The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education is one of eight accrediting commissions in the United States that provide institutional accreditation on a regional basis.
Accreditation is voluntary and applies to the institution as a whole.
The Commission, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, accredits approximately 200 institutions in the six-state New England region. Its accreditation by the New England Association encompasses the entire institution. Over the past year, U.S. Coast Guard Academy has been engaged in a process of self-study, addressing the Commission's Standards for Accreditation. An evaluation team will visit the institution to gather evidence that the self-study is thorough and accurate. As part of the review, the Academy completed a Self-Study of the institution .