Recognition of Accrediting Agencies

About

Accreditation is a recognition that an institution and/or program of higher education meets an acceptable level of quality. Accreditation agencies are typically nongovernmental/nonprofit organizations made up of educational professionals that develop criteria and conduct peer evaluations to confer accreditation status to those institutions and programs that are determined to meet the agency’s criteria for quality education.  

The two types of accreditations are institutional and programmatic. An institutional accreditation applies to an entire institution of higher education, whereas a programmatic accreditation usually applies to specific programs or departments within an institution. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has approved two lists of federally recognized accrediting agencies, one for public institutions of higher education and the other for private postsecondary institutions of higher education, which includes both institutional and programmatic accreditors.   

The U.S. Department of Education maintains a database containing information reported to it by federally recognized accrediting agencies.  

Public Institutions of Higher Education

In accordance with state law (Texas Education Code Section 61.003(13)) and board rules (Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Rule 4.192), the THECB recognizes the following seven federally recognized regional accrediting agencies, which serve as the primary institutional accreditors across the United States. In Texas, all institutions of higher education, as defined in Texas Education Code Section 61.003(8), must be accredited by one of the following seven THECB-recognized organizations: 

  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) 
    Website: www.msche.org 
  • New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) 
    Website: www.neche.org 
  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) 
    Website: www.nwccu.org 
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) 
    Website: www.sacscoc.org 
  • WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) 
    Website: www.wscuc.org 

Private Postsecondary Educational Institutions

For degree-granting colleges and universities other than Texas public institutions, the THECB recognizes accrediting agencies that demonstrate a commitment to academic quality and student achievement. Recognition is based on an application and review process to ensure alignment with the THECB’s Standards for Operation of Institutions (Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 7, Rule 7.6). As part of this process, the THECB acknowledges both institutional and specialized accrediting agencies. Institutional accrediting agencies must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 

In Texas, all private postsecondary educational institutions, as defined in Texas Education Code Section 61.302(2) and implemented in Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 7, Rules 7.3(28) and (29), must be accredited by either one of the seven THECB-approved federally recognized institutional accrediting agencies or one of the following eight federally recognized programmatic accrediting agencies organizations: 

  • Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) 
    Website: www.abhes.org 
  • Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM) 
    Website: www.acahm.org 
  • Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) 
    Website: www.accsc.org 
  • Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) 
    Website: www.accet.org 
  • American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) 
    Website: www.abfse.org 
  • Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS) 
    Website: www.aarts.org 
  • Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) 
    Website: www.abhe.org 
  • Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) 
    Website: www.ats.edu 

Contact

Inquiries regarding accreditor recognition should be sent to the division of Academic and Health Affairs.

Email Academic and Health Affairshyperlink to fast program page