Higher Learning Commission - Wikipedia Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission HLC operating area Abbreviation HLC Predecessor North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Formation 1895 Purpose Higher education accreditation Headquarters Chicago, Illinois Region served Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Main organ Board of Directors Affiliations CHEA Website hlcommission.org The Higher Learning Commission ( HLC ) is an organization tasked with the regional accreditation responsibilities for post-secondary education institutions in the central United States. The Higher Learning Commission oversees the accreditation of degree - granting colleges and universities in nineteen mostly Midwestern and South - Central states, namely Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The headquarters of the organization is based in Chicago, Illinois. The United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognize the Commission as the assigned regional accrediting organization. HLC grew out of the higher education division of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools ( NCA ). The NCA dissolved in 2014. Contents 1 Criteria for Accreditation 2 Criticism 3 See also 4 References 5 External links Criteria for accreditation The Higher Learning Commission has five major criteria for accreditation. They are : ( 1 ) Mission, ( 2 ) Ethics, ( 3 ) Teaching and Learning : Quality, Resources, and Support, ( 4 ) Teaching and Learning : Evaluation and Improvement, and ( 5 ) Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness. Criticism In 2009, the Office of the Inspector General of the US Department of Education ( OIG - ED ) criticized the Higher Learning Commission 's oversight of for - profit colleges and recommended that the agency consider `` limiting, suspending, or terminating the organization 's status. '' In 2010, the OIG reaffirmed their recommendation that the department consider sanctions for the HLC. It also critically reviewed the accreditation status of American InterContinental University and the Art Institute of Colorado, two for - profit colleges. In 2015, the OIG - ED issued a critical audit on the review process the HLC used while considering colleges ' proposals for competency - based credentials. See also AdvancED ( accrediting agency for primary and secondary schools that evolved from the NCA ). For - profit higher education in the United States Regional accreditation References Jump up ^ `` College Accreditation in the United States : Regional and National Institutional Accrediting Agencies ''. United States Department of Education. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Regional Accrediting Organizations 2009 - 2010 ''. Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Archived from the original on 2009 - 08 - 31. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ `` About the Higher Learning Commission ''. Higher Learning Commission. 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015. Jump up ^ http://download.hlcommission.org/CriteriaRevision_2018_INF.pdf Jump up ^ https://www.chronicle.com/article/Inspector-Generals-Warning-to/63206 Jump up ^ https://www.chronicle.com/article/Inspector-General-Keeps-the/65691 Jump up ^ https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/10/05/us-inspector-general-criticizes-accreditor-over-competency-based-education External links Official website Regional accrediting bodies recognized by the United States Department of Education AdvancED Higher Learning Commission Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Middle States Commission on Higher Education New England Association of Schools and Colleges Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges This article about an education organization is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Higher_Learning_Commission&oldid=864311155 '' Categories : Educational organizations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Chicago Organizations established in 1895 School accreditors University organizations School accreditors in Chicago Education organization stubs Hidden categories : Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia All stub articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 16 October 2018, at 12 : 38 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what type of accreditation is the higher learning commission
Answer: post-secondary education institutions in the central United States