Q. What is accreditation?
  • Higher Learning Commission Accreditation, as well as accreditation by other nationally recognized agencies, provides assurance that a college or university meets established criteria regarding quality, and that there are reasonable grounds for believing the college or university will continue to meet them.
Q. What is the value of accreditation?
  • Accreditation provides both public certification of acceptable institutional quality and an opportunity and incentive for self-improvement in the accredited institution. HLC reaches the conclusion that a college or university meets the Criteria only after a thorough review by trained, peer reviewers external to the college or university. Additionally, the accreditation process provides opportunities for critical self-analysis that leads to quality improvement.

Q. Why doesn’t HLC rank colleges?

  • The Higher Learning Commission does not rank or categorize schools. HLC evaluates an entire educational institution in terms of its mission and our Criteria for Accreditation. Besides assessing formal educational activities, it evaluates such things as governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies.

Q. Does accreditation include distance education courses and programs?

  • Yes. HLC accredits many institutions that offer courses and programs through various methods of distance delivery. Since the Commission accredits institutions rather than individual programs, it does not maintain listings of such programs.

Q. What is the difference between HLC and other accrediting agencies?

  • There are two types of educational accreditation: institutional and specialized. HLC provides institutional accreditation. Specialized accrediting bodies evaluate particular units, schools, or programs within an institution.
Q. Does accreditation guarantee that credits and degrees can be transferred to another college or university?
  • No. The college or university to which the student has applied determines transferability of credits and degrees. Transferability depends on the college or university at which credits or degrees were earned, how well the credits mesh with the curriculum offered by the school to which the student wishes to transfer, and how well the student did in the courses. Many institutions choose to consider the accredited status of the college at which the credit or degree was earned as one factor in the transfer decision. Some have specific agreements with other colleges or universities guaranteeing transfer of credits. Institutions should be prepared to explain their policies on transfer and the factors in an individual transfer decision. Students should be skeptical of any school that makes unqualified assertions that its credits will transfer to all other schools. Anyone planning to transfer credits should, at the earliest opportunity, consult the receiving institution about the transfer—before taking the courses for transfer, if possible.

This information was referenced from the Higher Learning Commission website (https://www.hlcommission.org/General/faqs.html) as of January 16, 2018.