The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) is one of six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education. Founded in 1895, the NCA accredits over 10,000 public and private educational institutions in nineteen states: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Generally, accreditation is the process by which a facility becomes officially certified as providing services of a reasonably good quality, so that the public can trust in the quality of its services. ... The United States Department of Education (also known as ED) was created in 1979 (by PL 96-88) as a Cabinet-level department of the United States government, and began operating in 1980. ... The term public school has different (and in some cases contradictory) meanings due to regional differences. ... Private schools, or independent schools, are schools not administered by local or national government, which retain the right to select their student body and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition rather than with public (state) funds. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Little Rock Little Rock Area  Ranked 29th  - Total 53,179 sq mi  (137,732 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 261 miles (420 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Phoenix Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi  (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 104,185 sq mi  269 837 km² 280 miles  451 km 380 miles  612 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 km² 320 km 500 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Springfield Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Indianapolis Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 15th 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² 211 mi; 340 km 400 mi; 645 km 0. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Largest city Lansing Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 102,384 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Saint Paul Minneapolis Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 12th 87,014 sq mi  225,365 km² 250 miles  400 km 400 miles  645 km 8. ... Official language(s) none, English most common Capital Largest city Jefferson City Kansas City Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 21st 69,709 sq mi  180,693 km² 240 miles  385 km 300 miles  480 km 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Bismarck Fargo Area  Ranked 19th  - Total 70,762 sq mi  (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Lincoln Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi  (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Columbus Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,960 sq. ... Official language(s) None; English and Spanish de facto Capital Largest city Santa Fe Albuquerque Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 17th 199,905 km² 340 km 610 km 1. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Madison Milwaukee Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 23rd 169,790 km² 420 km 500 km 17 42°30N to 47°3N 86°49W to 92°54W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 18th 5,453,896 38. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Charleston Charleston Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 41st 62,809 km² 210 km 385 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Cheyenne Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,872 sq mi  (253,554 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ...

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. A college (Latin collegium) can be the name of any group of colleagues; originally it meant a group of people living together under a common set of rules (con-, together + leg-, law). As a consequence members of colleges were originally styled fellow and still are in some places. ... A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ...

See also

• Council on Higher Education Accreditation
• List of recognized accreditation associations of higher learning
• School accreditation
• US Department of Education

Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities, which also recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nationally recognized accrediting agencies. ... Generally, accreditation is the process by which a facility becomes officially certified as providing services of a reasonably good quality, so that the public can trust in the quality of its services. ... The United States Department of Education was created in 1979 (by PL 96-88) as a Cabinet-level department of the United States government, and began operating in 1980. ...

External link

• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools