Accreditation in the United States
For more on the latest information on accreditation released by the Department, please click here.

The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Here you will find a lists of accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as reliable authorities concerning the quality of education or training offered by the institutions of higher education or higher education programs they accredit.


Table of Contents

1.  Overview of Accreditation in the United States
2.  History and Context of Accreditation in the United States
3.  National Recognition of Agencies by the U.S. Secretary of Education
 
Database of Accredited Programs and Institutions
4.  Recognized Accrediting Agencies
5.  Institutional Accrediting Agencies
6.  Programmatic Accrediting Agencies
7.  Accrediting Agencies Recognized for their Preaccreditation Categories
8.  Accrediting Agencies Recognized for Title IV Purposes
9.  Accrediting Agencies Recognized for Distance Education and Correspondence Education
10.  Part 602 - Secretary's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies
 
Guidelines for Petitions and Compliance Reports
Subpart A - General
Subpart B - The Criteria for Recognition
Subpart C - The Recognition Process
Subpart D - Department Responsibilities
11.  National Recognition of State Approval Agencies by the U.S. Secretary of Education
 
Criteria for the Recognition of State Agencies for Vocational Education
   •  State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education
Criteria and Procedures for Recognition of State Agencies for Nurse Education
   •  State Agencies and Accrediting Bodies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education



 
Last Modified: 10/12/2021