What Is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter?

Resources

Issues

Why Should You Care About Accreditation?

Accreditation matters because it determines whether your degree will be recognized by employers and graduate schools, whether your credits will transfer, and whether your university is eligible for federal financial aid.

But accreditation agencies do more than just verify quality—they also influence curriculum, program approvals, and even hiring practices. Some accreditors have been criticized for slowing down university innovation, enforcing ideological standards, and limiting academic freedom. Additionally, accrediting organizations, though unelected, wield significant power over higher education without substantial public oversight. Understanding how accreditation works can help students and parents make informed decisions when choosing a college.

What Is Accreditation?

Accreditation is the process by which an independent body evaluates a college or university to ensure it meets established standards of academic quality and institutional integrity. Colleges seek accreditation to demonstrate legitimacy and to maintain eligibility for federal student aid and other funding sources.

How It Works

  • Colleges and universities apply for accreditation from regional or national accrediting bodies.
  • Accreditation agencies review academic programs, governance structures, and financial health to ensure compliance with their standards.
  • Accreditation is typically renewed every few years, requiring ongoing oversight and institutional reporting.

How Accreditation Bodies Influence Curriculum

Accreditors don’t just verify that universities meet minimum standards—they shape what students learn by influencing:

  • Curriculum Development: Accrediting bodies set guidelines that can affect course content, general education requirements, and even which perspectives are considered “acceptable” in the classroom.
  • Program Approvals: It can take 18-24 months for a university to gain approval for a new academic center, major, or school due to accreditation review processes. This delay can make universities slow to respond to changing workforce needs.
  • Faculty Hiring and Institutional Policies: Some accrediting agencies push for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that affect faculty hiring and university governance, potentially prioritizing ideological alignment over academic qualifications.

Who Oversees Accreditation?

Accreditation agencies are private organizations that operate with limited government oversight. However, they hold significant power because:

  • They are funded by the very institutions they oversee. Colleges and universities pay accreditation fees, raising concerns about conflicts of interest.
  • They control access to federal financial aid. Institutions without accreditation are ineligible for federal student loans and grants.
  • They enforce academic and ideological standards. Some agencies impose requirements that go beyond academic quality and delve into institutional policies and hiring practices.
  • They operate without direct public accountability. Accrediting agencies wield considerable influence over higher education despite being unelected and operating with minimal public oversight.

Efforts to Reform Accreditation

There have been calls to limit accrediting bodies’ evaluations to fiscal health and institutional transparency, reducing their influence over academic content. This would ensure that accreditation remains a tool for quality assurance rather than a mechanism for ideological enforcement or bureaucratic stagnation.

How Students and Parents Can Use This Information

  • Research an institution’s accreditor. Look into the accreditation agency’s standards and whether it enforces ideological requirements that may shape curriculum and hiring.
  • Ask about delays in new programs. If a university struggles to get approval for new majors or schools, accreditation requirements may be a factor.
  • Check if accreditation standards align with academic freedom. Some accreditors emphasize ideological priorities that could limit intellectual diversity on campus.

Final Thought

Accreditation is meant to ensure quality in higher education, but it also shapes what students learn and how universities operate. Understanding the role of accreditation agencies helps students and parents make informed choices about where to attend school and what to expect from their education

Accrediting Bodies and the States they Oversee

  1. Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) – Western Association of Schools and Colleges
    • Scope: Accredits 2-year associate degree-granting institutions in CA, HI.
    • Website: www.accjc.org
  2. Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
    • Scope: Accredits degree-granting institutions in AZ, AR, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, NM, ND, OH, OK, SD, WV, WI, WY
    • Website: www.hlcommission.org
  3. Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
    • Scope: Accredits degree-granting institutions in DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, PR, USVI.
    • Website: www.msche.org
  4. New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
    • Scope: Accredits institutions in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT.
    • Website: www.neche.org
  5. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
    • Scope: Accredits postsecondary degree-granting institutions in AK, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, as well as institutions in some international locations.
    • Website: www.nwccu.org
  6. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
    • Scope: Accredits degree-granting institutions in AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA
    • Website: www.sacscoc.org
  7. WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

Additional Resources
https://www.nas.org/policy/accreditation-reform