American College of Education was formally incorporated in Illinois on February 25, 2005. Following incorporation, it purchased the academic programming
intellectual property of
Barat College. American College of Education immediately applied to the
Higher Learning Commission to continue the accreditation of Barat College under its new name and ownership. The Higher Learning Commission approved this request in March 2006. ACE began offering
Ed.D and Ed.S programs in 2013. In March 2016, American College of Education announced a partnership with the National Institute for STEM Education (NISE) and Accelerate Learning, inventors of STEMScopes, to provide a pathway to
STEM certification and degree programs. Educators who earn the National Certificate for STEM Teaching from NISE are able to transfer their certificate coursework to American College of Education to complete an
M.Ed. in STEM Leadership. In September 2016, American College of Education received its Certified B Corporation distinction from the nonprofit
B Lab, becoming the first and only Certified B Corp and Benefit Corporation in the state of Indiana. American College of Education was recognized for its partnership with nonprofits such as
Kids in Need Foundation and Teachers' Treasures, as well as its donation drives for organizations like
Feeding America and Indianapolis School of Wheels. Following its B Corporation certification, American College of Education was awarded the
2017 Best Places to Work distinction by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce for its dynamic work environment and progressive workplace policies. They received the award again in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, American College of Education also received the
When Work Works Award from the
Society for Human Resource Management for exceptional employee satisfaction. In support of its expanding healthcare offerings, American College of Education announced a transfer agreement with
Ivy Tech Community College in April 2018, allowing Ivy Tech students who earn
associate of science or associate of applied science degrees in the School of Health Sciences to transfer to American College of Education to complete a
Bachelor of Science in
Healthcare Administration. In June 2018, the college formally announced its intention to expand into the nursing field with the RN to MSN program, a pathway program that allows registered nurses to complete both a
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in a three-year span. The first cohort of the nursing program sat during the August 2018 term. In February 2019, a Master of Special Education was added to the college's program offerings. In April 2023, the college partnered with the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), Lexia Aspire, and the National Virtual Teacher Association (NVTA); these partnerships allow ASBO, Aspire, and NVTA members to receive tuition reduction grants that apply toward ACE's master's and doctoral programs. In June 2023, ACE was recertified again as B Corporation through B Lab. In 2025, ACE was listed in
USA Today’s
Top Workplaces ranking for the fourth consecutive year. As of 2025, ACE’s B Impact assessment earned an overall score of 97.0 out of 100. ==Academics==