Accreditation Membership Roster Postsecondary Institutions Candidates for Accreditation Candidacy is a status of affiliation with the Association. It is not accreditation nor does it assure eventual accreditation. It does indicate that the institution has achieved initial recognition and that it is progressing toward accreditation. Normally, an institution, once granted candidacy, is expected to achieve accreditation within six years. Candidate institutions are monitored through biennial on-site evaluations.
Postsecondary institutions achieve candidacy through meeting the criteria of one of two commissions.
The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education limits its activities to those colleges and universities which offer programs leading to the bachelor's or higher degrees or institutions which award only the associate's degree but include in their offerings degree programs in the liberal arts or general studies. The Commission on Technical and Career Institutions limits its activities to those colleges and institutes which offer programs leading to an associate's degree but which do not include programs leading to a degree in liberal arts or general studies and to those postsecondary institutions which offer only certificates or diplomas. In addition, the Commission's institutional constituency includes secondary vocational, technical schools which are listed separately in the Roster. The Date of Affiliation is the year in which the institution was granted candidacy by the Association. Upon request, additional information will be provided, in keeping with the public disclosure policy of each commission, about the status of each candidate institution.