The College of Nursing is approved by the State Board of Nursing of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Upon completion of the undergraduate program, graduates are eligible to take the licensing examination (NCLEX) for professional registered nurses. This license is transferable within the United States nationally by state. The undergraduate and graduate programs are both fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

The Nurse Anesthetist program is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, a specialized accrediting body recognized by both the USDE and The Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Villanova University is authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Higher Education to grant the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Doctoral programs in nursing do not have specialized accreditation. Doctoral programs exist within regionally accredited universities. Villanova University is accredited by the Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education.

The Continuing Education Program is accredited as a provider of Continuing Education in Nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Commission on Accreditation.

In October 2004, the College of Nursing was designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing (NLN)—one of only three in the country to be so named. The College was granted the designation in its category "Creating environments that enhance student learning and professional development." Center of Excellence is a new national designation from the NLN — the oldest professional nursing organization in the country that has nursing education as its primary concern. The designation is separate from accreditation and identifies schools of exceptional quality. The College is a longstanding member of the NLN.

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