US Department of Education Accreditation Requirements

Accreditation plays a vital role in the American higher education system, ensuring quality and integrity across institutions. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) oversees the accreditation process, recognizing accrediting agencies that meet specific standards. This article explores the history, organization, and processes involved in accreditation, with a particular focus on the ED's role and requirements.

Historical Context of Accreditation

Accreditation in the United States emerged in the late 19th century due to the lack of a centralized authority to establish educational standards. At the time, there was no consensus on the content of postsecondary programs or the distinctions between secondary and postsecondary education. Regional associations of postsecondary schools formed, establishing accrediting bodies to develop membership standards.

The United States lacks a single national body to control postsecondary institutions. While states have varying degrees of control over education, postsecondary schools generally operate with considerable independence, leading to wide variations in program quality. Accreditation helps ensure a baseline of quality across these diverse institutions.

Types of Accrediting Agencies

Accrediting agencies are categorized based on their scope of work. The ED distinguishes between institutional and programmatic accreditors, while higher education stakeholders often refer to regional, national, and programmatic accrediting agencies. Institutional accreditors, often referred to as regional and national accreditors, accredit entire institutions, while programmatic accreditors focus on specific programs.

Institutional Accreditors

Institutional accreditation applies to the entire institution, including all its programs, but does not guarantee the quality of individual programs.

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National Accreditors

National accrediting agencies operate across the United States and often accredit vocational and technical schools. They may be faith-based or career-related. Faith-based accreditors review religiously affiliated institutions, while career-related accreditors focus on career-oriented schools.

Programmatic Accreditors

Programmatic accrediting agencies, also known as specialized accrediting agencies, operate nationwide and review programs and single-purpose institutions. Programmatic accreditation demonstrates that a specific department meets established standards for a particular field of study. Employers may require graduation from a program accredited by a specific programmatic accrediting agency, and licensure requirements in some fields may require recognized programmatic accreditation.

The Accreditation Process

The accreditation process is voluntary and must be initiated by educational institutions or programs. Accreditation is not a one-time event; it requires ongoing effort to maintain accredited status. Accrediting agencies are funded by annual dues from accredited schools and programs, as well as fees for accreditation reviews. They may also receive financial assistance from sponsoring organizations.

The accreditation process typically involves several steps:

Self-Study: The institution or program conducts a self-assessment to determine whether the standards of the accrediting agency are being met.
Peer Review and Site Visit: An outside team, composed of faculty, administrators, practitioners, and members of the public, conducts a peer review and site visit. The team analyzes the self-study and assesses whether the institution or program meets the accrediting agency's standards. During the visit, team members interview faculty, students, staff, and administrators.
Accreditation Report: The visiting team prepares a comprehensive report that includes judgments about the institution's or program's strengths, weaknesses, and potential for improvement.
Accreditation Decision: The decision-making body of the accrediting agency (often referred to as a commission) makes a decision on the institution's or program's accreditation status. This may include awarding or denying accreditation, renewing or terminating accreditation, or placing the institution or program on provisional or probationary status.

Accrediting agencies also monitor institutions and programs between full accreditation reviews through annual reporting, interim reviews, or reviews of substantive changes.

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The Federal Role in Accreditation

The federal government relies on accrediting agencies to ensure a level of acceptable quality across eligible educational programs and institutions of higher education. The ED administers a recognition process to ensure that accrediting agencies are reliable authorities on the quality of education offered. Accreditation by an ED-recognized accrediting agency is often required for postsecondary schools and programs to participate in federal programs.

The federal role in accreditation has evolved over time. Federal recognition of accrediting agencies began in 1952 as a mechanism to assess higher education quality and determine which institutions would qualify for federal aid under the GI Bill. The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 further augmented the importance of accrediting agencies by creating new federal student aid programs for postsecondary students.

The Higher Education Amendments of 1992 strengthened the criteria for ED recognition of accrediting agencies to ensure genuine oversight of accredited schools. The 1998 reauthorization saw changes in the scope of the criteria for ED recognition, especially regarding distance education programs. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 included provisions relating to distance education programs, transparency of agency policies, due process requirements for institutions, and transfer-of-credit policies.

The ED does not accredit institutions or programs of higher education. Its primary role is to recognize accrediting agencies as reliable authorities on the quality of education offered at institutions for the purposes of Title IV funding and other federal programs. The Accreditation Group within ED's Office of Postsecondary Education facilitates accreditation matters.

The ED recognizes agencies that accredit all types of institutions and a variety of educational programs, including multi-disciplinary universities and smaller, specialized institutions. The ED publishes lists of recognized accrediting agencies that institutions can use to seek accreditation and that students can use to ensure program quality. As of March 2024, the ED recognizes 37 accrediting agencies for Title IV purposes.

Program Integrity Triad

The HEA sets forth three requirements-known as the program integrity triad-that institutions must meet to participate in the Title IV programs. The three requirements are state authorization, certification by ED, and accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by ED. The program integrity triad is intended to provide a balance in the Title IV eligibility requirements.

MSCHE Accreditation Standards and Requirements

To be eligible for Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accreditation, an institution must demonstrate that it meets the organization's requirements of affiliation. Compliance is expected to be continuous and validated periodically. The institution must be authorized or licensed to operate as a postsecondary educational institution and to award postsecondary degrees. The institution's mission must define its purpose within the context of higher education, the students it serves, and what it intends to accomplish. Ethics and integrity are central hallmarks of effective higher education institutions. An institution must provide students with learning experiences characterized by rigor and coherence at all program, certificate, and degree levels, regardless of instructional modality. Institutions must recruit and admit students whose interests, abilities, experiences, and goals are congruent with their mission and educational offerings. MSCHE requires organized and systematic assessments evaluating the extent of student achievement of institutional and degree/program goals. The institution is governed and administered in a manner that allows it to realize its stated mission and goals in a way that effectively benefits the institution, its students, and the other constituencies it serves.

HLC Accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) can provide an official letter to verify past or current accreditation for any HLC member college or university. During the candidacy stage, a college or university is not accredited. The institution has to demonstrate through its candidacy period that it meets HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. A course completed, or a degree earned, from an accredited institution remains accredited regardless of what happens to the institution at a later date. HLC does not handle or keep any college transcripts. However, a college’s records, including transcripts, are generally kept and maintained after a closure. Each institution determines its own policies and procedures for accepting transfer credits, but HLC expects institutions to have clear policies on transfer of credit. A college or university that is on sanction is still accredited, and in most cases, other colleges and universities will continue to accept the institution’s credits in transfer or for admission to a degree program while it is on a sanction. However, all colleges and universities define their own transfer and admission policies. The Higher Learning Commission does not rank or categorize schools, but evaluates an entire educational institution in terms of its mission and Criteria for Accreditation. Institutions set their own rules regarding faculty qualifications, but HLC does have guidelines regarding faculty-teaching requirements. HLC expects dual-credit courses to offer college-level work.

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