Colorado Christian University (CCU) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), one of six regional institutional accrediting bodies in the United States. The HLC is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), which means CCU’s degrees carry the same foundational credibility as those from other regionally accredited colleges and universities.
What HLC Accreditation Means for You
Regional accreditation from the HLC is the gold standard for colleges and universities. It tells you three important things. First, the institution has been independently evaluated and meets established academic quality standards. Second, you can use federal financial aid (Pell Grants, federal student loans, work-study) to pay for your education there, since participation in Title IV federal aid programs requires recognized accreditation. Third, your credits and degrees are generally accepted by other regionally accredited institutions if you decide to transfer or pursue graduate school.
That said, transfer policies are always set by the receiving institution. Regional accreditation makes transfers far more likely to go smoothly, but no school is required to accept every credit from another. If transferring is part of your plan, check directly with the school you want to attend.
Programmatic Accreditations at CCU
Beyond the university-wide HLC accreditation, several of CCU’s individual programs hold their own specialized accreditations. These matter because certain careers require a degree from a program accredited by a specific professional body.
- Nursing: CCU’s baccalaureate nursing program and its Doctor of Nursing Practice program are both accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CCNE accreditation is widely expected by employers and licensing boards in the nursing field, so this is a meaningful credential if you’re considering CCU for a nursing degree.
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling: CCU’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling holds accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). That accreditation runs through October 31, 2027, and the program was found to meet all CACREP standards in a satisfactory manner. CACREP accreditation is increasingly important for counseling licensure in many states and can affect your eligibility for certain credentials and reimbursement pathways.
If you’re looking at a specific program at CCU, particularly in education or business, check the university’s accreditation page or contact the department directly to confirm whether that program carries its own specialized accreditation on top of the institutional HLC accreditation.
Why the Type of Accreditation Matters
Not all accreditation is equal. Schools can be accredited by regional accreditors (like the HLC) or by national accreditors. Regional accreditation is generally considered more rigorous and is the type held by most traditional nonprofit universities. Credits from nationally accredited schools often do not transfer to regionally accredited institutions, and some employers and graduate programs view national accreditation less favorably.
CCU holds regional accreditation through the HLC, putting it in the same accreditation category as large state universities and well-known private institutions across the Midwest and Mountain West. For practical purposes, this means your CCU degree will be recognized the same way by employers, graduate schools, and licensing boards that require a degree from an accredited institution.
How to Verify CCU’s Accreditation Yourself
You can confirm CCU’s accreditation status in a few minutes. The HLC maintains a public directory on its website where you can search for any institution and see its current status, the date of its most recent review, and any conditions or sanctions. The U.S. Department of Education also operates a database of accredited postsecondary institutions at ope.ed.gov. Both are free to use and updated regularly.
Checking these sources directly is a good habit any time you’re evaluating a college. It protects you from institutions that claim accreditation they don’t actually hold or that have recently lost their accredited status.