Students researching colleges often focus on cost, flexibility and degree offerings. Accreditation is another important factor because it can influence transfer credit opportunities, graduate school admissions, employer recognition and professional licensure pathways.
Understanding how accreditation works can help students make more informed decisions about their education and future goals.
What Is Accreditation?
Accreditation is a formal review process used to evaluate whether colleges and universities meet established standards for quality and effectiveness.
The Purpose of Accreditation
The primary purpose of accreditation is to help ensure colleges and universities maintain academic quality and meet established standards. Accreditation promotes transparency and accountability by requiring institutions to demonstrate how they:
Support student learning
- Evaluate outcomes
- Manage resources responsibly
- Continuously improve programs and services
For students, accreditation provides independent verification that an institution has undergone an external review and meets recognized quality standards.
The Accreditation Process
Institutions seeking accreditation must demonstrate how they meet an accrediting body’s standards and provide evidence to support those claims. The review process may evaluate areas such as:
- Academic programs
- Student outcomes
- Faculty qualifications
- Governance structures
- Financial stability
- Student support services
An external evaluation team then assesses the materials and determines whether accreditation standards have been met. Accredited institutions must continue to submit reports, participate in reviews and provide evidence of improvement throughout the accreditation cycle.
Peer Review in Accreditation
Peer review is a key part of the accreditation process. During this stage, experienced higher education professionals evaluate an institution against established standards, bringing informed perspective to areas like academic quality, student support and institutional effectiveness.
What Does It Mean to Be an Accredited University?
An accredited university has been reviewed by a recognized accrediting agency and found to meet established standards for higher education quality. They demonstrated how they maintain a focus on student learning and monitor educational outcomes.
Accredited universities are also expected to participate in ongoing evaluation, identifying opportunities for improvement and actively working towards those areas. Because accredited institutions undergo external review, students can have greater confidence that their education is backed by recognized standards.
What Is an Accredited Degree Program?
Higher education uses several types of accreditation, each serving a different purpose. Accreditation can apply to a college or university as a whole, or it can apply to a specific degree program. Knowing the difference is important when evaluating schools, careers and licensure requirements.
Institutional Accreditation vs. Programmatic Accreditation
Institutional accreditation applies to an entire college or university, while programmatic accreditation applies to a specific degree program or discipline.
Why Programmatic Accreditation Matters
In some professions – like education, business, healthcare, nursing, engineering and counseling – programmatic accreditation helps ensure degree programs meet industry expectations and educational standards. It may also be important for licensure, certification, graduate study or other career requirements.
Regional and National Accrediting Agencies
Students may encounter references to national and regional accreditors when researching colleges. Historically, regional accreditors reviewed institutions within specific geographic areas, while national accreditors often focused on schools with specialized missions.
Today, the distinction is less important, as prior regional accreditors can review schools anywhere in the country, not just within a specific region. Students should review an institution’s accreditation status and whether its accreditation supports their educational, professional or licensure goals.
Accreditation vs. State or Licensure Approval
Accreditation, state approval and licensure approval are related concepts, but they serve different purposes.
- Accreditation is an external review process that evaluates educational quality and institutional effectiveness
- State approval refers to whether a college or university is authorized to operate or enroll students within a particular state
- Licensure approval focuses on whether a program meets requirements for professional licensure in a specific field, such as teaching, nursing or counseling
This distinction is a common source of confusion for prospective students. A program may be accredited but not meet licensure requirements in every state. Students pursuing licensed professions should verify both accreditation and any applicable state requirements before enrolling.
How to Know If a University Is Accredited
There are several ways to verify a school’s accreditation status before enrolling.
Reviewing Accreditation Information
Students can often find accreditation information on a school’s website, including its accreditor and accreditation status. They can also ask an Enrollment Counselor whether the institution is accredited, who the accreditor is and whether the school is in good standing.
Using Accreditation Databases
Students can verify accreditation through Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or government databases. These resources can confirm whether a college is accredited by a recognized accrediting organization and whether its accreditation is current.
Understanding Accreditation Status
A school may be accredited while also being subject to warning, probation, show-cause or sanction actions. Students should review this information before enrolling.
Why Accreditation Matters for Students
Accreditation involves extensive documentation, but it’s about more than paperwork. The process helps show whether institutions are focused on student learning, support services, outcomes and continuous improvement.
Access to Federal Student Aid
For many colleges and universities, accreditation is connected to eligibility for federal student aid. In general, higher education institutions must be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be eligible to participate in federal student aid programs. As part of the accreditation process, the accrediting agency evaluates whether an institution meets established standards for academic quality, governance, financial stability, student support and continuous improvement.
It’s worth noting that not all institutions whose accreditation makes them eligible for federal student aid participate in the program. American College of Education (ACE) is a good example. We do not participate in federal student aid programs even though we’re eligible and instead focus on maintaining low tuition rates to help reduce student borrowing.
Transfer Credits and Continuing Education
Accreditation can support the transferability of credits and may play a role in graduate school admissions. However, accreditation alone does not guarantee that credits will transfer, as individual institutions establish their own transfer credit policies.
Employer and Industry Recognition
Accreditation can help employers evaluate academic credentials and provide confidence that a degree was earned from a reputable institution. It may also support professional credibility.
What Accreditation Does Not Guarantee
Accreditation is an important indicator of educational quality, but it does not guarantee that credits will transfer, that graduates will secure a specific job or that a program will satisfy licensure requirements in every state.
Students should consider accreditation alongside other factors – including cost, program fit and career goals – when they are searching for a higher education institution to attend.
ACE Accreditation and Recognition
ACE is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). We also maintain specialized accreditation in key disciplines. Our educator preparation programs below are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP):
- M.A. in Elementary Teaching
- M.A. in Secondary Teaching
- M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
- Certificate in Principal Preparation
- Certificate in Transition to Teaching in Elementary Education
- Certificate in Transition to Teaching in Secondary Education
- Certificate in Transition to Teaching in Special Education
Several of our nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE):
FAQs About Accredited Universities
Can a university lose its accreditation?
Yes. Colleges and universities can lose accreditation if they fail to meet standards related to academic quality, student support, compliance, governance or financial stability. Institutions typically receive warnings, a probationary period, required actions to take or monitoring requirements before accreditation is removed. Losing accreditation can have major consequences for both the institution and its students, including effects on reputation, student confidence, credit transferability and access to federal financial aid.
How often are accredited institutions reviewed?
Review cycles vary by accreditor, but many operate on a 10-year cycle. During the cycle, institutions still have reporting requirements, monitoring and ongoing expectations for improvement.
Does accreditation guarantee job placement after graduation?
No. Accreditation supports educational quality and credibility, but it does not guarantee employment. Career outcomes depend on factors like experience, skills and workforce demand.
Are online universities accredited differently than traditional schools?
No. Online and traditional institutions are evaluated using the same accreditation standards. Accrediting agencies assess academic quality, student support and institutional effectiveness regardless of delivery format.
Why do some programs have separate accreditation from the university?
Some professions have specialized standards that apply to specific degree programs. Programmatic accreditation helps ensure those programs meet expectations related to the field, and in some cases, licensure or certification requirements.
What questions should students ask about accreditation before enrolling?
Students should ask two key questions: Is the institution accredited, and does my program have any specialized accreditation relevant to my career goal? In fields that require licensure, students should also ask whether the program meets state-specific licensure requirements, since licensure approval and accreditation are not the same thing.
American College of Education is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is committed to upholding high institutional and academic standards through data-driven continuous improvement. Learn more about our trusted programs.
