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What’s the difference between regional vs. national accreditation?

This gets a bit complicated. The U.S. Department of Education says: “The U.S. Department of Education does not have the authority to accredit private or public elementary or secondary schools, and the Department does not recognize accrediting bodies for the accreditation of private or public elementary and secondary schools. However, the U.S. Department of Education does recognize accrediting bodies for the accreditation of institutions of higher (postsecondary) education.”

Translation: The U.S. Department of Education doesn’t accredit schools directly. It does, however, recognize organizations that provide accreditation to individual schools. And it gets even more complicated, because there are lots of different USDE-approved accrediting agencies. Some are regional, while others accredit specific types of schools. Here’s a partial list.

Accreditation bodies with nationwide reach . . .

• Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools – Web address: www.abhes.org
• Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges - Web address: www.accsc.org
• Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training - Web address: www.accet.org
• Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training – Web address: www.acics.org
• Council on Occupational Education –Web address: www.council.org
• Distance Education and Training Council - Web address: www.detc.org

Regional college accrediting bodies (partial list) . . .

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) - Web address: www.msche.org
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) - Web address: www.neasc.org
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, (AZ, MI, MN, MO, NE, NM, ND, OH, OK, SD, WV, WI, WY) - Web address: www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (AL, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA) – Web address: www.nwccu.org
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA) - Web address: www.sacscoc.org

(http://www.straighterline.com/online-education-resources/how-to-make-sure-your-credits-and-your-degree-count)



Regional Accrediting Organizations 2014-2015

The accrediting organizations identified in this directory are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Recognition by CHEA affirms that the standards and processes of the accrediting organization are consistent with the academic quality, improvement and accountability expectations that CHEA has established, including the eligibility standard that the majority of institutions or programs each accredits are degree-granting.

Click here to download the complete Directory of CHEA Recognized Organizations 2014-2015 as a pdf file.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Elizabeth H. Sibolski, President
3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor Annex
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 267-284-5000
Fax: 215-662-5501
E-mail: info@msche.org
Web: www.msche.org
Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, April 2013

CHEA Recognized Scope of Accreditation
Degree-granting institutions which offer one or more postsecondary educational programs, including those offered via distance education, of at least one academic year in length in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other geographical areas in which the Commission conducts accrediting activities, including outside the United States. (2013)

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New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE)
Barbara E. Brittingham, President / Director of the Commission
3 Burlington Woods #100
Burlington, MA 01803
Phone: 781-425-7747
Fax: 781-425-1001
E-mail: CIHE@neasc.org
Web: http://cihe.neasc.org
Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, September 2013

CHEA Recognized Scope of Accreditation
The accreditation of institutions that award the bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees and associate's degree-granting institutions that include in their offerings at least one program in liberal studies or another area of study widely available at the baccalaureate level of regionally accredited colleges and universities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and internationally. (2013)

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North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC)
Barbara Gellman-Danley, President
230 South LaSalle, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1413
Phone: 312-263-0456
Fax: 312-263-7462
E-mail: bgdanley@hlcommission.org
Web: http://www.ncahlc.org/
Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, January 2003

CHEA Recognized Scope of Accreditation
Degree granting institutions incorporated in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming or federally authorized sovereign nations that are authorized (licensed) by the same state or nation to award higher degrees (associate, baccalaureate, master's, first professional and/or doctoral degrees (both research and professional)). (2003)

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Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Commission on Colleges
Belle S. Wheelan, President
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, GA 30033
Phone: 404-679-4500
Fax: 404-679-4528
E-mail: bwheelan@sacscoc.org
Web: www.sacscoc.org
Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, January 2003

CHEA Recognized Scope of Accreditation
Regional accrediting body for degree-granting institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and in Latin America. (2003)

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Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC-WASC)
Barbara A. Beno, President
10 Commercial Boulevard, Suite 204
Novato, CA 94949
Phone: 415-506-0234
Fax: 415-506-0238
E-mail: accjc@accjc.org
Web: www.accjc.org
Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, January 2003

CHEA Recognized Scope of Accreditation
Associate degree-granting institutions in California, Hawaii, the Territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. (2003)

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WASC Senior College and University Commission (WASC-SCUC)
Mary Ellen Petrisko, President
985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100
Alameda, CA 94501
Phone: 510-748-9001 ext. 321
Fax: 510-748-9797
E-mail: wasc@wascsenior.org
Web: www.wascsenior.org
Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, January 2003

CHEA Recognized Scope of Accreditation
Baccalaureate degree or higher institutions in California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Basin; institutions that offer programs outside the U.S. when such institutions are capable of being reviewed effectively by WASC processes. (2014)