Higher education accreditation in the United States is a

peer review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer revie ...

process by which the validity of degrees and credits awarded by higher education institutions is assured. It is coordinated by accreditation commissions made up of member institutions. It was first undertaken in the late 19th century by cooperating educational institutions, on a regional basis. The federal government began to play a limited role in

higher education accreditation Higher education accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of post-secondary educational institutions or programs are evaluated to determine if applicable standards are met. If standards are met, acc ...

in 1952 with reauthorization of the G.I. Bill for

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

veterans. The original GI Bill legislation had stimulated establishment of new colleges and universities to accommodate the influx of new students; but some of these new institutions were of dubious quality. The 1952 legislation designated the existing peer review process as the basis for measuring institutional quality; GI Bill eligibility was limited to students enrolled at accredited institutions included on a list of federally recognized accredited institutions published by the U.S. Commissioner of Education. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) (a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...

) both recognize reputable accrediting bodies for institutions of

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

and provide guidelines as well as resources and relevant data regarding these accreditors. Neither the U.S. Department of Education nor CHEA accredit individual institutions. With the creation of the U.S. Department of Education and under the terms of the

Higher Education Act of 1965 The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) () was legislation signed into United States law on November 8, 1965, as part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society domestic agenda. Johnson chose Texas State University (then called "Southwest Texa ...

, as amended, the U.S. Secretary of Education is required by law to publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies that the secretary has determined to be reliable authorities on the quality of education or training provided by the institutions of higher education and the higher education programs they accredit. Professional schools, which are often graduate schools, have separate organizations for accreditation.

Institutional accreditation

Institutional accreditation applies to the entire institution, specific programs, and distance education within an institution. U.S. Department of Education
Accreditation in the United States
/ref>

Regional and national accreditation

Prior to 2020, there were regional and national accrediting agencies, both of which were accountable to the Department of Education. Regional bodies historically accredited institutions in a particular region of the country. National bodies were established to accredit institutions across the country, and sometimes beyond it. Within American higher education, regional bodies were considered more prestigious. In February 2020, the Department of Education eliminated the distinction between regional and national accrediting agencies, creating one unified set of institutional accreditors. The department claimed that the change was intended to encourage cooperation between accredited schools to improve student experiences, uphold quality standards, and reduce the cost of higher education by encouraging transparent transfer of credits and mutual recognition of degrees between schools with common standards. It also claimed that the change was intended to allow students to be able to access the best school for their needs no matter what region they reside in. Four months after this change was made, the WASC Senior College and University Commission became the first accreditor to formally change its membership rules and requirements to allow institutions outside its historical geographic region to apply for membership and accreditation. Historically, educational accreditation activities in the United States were overseen by seven regional accrediting agencies established in the late 19th and early 20th century to foster articulation between secondary schools and higher education institutions, particularly evaluation of prospective students by colleges and universities.Fred F. Harcleroad and Judith S. Eaton (2005), "The Hidden Hand: External Constituencies and their Impact," Chapter 9 in Philip G. Altbach, Robert Oliver Berdahl, and Patricia J. Gumport, editors
American higher education in the twenty-first century: social, political, and economic challenges
Page 263. JHU Press. , .
/ref> These seven agencies were membership organizations of educational institutions within their geographic regions. Initially, the main focus of the organizations was to accredit secondary schools and to establish uniform college entrance requirements. Accreditation of colleges and universities followed later, with each of the accrediting agencies splitting into separate organizations with one or more of those organizations focused exclusively on accrediting colleges and universities. The higher education institutions holding regional accreditation were primarily

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

institutions, with significant exceptions, as the largest US for-profit universities (e.g., University of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University) achieved regional accreditation. Regionally accredited schools were usually academically oriented and most were non-profit. Nationally accredited schools, a large number of which are for-profit, typically offered specific vocational, career, or technical programs. Regionally accredited institutions employed large numbers of full-time faculty, and the faculty set the academic policies. Regionally-accredited schools were required to have adequate library facilities. Except for some specific subject areas such as nursing, nationally-accredited schools did not hire many full-time faculty, usually hiring faculty by the course, without benefits and with no influence on the school's academic policies, which were determined by non-academic administrators, and ultimately investors. Their library facilities, if they existed at all, were far inferior to those of regionally-accredited schools. While there were some legitimate and well-intentioned nationally accredited schools, by and large they existed not to educate, but to make money for their investors. They lived on federal student aid and very high tuitions, often leaving graduating students with credentials of little value and large student loans, often without job prospects by which to pay them off. Critics considered national accreditation to be disreputable. Schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, a national accreditor, were occasionally sued for leading prospective students to believe, incorrectly, that they would have no problem transferring their credits to a regionally accredited school.

Recognized institutional accreditors

The U.S. Department of Education recognizes the following organizations as institutional accreditors: *

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

* Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools * Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine * Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing * Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges * Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training *

Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) is a non-profit education corporation that was recognized until 2021 by the United States Department of Education as an independent and autonomous national accrediting body. ...

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...

* American Board of Funeral Service Education *

American Osteopathic Association The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) is the representative member organization for the more than 176,000 osteopathic medical doctors ( D.O.s) and osteopathic medical students in the United States. The AOA is headquartered in Chicago, Illino ...

* American Podiatric Medical Association * Association for Biblical Higher Education *

Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools The Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS) is a faith-based national accreditation association for Rabbinical and Talmudic schools. It is based in New York, NY and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accredita ...

Association of Institutions of Jewish Studies Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

* Association of Theological Schools * Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation *

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

Council on Chiropractic Education A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or na ...

* Council on Occupational Education * Distance Education Accrediting Commission *

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

* Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology * Middle States Commission on Higher Education *

Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional accreditation of public and private schools in the Mid-Atl ...

* International Association for Learner Driven Schools * Midwifery Education Accreditation Council *

Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

* National Association of Schools of Art and Design * National Association of Schools of Dance * National Association of Schools of Music *

National Association of Schools of Theatre National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

* New England Commission of Higher Education * New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of Education * Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities *

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

* Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools *

WASC Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) is an accrediting organization in the United States. It accredits private and public colleges that provide students two-year education programs and confer the associate deg ...

* WASC Senior College and University Commission

Programmatic accreditation

These accreditors typically cover a specific program of professional education or training, but in some cases they cover the whole institution. Best practices are shared and developed through affiliation with the Association of Professional and Specialized Accreditors. Both the US Department of Education and CHEA maintain lists of recognized US programmatic accreditors: * Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) *

Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

(ACAE) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a 501(c)(6) trade association in the United States. With over 112,000 members, the association claims to be the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. It has Dietitian, registered dieti ...

(ACEND) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) *

Accreditation Council on Optometric Education Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

(ACOE) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * American Academy of Forensic Sciences Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (AAFS-FEPAC) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Council for Accreditation (AAFCS-CFA) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * American Board of Funeral Service Education, Committee on Accreditation (ABFSE) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) *

American Council for Construction Education American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

(ACCE) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * American Culinary Federation Education Foundation, Accrediting Commission (ACFEF-AC) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

, Committee on Accreditation (ALA-CoA) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (AOTA-ACOTE) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) *

, Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA-COCA) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (APTA-CAPTE) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * American Podiatric Medical Association, Council on Podiatric Medical Education (APMA-CPME) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) *

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It has ...

, Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education (AVMA-COE) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) *

Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

(AAQEP) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Association for Behavior Analysis International Accreditation Board (ABAI) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation (ABHE) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Accreditation Commission (ACPE Inc) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) *

Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering The Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE) (formerly known as the National Association of Industrial Technology) sets standards for academic program accreditation, personal certification and professional development ...

(ATMAE) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) is the accrediting organization for degree-granting programs in health informatics and health information management. Its Board of Commissions is m ...

(CAHIIM) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (COAMFTE-AAMFT) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of another ...

(CAMPEP) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is a nursing education accrediting agency in the United States. The CCNE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. CCNE accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process, and t ...

(CCNE) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * Commission on Dental Accreditation,

American Dental Association The American Dental Association (ADA) is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 161,000 members. Based in the American Dental Association Building in the Near North Side of Chicago, the ADA is the world's ...

(CODA) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * Commission on Opticianry Accreditation (COA-OP) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

Commission on Sport Management Accreditation Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anothe ...

(COSMA) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

Council for Standards in Human Service Education A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

(CSHSE) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar,

(ABA) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CAA-ASHA) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) *

(COA) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) *

Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

(COAPRT) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

(CCE) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * Council on Social Work Education, Commission on Accreditation (CSWE-COA) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

International Accreditation Council for Business Education The International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), formerly the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, is an educational accreditation agency for college and university business programs founded in 1997. It ...

(IACBE) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

International Fire Service Accreditation Congress - Degree Assembly International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

(IFSAC-DA) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) *

Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

(JRCNMT) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board, American Society of Landscape Architects (LAAB-ASLA) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized although not eligible for Title IV funding) * Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) *

(MACTE) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * National Association of Schools of Art and Design Commission on Accreditation (NASAD) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * National Association of Schools of Dance Commission on Accreditation (NASD) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * National Association of Schools of Music Commission on Accreditation (NASM) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) *

Commission on Accreditation (NAST) (Not CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized) * Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (NASPAA-COPRA) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) *

Planning Accreditation Board The Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) is a non-profit educational accreditation organization based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The PAB's mission is to promote excellence among planning programs and ensure high-quality education for futu ...

(PAB) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) (CHEA-recognized, not USDE-recognized) * Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) (CHEA-recognized, USDE-recognized)

Other recognized accreditors

Several organizations exist that accredit institutions and which are not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or CHEA. These include: * The

State Bar of California The State Bar of California is California's official attorney licensing agency. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, prescribing appropriate disciplin ...

Committee of Bar Examiners

Religious accreditors

Although many schools related to religious organizations hold regional accreditation or secular national accreditation, there are four different agencies that specialize in accreditation of religious schools: *

(AARTS) * Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) * Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) * Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) These groups specialize in accrediting theological and religious schools including seminaries and graduate schools of theology, as well as broader-scope universities that teach from a religious viewpoint and may require students and/or faculty to subscribe to a statement of faith. Additionally, as of 2009, 20 U.S. states and

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

had some form of exemption provision under which religious institutions can grant religious degrees without accreditation or government oversight.

Use of .edu top-level Internet domain

Since 2001, the use of the top-level internet domain,

.edu The domain name .edu is a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet. The domain was implemented in 1985 for the purpose of creating a domain name hierarchy for organizations with a focus on education, even abl ...

has been restricted to accredited institutions, but non-qualifying institutions can still use .edu domain names obtained before the current rules came into force. Academia.edu is a for-profit social networking site for academics.

Criticism of accreditation

Various commenters have written about the role and effectiveness of the American accreditation system. It has drawn particular interest since the rise of

e-learning Educational technology (commonly abbreviated as edutech, or edtech) is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning. When referred to with its abbreviation, edtech, it often refer ...

classes and institutions. A frequent point of discussion and criticism is that the traditional system is limited to measuring "input" factors, such as adequate facilities and properly credentialed faculty, rather than the quality of a school's educational output. In his 1996 book ''Crisis in the Academy'', Christopher J. Lucas criticized the accreditation system as too expensive, onerously complicated, incestuous in its organization, and not properly tied to quality. Similarly, a 2002 report by

George C. Leef George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

and Roxana D. Burris of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) argued that the system does not ensure or protect educational quality, while still imposing significant costs. In a 2006 "issue paper", Robert C. Dickeson wrote that a lack of transparency, low and lax standards, and outdated regionalization were among the problems with regional accreditation. Others, such as Edward M. Elmendorf of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, reject these claims, arguing that they are "picking around the edges" of a proven and necessary system for upholding standards. Thomas C. Reeves notes that some schools unable or unwilling to meet the standards of traditional, regional accrediting bodies are closely involves, have begun much involved in creating national accrediting agencies with significantly lower standards. At various times the U.S. government has investigated changes to the accreditation system. In 2002 the House of Representatives Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness criticized the system. Accreditation was a major topic of the

Spellings Commission The formation of a Commission on the Future of Higher Education, also known as the Spellings Commission, was announced on September 19, 2005, by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. The nineteen-member commission was charged with recomm ...

, which released its report on September 26, 2006. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes that there are criticisms, but has opposed these calls for reform, with President Judith S. Eaton arguing that the system is successful and needs to remain flexible to accommodate differences between schools and disciplines. In 2013, President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

proposed changes in the accreditation system to hold "colleges accountable for cost, value, and quality". He requested Congress change the Higher Education Act so that affordability and value are considered in determining which institutions are accredited and allow students access to federal financial aid; his criticism was directed at for-profit institutions. An article published by "University World News" on 2 February 2018 stated that the higher education accreditation community, which confers the quality-assurance seal of approval that allows United States colleges and universities access to billions of dollars of federal student aid, must do a better job of explaining itself to the public if it wants to reverse waning public confidence in higher education. That was one of the tamer recommendations voiced at a conference for accreditors, who are feeling the brunt of growing scepticism about the value of a US college degree.

Notes

References

External links

Accreditation: Postsecondary Education Institutions – U.S. Department of Education
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higher Education Accreditation In The United States

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Accrediation