The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions
of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality.
Accreditation in the United States involves non-governmental
entities as well as governmental agencies.
Accrediting agencies, which
are private educational associations of regional or national scope,
develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess
whether or not those criteria are met. Institutions and/or programs
that request an agency's evaluation and that meet an agency's criteria
are then "accredited" by that agency.
The U.S. Department of Education does not accredit educational institutions
and/or programs. However, the Secretary of Education is required
by law to publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies
that the Secretary determines to be reliable authorities as to the
quality of education or training provided by the institutions of
higher education and the higher education programs they accredit.
An agency seeking national recognition by the Secretary must meet
the Secretary's procedures and criteria for the recognition of
accrediting agencies, as published in the Federal Register.
Some of the criteria for recognition, such as the criterion requiring
a link to Federal programs, have no bearing on the quality of an
accrediting agency; however, they do have the effect of making some
agencies ineligible for recognition for reasons other than quality.
The recognition process involves not only filing an application
with the U. S. Department of Education but also review by the National
Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, which
makes a recommendation to the Secretary regarding recognition. The
Secretary, after considering the Committee's recommendation, makes
the final determination regarding recognition.
The U.S. Secretary of Education also recognizes State agencies for the approval of public postsecondary vocational
education and State agencies for the approval of nurse education.
These agencies must meet the Secretary's criteria and procedures
for such recognition and must undergo review by the National Advisory
Committee.
The U. S. Department of Education does not accredit institutions in foreign
countries. However, the Secretary of Education does appoint members
to the National
Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation.
The law gives that Committee the responsibility for reviewing the
standards that foreign countries use to accredit medical schools
to determine whether those standards are comparable to the standards
used to accredit medical schools in the United
States. The comparability decisions
made by the Committee affect whether U.S. students
attending foreign medical schools can receive loans under the Federal
Family Education Loan Program.
Useful Links:
·
Avoiding
Diploma Mills
·
Middle States
Association of Colleges & Schools, Commission on Higher Education
·
New England
Association of Schools and Colleges
·
Northwest
Association of Schools and Colleges
·
Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools
·
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
·
North Central Association, Higher Learning
Commission
About ACCREDITATION
