This investigation finds the system of college accreditation has done more to raise costs than to improve or even maintain educational quality, and that it gives students, parents, and public decision-makers almost no useful information about institutions of higher education. The study recommends changes in policy at the federal, state, and institutional levels.
A recent press release by the U.S. Department of Education has created a bit of confusion, leading many to believe that the Trump administration is seeking to revoke Columbia University’s accreditation. As with most matters related to the byzantine process of accreditation, the truth is more complex and less attention-grabbing.
Accrediting agencies are tasked with providing a level of quality assurance for higher education. With an accreditor’s stamp of approval, colleges unlock access to billions of dollars in Title IV funding—federal loans, grants, and campus-based aid. Unfortunately, accreditors do not consistently deliver on their role and fail to hold institutions accountable for poor student outcomes.
In a campaign video during his most recent run for the presidency, President Trump called the college accreditation system his “secret weapon” in his plan to reshape higher education.
The federal government should no longer require a college to be accredited to award federal financial aid, a national group argues in a new report. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni questions the effectiveness of accrediting groups and calls for Congress to end the requirement when it reviews the government’s main higher education law […]
The federal government’s system for accrediting colleges is a misguided failure that should be largely replaced with a simpler method that relies on key institutional data about cost and quality, a trustees group is arguing. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a conservative-leaning lobbying association led by Anne D. Neal, proposed in a report […]
A House of Representatives education subcommittee met Tuesday to assess the role of accreditation in higher education. Lawmakers largely criticized the country’s 50-year-old accreditation process, claiming that it fails to ensure academic quality, lacks accountability, and drives up college costs for administrators and students. Rep. Howard P. (Buck) McKeon, a California Republican and chairman of […]
Launched in 1995, we are the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives an intellectually rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.
Discover MoreSign up to receive updates on the most pressing issues facing our college campuses.