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Accrediting Agencies
The goal of accreditation is to ensure that higher education institutions meet acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies are private educational associations of regional or national scope that develop criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met. Institutions or programs that meet an agency's criteria are thereby "accredited."Types of accreditation
The two basic types of educational accreditation are: 1) institutional, and 2) specialized or programmatic. Institutional accreditation applies to an entire institution, indicating that each of its parts is contributing to the achievement of the institution's objectives, although not necessarily all at the same level of quality. The various commissions of the regional accrediting associations, for example, perform institutional accreditation, as do many national accrediting agencies. Specialized or programmatic accreditation applies to programs, departments, or schools that are parts of an institution. The accredited unit may be as large as a college or school within a university or as small as a curriculum within a discipline. Most of the specialized or programmatic accrediting agencies review units within an institution of higher education that is accredited by one of the regional accrediting commissions. However, certain accrediting agencies also accredit professional schools and other specialized or vocational institutions of higher education that are freestanding in their operations.Regional Accrediting Agencies
Six regional accrediting associations accredit colleges and universities in the United States. The United States Secretary of Education has recognized all six of these agencies as reliable authorities as to ensuring that the institutions that they accredit meet minimum levels of educational quality. As a result, institutions that are accredited by one of these six regional accrediting agencies are generally eligible to participate in federal student aid programs.| Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools | |||
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Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education
(MSACHE) 3624 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267) 284-5000 www.msache.org The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA), established in 1887, is a nonprofit, membership association, dedicated to educational improvement through evaluation and accreditation. MSA members are located in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Panama. The Commission on Higher Education consists of 24 members who are elected by the colleges and universities that are members of the MSA. List of Schools |
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| New England Association of Schools and Colleges | |||
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New England Association of Schools and Colleges
(NEASC) 209 Burlington Road Bedford, MA 01730-1433 (781) 271-0022 www.neasc.org The New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc. (NEASC), founded in 1885, is a regional accrediting association serving the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. NEASC accredits degree-granting colleges, universities and other postsecondary institutions in New England through the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) and the Commission on Technical and Career Institutions (CTCI). List of Schools |
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| North Central Association of Colleges and Schools | |||
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North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
(NCACIEH) 30 North La Salle Suite 2400 Chicago, IL 60602-2504 (800) 621-7440 www.ncacihe.org The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Association was founded in 1895 as a membership organization for educational institutions in 19 states -- Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming -- and Department of Defense Schools and Navajo Nation schools. List of Schools |
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| Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges | |||
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Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
(NWCCU) 8060 165th Avenue Suite 100 Redmond, WA 95805 (425) 558-4224 www.nwccu.org The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is responsible for the accreditation of colleges and universities in the seven northwest states including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. The Commission currently serves 159 accredited institutions throughout the region. List of Schools |
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| Southern Association of Colleges and Schools | |||
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Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS) 1866 Southern Lane Decatur, GA 30033-4097 (800) 248-7701 www.sacscoc.org The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is a private, non-profit, voluntary organization founded in 1895 in Atlanta, Georgia, for the purpose of setting standards and improving education in the colleges and schools of the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. List of Schools |
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| Western Association of Schools and Colleges | |||
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Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Junior Colleges
(ACCJC) 10 Commercial Boulevard Suite 204 Novato, CA 94949 (415) 506-0234 www.accjc.org List of Schools |
Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Senior Colleges & Universities
(WASC) |
985 Atlantic Avenue Suite 100 Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 748-9001 www.wascsenior.org/wasc/ List of Schools | |