North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
NCA logo
NCA operating area
Abbreviation	NCA
Formation	1895
Legal status	Association
Purpose/focus	Educational accreditation
Headquarters	Tempe, Arizona Chicago, Illinois
Region served	Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Main organ	Board of Directors
Affiliations	CHEA
Website	www.northcentralassociation.org

The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as North Central, is one of six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Founded in 1895, the NCA accredits over 10,000 public and private educational institutions serving 19 Midwestern, South-Central and a few Western states, including: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The NCA is organized into two distinct Commissions. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) oversees the accreditation of degree-granting colleges and universities. The Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI) accredits a wide variety of educational institutions, ranging from early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary schools to adult-vocational, college preparatory, and non-degree granting post-secondary institutions. In July 2006, NCA CASI merged with the Southern Association of Colleges and School Council on Accreditation and School Improvement to form AdvancED.

NCA's monthly newsletter Exchanges, available online, contains information on accreditation sanctions, changes in policy, and board members.

[edit] See also

• List of recognized accreditation associations of higher learning
• School accreditation

[edit] External links

• NCA CASI
• AdvancED, parent organization of NCA CASI
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Official
• The Higher Learning Commission

v • d • e Regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education Middle States Asssociation of Schools and Colleges · New England Association of Schools and Colleges · North Central Association of Colleges and Schools · Northwest Association of Accredited Schools · Northwest Commissions on Colleges and Universities · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools · Western Association of Schools and Colleges

This article about an education organization is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e