Select one of the options below:
Colorado State University is regionally accredited, which means the University carries the highest level of accreditation available in the United States.
Colorado State is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges. To ensure academic excellence and fiscal stability, this accreditation requires an institutional review at a minimum of every ten years.
As Colorado State University reaffirms its academic accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, the University has prepared a self-study which is posted, along with other information about the accreditation process, for review online at http://accreditation.colostate.edu/.
All academic degrees and credit courses offered online, at a distance, and off campus through Colorado State University Online are Colorado State University programs taught by Colorado State faculty and thus have the same accreditation.
Accreditation is an external review process to ensure that educational institutions are meeting standards for quality education and services. Accreditation of nearly 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States is carried out in six geographic regions through a process known as regional accreditation.
Accreditation is a self-regulatory, peer review process based on rigorous standards. Regionally accredited institutions have agreed to have their institution and its programs reviewed to determine the quality of education and training being provided. Through the accreditation process, an institution's faculty, coursework, and operations are reviewed on a routine basis to ensure students receive a high quality education.
Attending a regionally accredited institution allows you to apply for federal financial aid and may also impact your employment, your ability to obtain professional licensure, and your ability to transfer academic credits to another institution.
Those who are considering advanced degrees—a master's after a bachelor's, or a Ph.D. after a master's—should pay particular attention to the issue of regional accreditation because most graduate degrees require that the prerequisite B.A./B.S./M.A./M.S. be granted by a regionally accredited institution.
In addition, accreditation is important to employers. Those who offer tuition assistance may only offer the benefit for employees in regionally accredited programs. Employers may also require that degrees used to meet job qualifications were earned from a regionally accredited institution.
In some cases, specific educational programs have obtained specialized accreditation from a specialized agency, association, or professional organizations. This specialized accreditation process is separate from an institution's regional accreditation.