Education Accreditation

St. Cloud State University is committed to providing high-quality programs and coursework that prepare you with confidence for clinical experiences, licensure exams, and your future career. This commitment is reinforced through rigorous accreditation and comprehensive review processes from organizations that share our standards for excellence. By maintaining alignment with national and state accreditation requirements, we ensure our programs stay current and relevant—equipping you to become an effective, adaptable educator in today’s evolving educational environment.

National Accreditation

Our teacher preparation programs are in good standing with the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). In line with our values, the AAQEP strives for excellent and efficient teacher preparation that equips educators to serve students equitably. They provide resources and support for the educators of future teachers and assess member institutions for quality and continuous innovation. 

We are awarded full accreditation under the AAQEP standards through June 30, 2030. With accreditation, St. Cloud State will partner with AAQEP to:

  • Continuously assess our programs through professional review 
  • Improve program effectiveness through accreditation feedback  
  • Further develop a network of support to help students grow professionally  
  • Exchange effective teaching methods with other AAQEP partners and likeminded educators 

Read the 2025 AAQEP Annual Report

Minnesota Approval and Review Process

The St. Cloud State Teacher Education Unit and our educator preparation programs are regularly reviewed and approved by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB). Approved teacher preparation programs must demonstrate their course offerings meet the rigorous content knowledge standards and pedagogical best practices required by the state.  

We undergo extensive program reviews in order to demonstrate that we are providing current and relevant coursework, and we are continuously striving to improve education in Minnesota. The St. Cloud State Teacher Education Unit has been granted continuing approval with focus areas until Spring 2028. Our educator preparation programs have similarly been reviewed and approved through June 2024. 

As part of our continuing approval process, PELSB reviews our graduates’ performance on a variety of key assessments, including professional dispositions, student teaching evaluations, and teacher licensure exams. In addition, the Education Unit meets the state requirements for faculty qualifications, unit policies and procedures, and partnerships for field and student teaching experiences. 

Board of School Administrators

The Minnesota Board of School Administrators (BOSA) oversees and ensures the quality of school administrator preparation in the state of Minnesota. We have four educational administration programs approved by BOSA:  

  • Principal K-12 
  • Superintendent 
  • Director of Special Education 
  • Director of Community Education 

Health and Human Sciences Accreditation

Coming soon.