What Is Institutional Accreditation? And Why Is It So Important?

Anne Dennon
By
Updated on September 20, 2023
Edited by
Reviewed by
Our Integrity Network

AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org is committed to delivering content that is objective and actionable. To that end, we have built a network of industry professionals across higher education to review our content and ensure we are providing the most helpful information to our readers.

Drawing on their firsthand industry expertise, our Integrity Network members serve as an additional step in our editing process, helping us confirm our content is accurate and up to date. These contributors:

  • Suggest changes to inaccurate or misleading information.
  • Provide specific, corrective feedback.
  • Identify critical information that writers may have missed.

Integrity Network members typically work full time in their industry profession and review content for AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org as a side project. All Integrity Network members are paid members of the Red Ventures Education Integrity Network.

Explore our full list of Integrity Network members.

Unlike other countries, the U.S. doesn’t have a central office overseeing its higher education system.

This is where accreditation comes in. The practice of accreditation serves to uphold quality standards in higher education. It protects students’ investments of time and money, guarantees that they can transfer credits to other institutions, and ensures their degrees remain valuable.

Legitimate higher education institutions — including prestigious private schools, state universities, and online colleges — hold accreditation from one or more recognized accrediting agencies, such as the New England Commission of Higher Education and the Distance Education Accrediting Commission.

Accreditation is a voluntary process. Colleges submit to rigorous, multi-year peer reviews to prove they meet quality standards and to organize their institutional goals within a continuous improvement framework.

What Does Institutional Accreditation Mean?

There are two types of U.S. college accreditation: institutional and programmatic.

As the name suggests, institutional accreditation applies to an entire institution. The accreditation agency looks at the school as a whole, from governance and finances to program design, learning outcomes, and student support services.

Institutional accreditation gives a stamp of approval to colleges. By attending an accredited school, you can easily transfer credits to other institutions. Graduate programs and employers will also recognize your degree as valid.

Perhaps most importantly, institutional accreditation allows colleges to participate in Title IV federal funding — the student aid money most colleges rely on. Many students rely on this funding to attend college.

Colleges and universities must be accredited by an independent agency recognized by the Department of Education (ED) for students to receive Title IV financial aid, including Pell Grants and federal student loans.

Featured Online Programs

null

Loading...
Loading...Learn More
Visit Site
Loading...
Loading...Learn More
Visit Site
Loading...
Loading...Learn More
Visit Site
Loading...
Loading...Learn More
Visit Site

List of Institutional Accreditation Agencies

The best institutional accreditors are recognized by both ED and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Currently, ED recognizes 18 institutional accreditors, while CHEA recognizes 12.

All Recognized Institutional Accreditors
AccreditorRecognition
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)ED
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)ED
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC)ED, CHEA
Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET)ED
Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS)ED, CHEA
Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation (ABHE)ED, CHEA
Association of Institutions of Jewish Studies (AIJS)ED
Association of Theological Schools Commission on Accrediting (ATS)ED, CHEA
Council on Occupational Education (COE)ED
Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)ED, CHEA
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)ED, CHEA
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)ED, CHEA
National Accrediting Commision of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS)ED
New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)ED, CHEA
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)ED, CHEA
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)ED, CHEA
Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS)ED, CHEA
WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)ED, CHEA

What Is Programmatic Accreditation?

Unlike institutional accreditation, which targets entire schools, programmatic accreditation — also called specialized accreditation — targets individual programs at colleges and universities.

Agencies offering programmatic accreditation either focus on one program, like nursing, or a set of related programs, like those in STEM fields.

Whereas the quality standards upheld by institutional accreditation focus more on the big picture, those set by programmatic accreditation tend to be more specific.

Attending an accredited program is extremely important in certain fields — particularly professional pathways like healthcare, law, and education — and determines whether you can attend graduate school and take state licensing exams.

National vs. Regional Accreditation: What’s the Difference?

Historically, institutional accreditors were divided into regional agencies and national agencies.

Regional accreditation was and still is often considered the gold standard of institutional accreditation. Usually, it’s associated with public and private nonprofit colleges and universities. Both ED and CHEA recognize all seven regional accreditors.

In contrast, national accreditation was and still remains associated with career and vocational schools, religious colleges, and for-profit institutions. CHEA is less likely than ED to recognize national accreditors.

Both regional and national accreditation enable colleges and their students to participate in federal financial aid.

In 2020, ED eliminated the distinction between regional and national accreditors, creating a single set of institutional accreditors.

Because regional accreditors are no longer limited to their historical geographic areas, schools across the country can now apply for accreditation from any institutional accreditor.

Why Institutional Accreditation Matters

College accreditation performs three important functions — and they’re all about validity.

In a nutshell, accreditation validates:

  • A school’s educational merit to attract prospective students
  • A school’s educational merit to receive government funds
  • A school’s educational merit so that credits and degrees can easily move with students on their academic journeys

Colleges that don’t hold accreditation — or those that are in danger of losing accreditation — may be guilty of awarding credits and degrees for little learning. These “diploma mills” are precisely what the accreditation process is designed to weed out.


Next Steps