Accrediting Agencies

Certifying that an institution or program has met established standards.

Assisting prospective students in identifying acceptable institutions.

Assisting institutions in determining the acceptability of transfer credits.

Helping to identify institutions and programs for the investment of public and private funds.

Protecting an institution against harmful internal and external pressure.

Creating goals for self-improvement of weaker programs and stimulating a general raising of standards among educational institutions.

There are two basic types of educational accreditation: one identified as "institutional" and one referred to as "specialized" or "programmatic".

"Institutional" accreditation normally applies to an entire institution, indicating that each of an institution's parts is contributing to the achievement of the institution's objectives.

"Specialized" or "programmatic" accreditation normally applies to programs, departments, or schools that are parts of an institution.