Institutional Accreditation
Institutional accreditation indicates that an institution has undergone a review of its educational offerings and met the standards of quality established by an accrediting agency. These agencies are recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
The seven institutional accrediting agencies currently recognized by the USDE and CHEA are:
- Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
To confirm whether an institution is institutionally accredited, visit the CHEA database of accredited institutions and follow the instructions:
- Enter the name of the institution and click “Search’”.
- Click on the institution’s name in the “Institution” column.
- Confirm the “Institutional Accreditation” agency displayed matches one of the seven agencies listed above. After confirming if the institution is institutionally accredited, you may submit your request for course pre-approval.