Accreditation
What Is Accreditation?
Accreditation is granted to a college or university by an accrediting agency and assures the public of that college’s quality. Additionally, accreditation ensures that an institution meets minimum expectations. Examples of minimum expectations include publishing information about programs of study, performing an audit from a CPA firm, outlining academic rules and regulations for students–these are just a few among hundreds of minimum expectations.
Why Is Accreditation Important?
Accreditation assures the community, students, staff, and faculty that the institution is meeting standards of excellence.
Who Accredits Us?
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is the accrediting agency for Lake Land College. For more information, please visit hlcommission.org.
When Does Accreditation Occur?
The College received full accreditation in 2015, and Lake Land College was assigned to the Standard Pathway. The College’s most recent accreditation visit by the HLC occurred April 28-29, 2025.
How Is Accreditation Granted?
Accreditation is granted based on the results of a review of the College’s Assurance Argument (a report on how the College meets the Criteria for Accreditation) and a site visit conducted by an HLC-assigned team.
Lake Land College’s Accreditation History
1973: Lake Land College gained full Higher Learning Commission accreditation.
1977: Lake Land College gained reaffirmation of accreditation.
1987: Lake Land College gained reaffirmation of accreditation.
1994: Lake Land College gained reaffirmation of accreditation.
2004: Lake Land College gained reaffirmation of accreditation.
2015: Lake Land College received full accreditation under the Standard Pathway.
2019: Lake Land College gained reaffirmation of accreditation.
Accreditation Criteria
The Criteria for Accreditation are the standards of quality by which HLC determines whether an institution merits accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation. They are as follows: Criterion 1: Mission Criterion 2: Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct Criterion 3: Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support Criterion 4: Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement Criterion 5: Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning To learn more about the Core Components of each Criterion, visit the HLC website
HLC Accreditation Task Force
The task force was created in Fall 2023 to represent areas of the College vital to providing significant content and evidence for the assurance argument and to assist the co-chairs with raising campus awareness and engagement in the months leading up the comprehensive evaluation. The group met regularly throughout AY24-25 in preparation for the visit.
Specialized Program Accreditation
Associate Degree Nurse and Practical Nursing
These programs are approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Rd NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326; Phone: 404-975-5000, Fax: 404-975-5020.
Physical Therapist Assistant
The PTA program at Lake Land College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE, 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org;website:capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/Institution directly, Please call 217-540-3551 or email mmioux@lakelandcollege.edu.
Paramedical Services
The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is the largest programmatic accreditor of the health sciences professions. In collaboration with its Committees on Accreditation, CAAHEP reviews and accredits over 2100 individual education programs in 30 health science occupations. CAAHEP accredited programs are assessed on an ongoing basis to assure that they meet the Standards and Guidelines of each profession.
CAAHEP is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CAAHEP is also member of the Association of Specialized & Professional Accreditors (ASPA).
Basic Nurse Assistant
This program is accredited by the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Education and Training Section (IDPH).
Medical Assistant
The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) awarded accreditation to the Medical Assisting Certificate program on March 19, 2021.
Dental Hygiene
This program is accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation