Accreditation

Institutional accountability requires rigorous examination by those with an intimate and informed understanding of higher education. That is the basic concept of accreditation, which is used both to assess entire institutions as well as individual academic programs.

Accreditation by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education is a condition for participation in federal student aid programs. However, private institutions participated in the accreditation process long before federal student aid programs existed, as part of their commitment to maintaining quality programs for their students.

Accrediting agencies reflect the diversity of American higher education - particularly the diversity of the nation's independent colleges and universities. The most recent edition of the Higher Education Directory lists nearly 100 recognized accrediting agencies.

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has noted that "...unlike other countries, we do not have mandatory national curricula for colleges; we do not have a national ministry of education that regulates academic standards; and students are free to choose what type of education they pursue depending on their ability and educational goals. Because it developed from this diverse set of institutions, accreditation is a flexible and adaptive process."

Campus Examples

The accreditation process has always engaged the entire campus community.  However, a growing number of colleges and universities now are making information on the process and results available to those beyond campus as well.  For examples, visit our page on Institutional Examples:  Accreditation/Self-study Reports. 

Overview of Accreditation

For a concise overview of accreditation, see the CHEA publication The Fundamentals of Accreditation:  What Do You Need to Know? (PDF file).

Also see the Council for Higher Education Accreditation Fact Sheet #1 (PDF file).

Beyond this basic information, the Research and Publications section of the CHEA Web site contains a wealth of more detailed information on various aspects of accreditation.