Lewis state authorization: where online nursing students can enroll
Eighteen jurisdictions are marked Yes for enrollment on Lewis's March 2026 graduate nursing tables: 16 states, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For NP students that is only half the answer, because four of those 18 are marked as not meeting licensure requirements, and the certificate tables disagree with the MSN tables about which four.
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Where Lewis publishes its state tables
The tables sit on Lewis's Accreditation and Licensure page, under Professional Licensure, where the College of Nursing and Health Sciences links 20 graduate nursing PDFs: three under Degree Programs and 17 under Concentrations and Certificates of Advanced Study. Each two-page table is headed Graduate Out-of-State Requirements and NC-SARA Compliance, with columns for Authorized for Enrollment, Meets Licensure Requirements (on licensure-track programs only) and a link to each state's board of nursing. The legend reads "Yes = Approved No = Not Approved".
No table prints a date. The files' own metadata shows they were created on March 27, 2026, so read them as Lewis's current position until the page changes. One labeling slip is worth knowing: the FNP MSN file is linked as covering the M.S.N. Concentration and the C.A.S., but the PDF covers only the MSN. The FNP certificate has its own file, and its licensure values differ.
Lewis describes itself as an institutional member of SARA, and the NC-SARA directory lists it as a participating institution that is not on provisional status.
The 18 jurisdictions, table by table
Enrollment is identical across all 20 tables. The licensure columns appear only on the 12 nurse practitioner tables: four MSN concentrations, four BSN to DNP tracks and four Certificates of Advanced Study. The eight MSN and BSN to DNP tables match one another, and the four certificate tables match one another.
| Jurisdiction | Enrollment | NP licensure: MSN and BSN to DNP | NP licensure: CAS certificates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes | No |
| District of Columbia | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hawaii | Yes | No | Yes |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Indiana | Yes | No | No |
| Kentucky | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Maine | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Massachusetts | Yes | No | No |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mississippi | Yes | No | No |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| New Mexico | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Washington | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Outside the NP tables, the School Nurse MSN and non-degree tables mark licensure Yes for Illinois alone and state that licensure for the program is approved for Illinois only. The DNP, Healthcare Systems Leadership, Nursing Education and MSN/MBA tables carry the enrollment column only, with a note that the program does not lead to a separate state license.
Where the MSN and certificate tables disagree
Three states get different NP licensure answers depending on the route. Among the 18 enrollment jurisdictions, Hawaii is marked No on the MSN and BSN to DNP tables but Yes on the certificate tables, and Connecticut runs the other way. Arizona also flips from No to Yes on the certificate tables, but Arizona is not authorized for enrollment in either case.
Lewis gives no reason for either difference. If you are a Connecticut or Hawaii nurse choosing between the MSN and a post-master's certificate, the table for your exact route is the one that applies, and Lewis's tables send questions to its graduate admissions office. Your state board of nursing is the other half of the answer, and Lewis links each board from its row.
Indiana, Massachusetts and Mississippi read No on every NP table. Lewis's FAQ names one option for any out-of-state student: obtaining licensure in Illinois and completing the practicum in Illinois. Your own state's guide goes into the local detail.
Read the table for your exact program, not a neighboring one. A Connecticut nurse reading the MSN table and a Connecticut nurse reading the certificate table get opposite licensure answers from the same university.
The other 34 states
Every other state is marked No for enrollment in every Lewis graduate nursing program. That includes California, Florida, Texas, New York and Ohio, and two of Illinois's neighbors, Iowa and Missouri. The nearby states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin are all Yes.
The NP tables also contain a pairing Lewis does not explain: in 28 states the MSN and BSN to DNP tables mark the curriculum as meeting licensure requirements while enrollment is No, and the certificate tables show 29. Lewis's own SARA statement says membership lets it offer online programming in other SARA states without seeking separate authorization, yet its nursing tables still say No for 34 states. Lewis has not published why.
The tables have changed over time, too. Lewis's 2021 and 2022 disclosures marked every state except Illinois as not yet determined, and its 2023 graduate viewbook said Lewis accepts students from many states beyond Illinois. The March 2026 tables are the current word.
Enrollment is not a clinical placement
Being able to enroll from a state does not settle where you can complete clinicals. Every NP table carries the same footnote: while you may be able to receive licensure in a given state, "there may be restrictions in completing clinical rotations in a designated state." Lewis's catalog adds that a placement outside Illinois can need extra sign-off from Lewis, from the host state or from Illinois licensing boards.
Lewis publishes no state-by-state list of clinical approvals, fees or contract terms, so each out-of-state placement is worked out with your advisor and the Clinical Placement Office. The practical steps are in clinicals outside Illinois, and the license side is in RN license requirements.
A move mid-program deserves the same care. Lewis does not publish any duty to report a move, but its catalog leaves it to students to keep track of changing outside licensure requirements. Check your new state's row before you move, and raise it with your program.
How we use the table in your search
Before we look for a single preceptor, we read your row for your exact program: enrollment, the licensure column for your route and the clinical footnote. Then we match your RN license to the state where the site will be, and look for a preceptor near home whose practice suits the Lewis course. If you live in Indiana, Massachusetts or Mississippi, or in Hawaii or Connecticut on the route marked No, we talk through the Illinois practicum option in Lewis's FAQ before any search begins, so you decide with the full licensure picture in view.
Illinois students get the depth of our Illinois region guides, and students in the other authorized states get a guide for their state. Either way, you receive a complete set of preceptor and site details for the contract portal, early enough for Lewis's review. Start on the placement request form.
Questions Lewis students ask
Can I enroll in Lewis's online FNP program from Ohio?
Not under Lewis's current tables. Ohio is one of 34 states marked No for enrollment in every Lewis graduate nursing program, including the FNP MSN and certificate. The enrollment Yes list is 16 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you plan to move into one of them, ask graduate admissions how Lewis handles the timing.
Why do Lewis's MSN and certificate tables differ for Connecticut and Hawaii?
Lewis does not say. The eight MSN and BSN to DNP tables mark Connecticut as meeting licensure requirements and Hawaii as not, and the four certificate tables do the opposite. All of the tables date from March 2026 by their metadata. If you live in either state, rely on the table for your exact route and confirm with your state board of nursing.
Does Lewis's DNP meet licensure requirements in my state?
The DNP table has no licensure column. Lewis says the degree carries no separate state license and that graduates may qualify for professional certification from the relevant certifying body. Enrollment follows the same 18 jurisdictions, and your RN license must be valid in your residency state.
Is Lewis's School Nurse program approved outside Illinois?
Enrollment follows the same 18 jurisdictions, but the licensure column is Yes for Illinois alone. Both School Nurse tables, MSN and non-degree, say licensure for the program is approved for Illinois only. That fits the program's Illinois focus: the School Nurse page asks for an Illinois RN license, and the credential comes through the Illinois State Board of Education.
Does Lewis publish state tables for the BSN?
No. Lewis publishes state tables only for its graduate nursing programs. The pre-licensure BSN, traditional and accelerated, and the RN to BSN, which is closed to new applicants, have no table. The BSN prepares students for the NCLEX-RN through a program approved by Illinois IDFPR.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against Lewis's own catalog, program pages and FAQ, its contract portal and Illinois law. Your course, your track coordinator and the Clinical Placement Office have the final word.
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