High school students in East Idaho are earning college credit with national recognition. 

The College of Eastern Idaho’s Early College Program has achieved accreditation from the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. The alliance is the nation’s only accrediting organization for programs that let high school students earn college credit.

The accreditation helps ensure the credits reflect traditional college courses for students. CEI partners with local school districts to ensure the program meets nationally recognized standards for the curriculum and student support. 

The program served about 2,800 students in the 2025-26 school year. CEI was one of 10 institutions to receive initial accreditation in that time frame. 

The program has grown about 20% annually over the past three years. The increase comes in part from additional partnerships with local schools and a higher demand for dual enrollment courses. 

CEI completed a comprehensive self-study and peer-review process, meeting all of the NACEP’s national standards. 

The NACEP review team highlighted CEI’s strong instructional support and student advising department. 

“We are proud to recognize programs that invest in this rigorous process and demonstrate their dedication to high standards in concurrent enrollment,” NACEP Director of Accreditation Andrea Roma said in a press release. 

NACEP accreditation is valid for five years.