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Regional Accreditation Standards: A New Framework for Comparison

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Regional Accreditation Standards: A New Framework for Comparison
Language: English
Authors: Cameron Childress, Elizabeth Davidson Pisacreta, James Dean Ward, Lisa Yamagishi-Levin, Ithaka S+R
Source: ITHAKA S+R. 2026.
Availability: ITHAKA S+R. Available from: ITHAKA. One Liberty Plaza, 165 Broadway 5th Floor, New York, NY 10006. Tel: 212-500-2355; e-mail: ithakasr@ithaka.org; Web site: https://sr.ithaka.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 40
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Arnold Ventures
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Accreditation (Institutions), Standards, Higher Education, Models
DOI: 10.18665/sr.324687
Abstract: Accreditation is an important aspect of higher education, yet its processes and impacts remain largely opaque to the public. As one of the main federal resources ensuring colleges meet basic standards of quality, accreditors act as gatekeepers, controlling whether an institution's students can access over $120 billion in financial aid through federal grants and loans each year. This research project aims to systematically analyze accreditation standards from each of the major US accreditors as well as offer insights into how these criteria influence student success and post-graduation outcomes. The authors examine the handbooks of 11 accreditors--seven that were previously known as "regional" accreditors (before that distinction was made moot) and four national accreditors. They use these handbooks to identify how accreditation standards have evolved in recent years and assess the extent to which these standards address student outcomes and post-graduation success. The authors find that while most accreditor standards converge around common themes, they differ in how specific and actionable they are, with only a few clearly linking institutional practice to measurable student outcomes.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED681034
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Regional Accreditation Standards: A New Framework for Comparison
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cameron+Childress%22">Cameron Childress</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elizabeth+Davidson+Pisacreta%22">Elizabeth Davidson Pisacreta</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22James+Dean+Ward%22">James Dean Ward</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lisa+Yamagishi-Levin%22">Lisa Yamagishi-Levin</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ithaka+S%2BR%22">Ithaka S+R</searchLink>
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  Data: ITHAKA S+R. Available from: ITHAKA. One Liberty Plaza, 165 Broadway 5th Floor, New York, NY 10006. Tel: 212-500-2355; e-mail: ithakasr@ithaka.org; Web site: https://sr.ithaka.org
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: Accreditation is an important aspect of higher education, yet its processes and impacts remain largely opaque to the public. As one of the main federal resources ensuring colleges meet basic standards of quality, accreditors act as gatekeepers, controlling whether an institution's students can access over $120 billion in financial aid through federal grants and loans each year. This research project aims to systematically analyze accreditation standards from each of the major US accreditors as well as offer insights into how these criteria influence student success and post-graduation outcomes. The authors examine the handbooks of 11 accreditors--seven that were previously known as "regional" accreditors (before that distinction was made moot) and four national accreditors. They use these handbooks to identify how accreditation standards have evolved in recent years and assess the extent to which these standards address student outcomes and post-graduation success. The authors find that while most accreditor standards converge around common themes, they differ in how specific and actionable they are, with only a few clearly linking institutional practice to measurable student outcomes.
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