Accreditation

What exactly is accreditation, and how does it impact students like you? Consider it the ultimate seal of approval for colleges and universities. Without it, federal student aid isn’t available to you, quality standards aren’t enforced, and – when you work with non-accredited institutions – your credits may not be acceptable for transfer to other universities.

CSU-Global Campus degree programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the regional accrediting body for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, under extended accreditation from the CSU system campuses.

What is regional accreditation?

Knowing the difference between a "regionally accredited" and "nationally accredited" school is very important to students when deciding on what institution they should attend. Depending on your current and future goals, the school's accreditation status can affect your opportunities.

Regional accreditation is highly regarded around the world because it is a comprehensive peer-reviewed process that ensures a standard of quality for higher education institutions. It is rooted in the history of traditional brick-and-mortar colleges and universities.

Regional accreditation education standards require that up to one-third of a degree programs' curriculum includes general education courses in English, math, humanities, art, and social, natural and physical sciences. Colleges and universities that are regionally accredited usually only accept transfer credits or degrees from other regionally accredited institutions.

The Higher Learning Commission is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. Through its Commissions it accredits, and thereby grants membership to educational institutions in the North Central region: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming. HLC is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

The HLC has designed the accreditation process to achieve its mission: Serving the common good by assuring and advancing the quality of higher education.

HLC accreditation is based on a thorough evaluation and fulfillment of specific criteria. The five criteria are: Mission & Integrity; Preparing the Future; Student Learning and Effective Teaching; Acquisition, Discovery and Application of Knowledge; and Engagement and Service.