic accreditation is what state boards of nursing require, and Aspen's nursing programmes hold it.
Can I do an NP programme elsewhere after an Aspen BSN?
Sometimes. Regionally accredited universities set their own policies on accepting nationally accredited degrees. Ask the specific schools you would apply to, in writing, before you enrol at Aspen.