The following regional and national accrediting agencies
are recognized by the U.S.
Secretary of Education as reliable authorities concerning
the quality of education or training offered by the institutions
of higher education or higher education programs they accredit.
Regional | National
Regional Institutional
Accrediting Agencies
Middle
States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
215-662-5606
New
England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC-CIHE)
Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
781-271-0022
New
England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC-CTCI)
Commission on Technical and Career Institutions
781-271-0022
North
Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC)
The Higher Learning Commission
312-263-0456
Northwest
Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities
(NWA)
Commission
on Colleges and Universities
425-558-4224
Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Commission on Colleges
404-679-4500
Western
Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC-ACCJC)
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior
Colleges
415-506-0234
Western
Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC-ACSCU)
Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges
and Universities
510-748-9001
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National Institutional
and Specialized Accrediting Bodies
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Allied Health
Art and Design
Bible College Education
Business
Chiropractic
Christian Education
Continuing Education
Cosmetology
Dance
Dental and Dental Auxiliary Programs
Dietetics
Distance Education and Training
Funeral Service Education
Health Services Administration
Law
Liberal Education
Marriage and Family Therapy
Massage Therapy
Medicine
Midwifery Education
Montessori Education
Music
Nuclear Medicine Technology
Nurse Anesthesia
Nurse Midwifery
Nurse Practitioners
Nursing
Occupational Education
Occupational Therapy
Opticianry
Optometry
Osteopathic Medicine
Pastoral Education
Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
Podiatry
Psychology
Public Health
Rabbinical and Talmudic Education
Radiologic Technology
Speech-Language Pathology and
Audiology
Teacher Education
Theater
Theology
Veterinary Medicine
Other
Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
Accreditation
Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
(ACAOM)
Accreditation throughout the United States of
first-professional master's degree and professional
master's level certificate and diploma programs
in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, as well
as freestanding institutions and colleges of acupuncture
or Oriental medicine that offer such programs.
Allied Health
Accrediting
Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
Accreditation of private, postsecondary allied
health education institutions and institutions
that offer predominantly allied health programs,
private medical assistant programs, and public
and private medical laboratory technician programs
leading to the Associate of Applied Science and
the Associate of Occupational Science degrees.
Art & Design
National
Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
Commission on Accreditation
Accreditation throughout the United States of
institutions and units within institutions offering
degree-granting and non-degree-granting programs
in art and design and art and design-related disciplines.
Bible College Education
Accrediting
Association of Bible Colleges
Commission on Accreditation
Accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidates for accreditation)
of Bible colleges and institutes in the U.S. offering
undergraduate programs.
Business
Accrediting
Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)
Accreditation of private postsecondary institutions
offering certificates or diplomas and postsecondary
institutions offering associate's, bachelor's,
or master's degrees in programs that are designed
to train and educate persons for careers or professions
where business applications or doctrines, supervisory
or management techniques, professional or paraprofessional
applications, and other business-related applications
support or constitute the career.
Chiropractic
The
Council on Chiropractic Education
Commission on Accreditation
Accreditation of programs leading to the Doctor
of Chiropractic degree and single-purpose institutions
offering the Doctor of Chiropractic program.
Christian Education
Transnational
Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
(TRACS)
Accreditation Commission
Accreditation and pre-accreditation of postsecondary institutions
that offer certificates, diplomas, and associate, baccalaureate,
and graduate degrees, including institutions that offer distance
education.
Continuing Education
Accrediting
Council for Continuing Education and Training
(ACCET)
Accreditation of institutions of higher education
throughout the United States that offer non-collegiate
continuing education programs and those that offer
occupational associate degree programs and those
that offer such programs via distance education.
Cosmetology
National
Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and
Sciences (NACCAS)
Accreditation of postsecondary schools and departments
of cosmetology arts and sciences and massage therapy.
Dance
National
Association of Schools of Dance
Commission on Accreditation
Accreditation throughout the United States of institutions,
and units within institutions offering, degree-granting
and non-degree-granting programs in dance and dance-related
disciplines.
Dental & Dental Auxiliary Programs
American
Dental Association (ADA)
Commission on Dental Accreditation
Accreditation of predoctoral dental education programs (leading
to the DDS or DMD degree); advanced dental education programs
and allied dental education programs that are fully operational
or have attained "accreditation eligible" status, and for its
accreditation of programs offered via distance education.
Dietetics
American
Dietetic Association (ADA)
Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
Accreditation within the United States of Didactic and Coordinated
Programs in Dietetics at both the undergraduate and graduate level,
post baccalaureate Dietetic Internships, and Dietetic Technician
Programs at the associate degree level and for its accreditation
of such programs offered via distance education.
Distance Education & Training
Distance
Education and Training Council (DETC)
Accrediting Commission
Accreditation of postsecondary institutions in
the US offering programs primarily by the distance
education method up through the first professional
degree level.
Funeral Service Education
American
Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE)
Committee on Accreditation
Accreditation of institutions and programs within
the US awarding diplomas, associate degrees and
bachelor's degrees in funeral service or mortuary
science.
Health Services Administration
Accrediting
Commission on Education for Health Services Administration
(ACEHSA)
Accreditation throughout the US of graduate programs
in health services administration.
Law
American
Bar Association (ABA)
Council of the Section of Legal Education and
Admissions to the Bar
Accreditation throughout the United States of programs
in legal education that lead to the first professional
degree in law, as well as freestanding law schools
offering such programs.
Liberal Education
American
Academy for Liberal Education (AALE)
Accreditation and pre-accreditation of institutions of higher
education and programs within institutions of higher education
throughout the United States that offer liberal arts degree(s)
at the baccalaureate level or a documented equivalency.
Marriage & Family Therapy
American
Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and
Family Therapy Education
Accreditation and pre-accreditation throughout the United States
of clinical training programs in marriage and family therapy at
the master's, doctoral, and postgraduate levels.
Massage Therapy
Commission
on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA)
Accreditation of institutions in the United States,
that award postsecondary certificates or diplomas
in the practice of massage therapy and bodywork.
Medicine
Liaison
Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
Accreditation of medical education programs within the United
States leading to the MD degree.
Midwifery Education
Midwifery
Education Accreditation Council (MEAC)
Accreditation throughout the United States of direct-entry
midwifery educational institutions and programs
conferring degrees and certificates, including
the accreditation of such programs offered via
distance education.
Montessori Teacher Education
Montessori
Accreditation Council for Teacher Education
Commission on Accreditation
Accreditation of Montessori teacher education institutions
and programs throughout the United States evaluated
by the following review committees: the American
Montessori Society Review Committee and the Independent
Review Committee only.
Music
National
Association of Schools of Music
Commission on Accreditation
Accreditation throughout the United States of institutions,
and units within institutions, offering degree-granting
and non-degree granting programs in music and
music-related disciplines, including community/junior
colleges and independent degree-granting and non-degree-granting
institutions.
Nuclear Medicine Technology
Joint
Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear
Medicine Technology (JRCNMT)
Accreditation of higher education programs for
the nuclear medicine technologist.
Nurse Anesthesia
Council
on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational
Programs (AANA)
Accreditation of institutions and programs of nurse
anesthesia within the United States at the post-master's
certificate, master's, or doctoral degree levels.
Nurse-Midwifery
American
College of Nurse-Midwives
Division of Accreditation
Accreditation and pre-accreditation of basic certificate and
basic graduate nurse-midwifery education programs for registered
nurses, the pre-accreditation and accreditation of pre-certification
nurse-midwifery education programs and the accreditation and pre-accreditation
of direct-entry midwifery programs for the non-nurse.
Nurse Practitioners
National
Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's
Health
Council on Accreditation
Accreditation of women's health nurse practitioner
programs located within the United States and
its territories.
Nursing
Commission
on Collegiate Nursing Education
Accreditation of nursing education programs in
the United States, at the baccalaureate and graduate
degree levels.
National
League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
Accreditation in the United States of programs
in practical nursing, and diploma, associate,
baccalaureate and higher degree nurse education
programs.
Occupational Education
Accrediting
Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
(ACCSCT)
Accreditation of private, postsecondary, non-degree-granting
institutions and degree-granting institutions,
including those granting associate and baccalaureate
degrees, that are predominantly organized to educate
students for occupational, trade and technical
careers, and including institutions that offer
programs via distance education.
Council
on Occupational Education
Accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Candidacy status") throughout
the United States of non-degree granting postsecondary occupational/vocational
institutions and those postsecondary occupational/vocational education
institutions that have state authorization to grant the applied
associate degree in specific vocational/occupational fields.
Occupational Therapy
American
Occupational Therapy Association
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy
Education
Accreditation of entry-level professional occupational
therapy educational programs offering the Baccalaureate
Degree, Post-baccalaureate Certificate, Professional
Master's Degree, Combined Baccalaureate/ Master's
degree, and Doctoral Degree for the accreditation
of occupational therapy assistant programs offering
the Associate Degree or a Certificate; and for
its accreditation of these programs offered via
distance education.
Opticianry
Commission
on Opticianry Accreditation
Accreditation of two-year programs for the ophthalmic
dispenser and one-year programs for the ophthalmic
laboratory technician.
Optometry
American
Optometric Association
Accreditation Council on Optometric Education
Accreditation in the United States of professional optometric
degree programs, optometric technician (associate degree) programs,
and optometric residency programs and for the pre-accreditation
categories of Preliminary Approval and Reasonable Assurance for
professional optometric degree programs and Candidacy Pending
for optometric residency programs in Veterans' Administration
facilities.
Oriental Medicine
(See listing under Acupuncture
& Oriental Medicine)
Osteopathic Medicine
American
Osteopathic Association
Bureau of Professional Education
Accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Provisional
Accreditation") throughout the United States of
freestanding, public and private non-profit institutions
of osteopathic medicine and programs leading to
the degree of Doctor of Osteopathy or Doctor of
Osteopathic Medicine.
Pastoral Education
Association
for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc.
Accreditation Commission
Accreditation of both clinical pastoral education
(CPE) centers and CPE and Supervisory CPE programs
located within the United States and territories.
Pharmacy
American
Council on Pharmaceutical Education
Accreditation and pre-accreditation of professional
degree programs in pharmacy leading to the degrees
of Baccalaureate in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy.
Physical Therapy
American
Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy
Education
Accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Candidate
for Accreditation") in the United States of physical
therapist education programs leading to the first
professional degree at the master's or doctoral
level and physical therapist assistant education
programs at the associate degree level and for
its accreditation of such programs offered via
distance education.
Podiatry
American
Podiatric Medical Association (APMA)
Council on Podiatric Medical Education
Accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Candidate
Status") throughout the United States of freestanding
colleges of podiatric medicine and programs of
podiatric medicine, including first professional
programs leading to the degree of Doctor of Podiatric
Medicine.
Psychology
American
Psychological Association (APA)
Committee on Accreditation
Accreditation of doctoral programs in clinical,
counseling, school and combined professional-scientific
psychology; predoctoral internship programs in
professional psychology; and postdoctoral residency
programs in professional psychology.
Public Health
Council
on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
Accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Preaccreditation
status") within the United States of graduate
schools of public health, graduate programs in
community health education outside schools of
public health, and graduate programs in community
health/preventive medicine outside schools of
public health.
Rabbinical & Talmudic Education
Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic
Schools
Accreditation Commission
212-363-1991
Accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Correspondent"
and "Candidate") within the United States of advanced
rabbinical and Talmudic schools.
Radiologic Technology
Joint
Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
Accreditation of educational programs for radiographers
and radiation therapists.
Speech-Language Pathology &
Audiology
American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology
and Speech-Language Pathology
Accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Accreditation
Candidate") throughout the United States of entry-level
graduate education programs at the master's or
doctoral-level leading to the first professional
or academic degree in audiology and/or speech-language
pathology and the accreditation of these programs
offered via distance education.
Teacher Education
National
Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
Accreditation throughout the United States of professional
education units providing baccalaureate and graduate
degree programs for the preparation of teachers
and other professional personnel for elementary
and secondary schools.
Theater
National
Association of Schools of Theatre
Commission on Accreditation
Accreditation throughout the United States of
institutions, and units within institutions, offering
degree-granting and non-degree-granting programs
in theatre and theatre-related disciplines.
Theology
Association
of Theological Schools in the United States and
Canada
Commission on Accrediting
Accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Candidate for Accredited
Status") of freestanding schools, as well as schools affiliated
with larger institutions, that offer graduate professional education
for ministry and graduate study of theology in the United States.
Veterinary Medicine
American Veterinary
Medical Association
Council on Education
Accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Reasonable Assurance") in
the United States of programs leading to professional degrees
(DVM or DMV) in veterinary medicine.
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