The North Central Association of Colleges an Schools (NCA), also referred to as North Central, is one of six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Founded in 1895, the NCA accredits over 10,000 public and private educational institutions serving nineteen 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.