CHEA Digital Almanac

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="content: http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/ dc: http://purl.org/dc/terms/ foaf: http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/ og: http://ogp.me/ns# rdfs: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema# schema: http://schema.org/ sioc: http://rdfs.org/sioc/ns# sioct: http://rdfs.org/sioc/types# skos: http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core# xsd: http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema# "> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-11396137-1"></script> <script>window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments)};gtag("js", new Date());gtag("set", "developer_id.dMDhkMT", true);gtag("config", "UA-11396137-1", {"groups":"default","anonymize_ip":true,"page_placeholder":"PLACEHOLDER_page_path","allow_ad_personalization_signals":false});</script> <link rel="canonical" href="https://almanac.chea.org/" /> <link rel="shortlink" href="https://almanac.chea.org/" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Drupal 10 (https://www.drupal.org)" /> <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" /> <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <link rel="icon" href="/themes/custom/chea/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" /> <script src="/sites/default/files/google_tag/google_tag_4/google_tag.data_layer.js?st417e" defer></script> <script src="/sites/default/files/google_tag/google_tag_4/google_tag.script.js?st417e" defer></script> <title>CHEA Digital Almanac | CHEA</title> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/align.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/fieldgroup.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/container-inline.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/clearfix.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/details.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/hidden.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/item-list.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/js.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/nowrap.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/position-container.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/reset-appearance.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/resize.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/system-status-counter.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/system-status-report-counters.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/system-status-report-general-info.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/contrib/stable/css/system/components/tablesort.module.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/contrib/paragraphs/css/paragraphs.unpublished.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/custom/chea/dist/styles/app.css?st417e" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/custom/chea/styles/hacks.css?st417e" /> </head> <body> <a href="#main-content" class="visually-hidden focusable"> Skip to main content </a> <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-KGWV59Q" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <header class="main"> <content-block> <a href="/" class="logo"> <img src="/themes/custom/chea/dist/images/logo.png" alt="CHEA - Council for Higher Education Accreditation"> </a> <div class="f-secondary"> <div class="year"></div> <div class="title"> Almanac of External <br> Quality Review </div> </div> <a href="https://www.chea.org" class="bn btn bn-primary btn-primary">Back to Main Site</a> </content-block>  <nav class="main"> <content-block class="for-mob"> <a data-toggle-menu><span>Menu <ic class="arr-down"></ic></span></a> </content-block> <content-block class="modules-items-list"> <a href="/overview-us-accreditation" class="menu-item"> <span> U.S. Accreditation </span> </a> <a href="/accrediting-organizations-types-and-operation" class="menu-item"> <span> Accreditor Types </span> </a> <a href="/recognition-accrediting-organizations" class="menu-item"> <span> Recognition </span> </a> <a href="/review-procedures-and-stages-accreditation" class="menu-item"> <span> Review Procedures </span> </a> <a href="/state-quality-review-higher-education" class="menu-item"> <span> State Quality Review </span> </a> <a href="https://www.chea.org/almanac-quarterly-updates" class="menu-item"> <span> Quarterly Updates </span> </a> </content-block> </nav>  </header> <hero-block > <content-block id="block-homehero" class="block block-block-content block-block-content9a0feead-ecfe-4737-a265-d531471aade1"> <hero-content> <intro-block> <div class="row intro"> <div class="col-4 col-md-6 col-lg-4"><img alt src="/themes/custom/chea/dist/images/quality-review.svg"></div> <div class="col-8 col-md-6 col-lg-8">A comprehensive source of information about participants in external quality review of higher education in the United States.</div> </div> </intro-block> <features-block class="field field--name-field-features field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field--item"> <p>The <em>Almanac</em> lists regional, national faith-related, national career-related and programmatic accreditors that are or have been recognized by CHEA or the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and are currently engaged in accreditation activities.</p> <div class="row"> <div class="col-6 col-lg-3 main-title reset-bg"> <title-block> CHEA <span>Almanac</span> </title-block> </div> <div class="col-6 col-lg-3 scores reset-bg"> <title-block> <b data-count-up="3592">3,592</b> <p>Higher Education<br> Institutions</p> </title-block> </div> <div class="col-6 col-lg-3 scores reset-bg"> <title-block> <b data-count-up="18809">18,809</b> <p>Accredited<br> Programs</p> </title-block> </div> <div class="col-6 col-lg-3 scores reset-bg"> <title-block> <b data-count-up="65">65</b> <p>Accrediting<br> Organizations</p> </title-block> </div> </div> </features-block> </hero-content> </content-block> </hero-block> <main>    <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div> <section id="block-chea-content" class="block block-system block-system-main-block"> <content-block class="padding-top-bottom"> <h1 class="field--item"><p>Overview of U.S. Accreditation</p></h1> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>Learn more about quality review, accreditation, and recognition in U.S. Higher Education.</strong></p></div> <ul class="card-list"> <li class="field--item"> <a class="component-link" href="/overview-us-accreditation"> <content-section> <h4 class="field--item">Quality Review and Accreditation in U.S. Higher Education</h4> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p> </p> <p>The functions of quality review are performed variously by federal and state government agencies, nonprofit nongovernmental organizations and for-profit services. Decisions about quality are based on the review of evidence and on the judgments of informed experts.</p></div> </content-section> </a> </li> <li class="field--item"> <a class="component-link" href="/accrediting-organizations-types-and-operation"> <content-section> <h4 class="field--item">Accrediting Organizations: Types and Operation</h4> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p> </p> <p>Accreditation is carried out by two basic types of organizations: Institutional accreditors – regional, national faith-related and national career-related accrediting organizations that review entire institutions; and Programmatic accreditors – accrediting organizations that review specific programs or subject area offerings.</p></div> </content-section> </a> </li> <li class="field--item"> <a class="component-link" href="/recognition-accrediting-organizations"> <content-section> <h4 class="field--item">Recognition of Accrediting Organizations</h4> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Recognition of accrediting organizations is performed both by a nongovernmental organization, CHEA, and by the federal government, through the USDE. In order to be recognized by either CHEA or USDE, an accrediting organization must meet requirements designed to assure that it is a reliable authority on educational quality.<br>                             </p></div> </content-section> </a> </li> <li class="field--item"> <a class="component-link" href="/state-quality-review-higher-education"> <content-section> <h4 class="field--item">State Quality Review of Higher Education</h4> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p> </p> <p>State-level quality review affects both public and private higher education institutions, but it is particularly important for public institutions because they are dependent on state legislatures for a significant amount of their funding.</p></div> </content-section> </a> </li> </ul> </content-block> <section class="c-beidge-bg"><content-block class="padding-top-bottom"> <h1 class="field--item"><p>Accrediting Organizations</p></h1> <ul class="card-list"> <li class="field--item"> <a class="component-link" href="/national-career-related-accrediting-organizations"> <icon-section> <img src="/themes/custom/chea/src/icon-font/icons/bag.svg" alt="Icon" style="max-width:70px;"> </icon-section> <content-section> <h4 class="field--item">National Career-Related Accreditors</h4> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Accredit mainly for-profit, career-based, single-purpose institutions, both degree and non-degree.</p></div> </content-section> </a> </li> <li class="field--item"> <a class="component-link" href="/national-faith-related-accrediting-organizations"> <icon-section> <img src="/themes/custom/chea/src/icon-font/icons/pray.svg" alt="Icon" style="max-width:70px;"> </icon-section> <content-section> <h4 class="field--item">National Faith-Related Accreditors</h4> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Accredit religiously affiliated and doctrinally based institutions, mainly nonprofit and degree-granting.</p></div> </content-section> </a> </li> <li class="field--item"> <a class="component-link" href="/regional-accrediting-organizations"> <icon-section> <img src="/themes/custom/chea/src/icon-font/icons/usa.svg" alt="Icon" style="max-width:70px;"> </icon-section> <content-section> <h4 class="field--item">Regional Accreditors</h4> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Accredit public and private, mainly nonprofit and degree-granting, two- and four-year institutions.</p></div> </content-section> </a> </li> <li class="field--item"> <a class="component-link" href="/programmatic-accrediting-organizations"> <icon-section> <img src="/themes/custom/chea/src/icon-font/icons/diamond.svg" alt="Icon" style="max-width:70px;"> </icon-section> <content-section> <h4 class="field--item">Programmatic Accreditors</h4> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Accredit specific programs or schools within institutions, although some accredit freestanding institutions dedicated to a particular profession.</p></div> </content-section> </a> </li> <li class="field--item"> <a class="component-link" href="/institutional-accrediting-organizations"> <icon-section> <img src="/themes/custom/chea/src/icon-font/icons/landmark.svg" alt="Icon" style="max-width:70px;"> </icon-section> <content-section> <h4 class="field--item">Institutional Accreditors</h4> <div class="field field--name-field-description field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Accredit public, private nonprofit and private for-profit degree and non-degree-granting institutions. They may focus on a specific method of delivery.</p></div> </content-section> </a> </li> </ul> </content-block></section> <section class="c-beidge-bg"><content-block class="padding-top-bottom"> <div class="field field--name-field-component field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field--item"> <section class="search-block-form block block-search block-search-form-block" data-drupal-selector="search-block-form" id="block-searchform" role="search"> <content-block class="form-search_block_form"> <form action="/search/node" method="get" id="search-block-form" accept-charset="UTF-8" data-drupal-form-fields="edit-keys" class="group c-white-bg"> <div> <input placeholder="Search for anything ..." data-drupal-selector="edit-keys" type="text" id="edit-keys" name="keys" value="" size="15" maxlength="128" class="form-search form-control"> </div> <button class="bn btn btn-primary bn-primary decrease-mom js-form-submit submit-button form-submit" data-drupal-selector="edit-submit" id="edit-submit"> ACCREDITOR SEARCH <ic class="search for-mob"></ic> </button> </form> </content-block> </section> </div> </content-block></section> <content-block class="full-description"> <content-block class="full-description" data-tabs-content> <aside> <tabs-list> <tab-item class=""> Mission Statement </tab-item> <tab-item class=""> Preface </tab-item> <tab-item class=""> Methodology </tab-item> </tabs-list> </aside> <section class="article-text"> <div class="swiper-container swiper-container-fade swiper-container-horizontal"> <div class="swiper-wrapper"> <div class="swiper-slide"> <p>Council for Higher Education Accreditation serves its members, students and society through advocacy for the value and independence of accreditation, recognition of accrediting organizations and commitment to quality in higher education.<br />                      </p> </div> <div class="swiper-slide"> <p>This <em>Almanac</em> provides an overview of the external quality review process in the United States with a particular focus on accreditation – its practice, structure and organizations, and its role in the self-regulation of higher education. By making information about quality review more widely available, the <em>Almanac</em> also seeks to contribute to ongoing discussions among policymakers, members of the public and educators about quality in higher education.</p> <h4>The goals of the <em>Almanac</em> are to:</h4> <ul class="lined-list c-dark-blue"> <li>Provide information about the major participants involved in external quality review, thereby offering readers from within as well as outside the higher education community a single sourcebook on how institutions and programs are reviewed for quality;</li> <li>Promote understanding of external quality review by documenting the range and capacities of existing review procedures and by describing their relative roles in quality assurance and improvement;</li> <li>Encourage information sharing among the various participants in quality review in order to reduce the duplication of reporting efforts and to minimize the administrative and record-keeping requirements for higher education institutions and programs; and</li> <li>Develop a research database on quality review procedures in higher education.</li> </ul> </div> <div class="swiper-slide"> <p>The Council for Higher Education Accreditation surveyed accrediting organizations in the fall of 2018. Accrediting organizations were asked to provide information for the 2016-2017 year. Unless otherwise noted, numbers have been reported by seven regional accrediting organizations, four national faith-related accrediting organizations, seven national career-related accrediting organizations and 70 programmatic accrediting organizations.</p> </div> </div> </div> </section> </content-block> </content-block> </section>  </main>  <org-popup> <content-popup> <ic class="close"></ic> <data-info></data-info> </content-popup> <overflow-cover></overflow-cover> </org-popup> <footer> <content-block> <section id="block-actions" class="block block-block-content block-block-contente20fb35b-b8f1-45a3-a9c2-8dbab34cc812"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><div class="row main-actions"> <div class="col-12 col-md-4"><a class="icon-list-item" href="https://www.chea.org/subscribe-chea-ciqg-newsletters" target="_blank"><img alt="Sign-up for our Email Newsletters" src="/themes/custom/chea/dist/images/envelop.png"><section>Sign-up for our Email Newsletters</section></a> </div> <div class="col-12 col-md-4"><a class="icon-list-item" href="https://www.chea.org/directories" target="_blank"><img alt="Find Accredited Institutions and Programs" src="/themes/custom/chea/dist/images/archive.png"><section>Find Accredited Institutions and Programs</section></a> </div> <div class="col-12 col-md-4"><a class="icon-list-item" href="https://www.chea.org/value-chea" target="_blank"><img alt="Learn More about CHEA and CIQG Membership" src="/themes/custom/chea/dist/images/membership.png"><section>Learn More about CHEA and CIQG Membership</section></a> </div> </div></div> </section> <hr> <content-block id="block-footercontactsblock" class="block block-block-content block-block-contentdee0c508-3975-41dc-a9df-399679e481c0"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><div class="contact-block"> <div><b>© CHEA</b> <span class="contact-item address"><span>Address </span></span> <address>One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 510, <span>Washington, DC 20036</span></address> <span class="contact-item"><span>Tel: </span><a href="tel:+1 202 955 6126">(202) 955-6126</a></span> <span class="contact-item"><span>Fax: </span><a href="fax:+1 202 915 0818">(202) 915-0818</a></span> </div> </div> </div> </content-block> </content-block> </footer>  <script type="application/json" data-drupal-selector="drupal-settings-json">{"path":{"baseUrl":"\/","pathPrefix":"","currentPath":"node\/1","currentPathIsAdmin":false,"isFront":true,"currentLanguage":"en"},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"google_analytics":{"account":"UA-11396137-1","trackOutbound":true,"trackMailto":true,"trackTel":true,"trackDownload":true,"trackDownloadExtensions":"7z|aac|arc|arj|asf|asx|avi|bin|csv|doc(x|m)?|dot(x|m)?|exe|flv|gif|gz|gzip|hqx|jar|jpe?g|js|mp(2|3|4|e?g)|mov(ie)?|msi|msp|pdf|phps|png|ppt(x|m)?|pot(x|m)?|pps(x|m)?|ppam|sld(x|m)?|thmx|qtm?|ra(m|r)?|sea|sit|tar|tgz|torrent|txt|wav|wma|wmv|wpd|xls(x|m|b)?|xlt(x|m)|xlam|xml|z|zip"},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"\/search\/node":true},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"de352333785a7387c94edddbcd5d446f43f336bec09cdfc1c33e1667953bfd62"}}</script> <script src="/core/assets/vendor/jquery/jquery.min.js?v=3.7.1"></script> <script src="/core/assets/vendor/once/once.min.js?v=1.0.1"></script> <script src="/core/misc/drupalSettingsLoader.js?v=10.4.4"></script> <script src="/core/misc/drupal.js?v=10.4.4"></script> <script src="/core/misc/drupal.init.js?v=10.4.4"></script> <script src="/core/misc/debounce.js?v=10.4.4"></script> <script src="/themes/custom/chea/dist/scripts/app.js?st417e"></script> <script src="/modules/contrib/google_analytics/js/google_analytics.js?v=10.4.4"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> _linkedin_partner_id = "1219698"; window._linkedin_data_partner_ids = window._linkedin_data_partner_ids || []; window._linkedin_data_partner_ids.push(_linkedin_partner_id); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function () { var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; var b = document.createElement("script"); b.type = "text/javascript"; b.async = true; b.src = "https://snap.licdn.com/li.lms-analytics/insight.min.js"; s.parentNode.insertBefore(b, s); })(); </script> <noscript> <img alt="" height="1" src="https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=1219698&fmt=gif" style="display:none;" width="1"/> </noscript> </body> </html>

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