United States of America

This information is intended to be read in conjunction with Credit for Prior Learning in the Education of Registered Nurses.

There is great diversity in the United States and  AEI-NOOSR refers users to information from American accreditation bodies.

In the absence of a single consolidated list of American universities, the equivalence of an American education institution to Australian universities may be ascertained by reference to the following three criteria:

•	the university offers education at bachelors, masters and doctoral levels and
•	the university is accredited by one of the following accreditation bodies and
•	the university is located in the USA or an American territory (the American accrediting bodies sometimes accredit institutions in other countries).

The relevant accreditation bodies are:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education 
Accredits education institutions in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
Accredits education institutions in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont .

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission
Accredits education institutions in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Accredits education institutions in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Accredits education institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities
Accredits education institutions in California, Hawaii, the United States territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.



NOTE that many of the institutions accredited by the above bodies do not offer courses at bachelor, master and doctoral levels and would therefore not be considered equivalent to Australian universities.  The level of courses offered needs to be verified as well as the accreditation of the institution.