What Is Accreditation? Understanding the Types, Agencies, and Process

Think of college accreditation as higher education’s equivalent of a health inspector.

Essentially, accrediting agencies audit colleges and universities across the U.S. to make sure they have the necessary systems and standards in place to provide a comprehensive education. In the same way a health inspector ensures that food is stored at the proper temperature and cooking equipment is cleaned adequately in restaurants, accreditors ensure college instructors are properly credentialed and nursing programs are teaching students the necessary skills to treat patients.

Only accredited colleges and universities can distribute federal financial aid to students, which makes accreditation important for college affordability.

The seal of approval from an accreditor is also valuable to future employers and licensing agencies. A degree from an unaccredited institution likely won’t carry the same sway in the eyes of job recruiters.

College accreditation, while important, is among the most obtuse elements of higher education. We spoke with Dr. Cynthia Jackson Hammond, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), to help answer two central questions: What is accreditation, and what does it mean to be accredited?

A brief overview of college accreditation can help students and families understand what an accredited university is and why accreditation is important.

College accreditation serves three primary purposes:

While accreditation is technically optional, in practice, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a situation where attending an unaccredited institution would be worthwhile. Employers may be less trusting of a degree from an unaccredited school, for example. Without accreditation, there is little assurance that your degree didn’t come from a diploma mill.

“Employers want highly competent employees from accredited institutions,” Jackson Hammond says. “An accredited institution signals academic integrity and quality.”

Additionally, affording a college education without access to federal and state financial aid will be difficult.

There are two primary types of accreditation: institutional and programmatic. Compare the two types below.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) previously separated institutional accreditors into two categories: national accreditors and regional accreditors. However, the department eliminated this distinction in 2020.

Programmatic accreditation is typically more valued among graduate-level programs. Still, some bachelor’s programs may carry programmatic accreditation if the degree is a necessary component to eventually become a licensed professional in a field, as is the case with most nursing programs.

To understand who accredits colleges, it’s helpful to dive into the details of college accreditation agencies.

College accreditors audit schools and programs to ensure they cover a checklist of necessary components to educate students.

Accreditors commonly check for the following things:

Accreditation standards vary among agencies, but these comprise the core checklist across most accreditors.

Many agencies also have standards for student achievement. These usually aren’t strict standards for graduate rates or student earnings after graduation. Instead, agencies provide oversight and can issue warnings if institutions or programs consistently post poor student outcomes.

“The accreditation process supports a ‘continuous improvement’ model,” Jackson Hammond says. “The continuous improvement process means that an institution or program will always seek to be better in their performance and will work to provide innovative and quality experiences for maximum student success.”

In theory, all accreditation agencies should be equal. In practice, that’s not always the case.

The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) was an ED-recognized accreditor that primarily served for-profit colleges and universities. After a deluge of scandals surrounding some institutions ACICS accredited, ED eventually revoked the agency’s recognition.

Robert Shireman, senior fellow at The Century Foundation, recommends that students not only check that their institution or program is accredited but also review the agency’s standards. If that sounds arduous, he says students should at least examine what other schools or programs the agency accredits.

“There are a lot of different programmatic accreditors, some of which have more credibility than others,” he says. “Again, that’s a good reason to look at what accreditation agency the top engineering or business schools use, for example.”

If the agency accredits reputable, well-known institutions, it’s more likely to be trustworthy.

CHEA offers an additional layer of credibility to an agency.

ED is the final authority in whether or not an accrediting agency is recognized by the federal government.

ED largely does not handle the day-to-day oversight of agencies. Instead, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) advises the department on whether or not to recognize a new agency or continue to recognize an existing accreditor.

NACIQI is composed of 18 members, with appointees chosen evenly by the following:

The House of Representatives and Senate split appointments by political party, meaning each chamber sends three Democrats and three Republicans. Committee members come from a wide array of backgrounds, including state agencies, law firms, consulting groups, and university administrations.

CHEA is an organization that advocates for the accreditation system and quality assurance in higher education. It also acts as a stamp of approval for different accrediting agencies willing to undergo further testing and review.

“Accrediting organizations, both national and international, seek CHEA recognition because it signifies that the accreditation organization voluntarily elects to be examined based on rigorous standards of professional accountability and academic purpose,” Jackson Hammond says.

CHEA membership is not required for a college to receive and disburse federal financial aid.

Colleges and universities can operate without accreditation.

However, these institutions won’t receive federal and state funds, nor will they be able to disburse federal financial aid to students. This severely limits students’ options to pay for their education.

Newer institutions and programs can apply for pre-accreditation status. To earn this, accreditors will review the school’s plans to determine whether the college or program is likely to meet the agency’s accreditation standards. Pre-accreditation does not guarantee that the institution or program will eventually be accredited.

Additionally, an institution may choose not to pursue accreditation because its offerings don’t match the traditional standards of U.S. higher education. For example, the school might not require its faculty to hold graduate-level degrees to teach some courses.

Lastly, an institution may not be accredited because it lost its accreditation. This should serve as a red flag for prospective students.

Students should carefully weigh their options if they are considering attending an unaccredited institution.

How does a college become accredited? While the process may differ among agencies, accreditors share common practices:

Schools and programs must first apply to be accredited by an agency.

Essentially, accreditors want to determine whether the school or program meets the basic qualifications to be accredited. Before agencies spend time, energy, and resources conducting audits, they want to ensure that the institution or program is worth auditing.

Once approved for accreditation, a college or program conducts an internal review.

This acts as a first line of analysis. Schools can examine their own strengths and weaknesses, and the accrediting agency gets an overview of the college or program’s structure. Common elements that might be reviewed during this phase include course syllabi, professor qualifications, and student services.

Accrediting agencies send a peer review team to evaluate an institution or program in depth. Typically, this team includes faculty, staff, and administrators from other colleges and universities. Peer reviewers often meet with professors and students to get a better understanding of the school’s operations.

The primary purpose of the site visit is to ensure institutions meet the standards they outline for themselves and the standards outlined by the accreditor.

The accreditor then takes all the information gathered from the self-review and on-site visit to conduct its analysis of an institution or program.

Through its audit, the agency will highlight strengths and opportunities for improvement. It will then send recommendations to the college or program for a response.

The institution looks over the accreditor’s findings to create a response.

Administrators have the chance to address any misunderstandings, provide clarifications, or outline a plan to address shortcomings. The accreditor will take this response into consideration when determining a school or program’s commitment to improvement and willingness to adhere to accreditation standards.

Finally, the accreditor will hand down a final decision.

Institutions and programs aren’t granted accreditation indefinitely. When an accreditor hands down its decision, it tells the school how long it will remain accredited (typically 2-10 years). Eventually, the school will have to submit a readiness review again.

Not all schools and programs pass accreditation. An accreditor may first issue a warning to an institution or program and give administrators a set time to address shortcomings. If the school continues to fail an accreditor’s standards, the agency can revoke accreditation.

Equally important to understanding what college accreditation is, you should also know what college accreditation is not.

Currently, 2025 has the potential to be a defining year for the future of college accreditation in the U.S. President Donald Trump proposed sweeping changes to the system during his campaign for president.

“When I return to the White House, I will fire the radical left accreditors that have allowed our colleges to become dominated by Marxist maniacs and lunatics,” he said in a May 2023 campaign video.

While executing such a vision would be difficult, his declarations could spell incoming changes for the industry.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon also expressed concern about the current accreditation structure. During her confirmation hearing, she said she would “look into” regulations and guidance dictating how institutions can change accreditors.

“There have been a lot of issues raised about these 5-7 accreditors that are the ones deciding these fates today,” McMahon said, “and I think that needs to have a broad overview and review.”