About HLC
By Your Side At Every Step
Every higher ed institution has a unique mission, requiring a distinct approach to advancing it. As your accreditation partner, we have a personalized, one-of-a-kind support structure that helps you find the best way to bring your ideas to life. We pay close attention to your institution’s unique needs to help you achieve your goals and improve student outcomes.
Moving With Change
Society is constantly adapting to new circumstances, creating opportunities for careers that shape the future. When emerging areas of study need new educational offerings, you need a partner you can rely on to make it happen in real time. We’re committed to helping you deliver new offerings — at a pace that keeps up with transformation.
Reimagine Higher Ed
New learning modalities and more diverse and inclusive methods for measurement are shaping the way higher ed institutions support student success. As a member, you can attend additional learning opportunities through our conferences and academies to see how you and your colleagues might refine or even revolutionize areas of your institution’s educational offerings.
HLC is an independent agency, founded in 1895. We accredit degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States. HLC is an institutional accreditor, accrediting the institution as a whole.
Mission
Advance the common good through quality assurance of higher education as the leader in equitable, transformative and trusted accreditation in the service of students and member institutions
Vision
HLC will be the champion of quality higher education by working proactively in support of students, institutions and their communities.
Relationship Within the Triad
As an accreditor, HLC is one member of the program integrity Triad, which consists of three areas of oversight for higher education in the United States. The Federal government and the state in which the institution is located are the other two areas. The components of the Triad operate independently to focus on issues within their specific scope.
In order to assure academic quality as part of the Triad, accreditors have requirements for institutions. To be a member, colleges and universities provide evidence that they meet these requirements in alignment with the institution’s mission. The college or university’s mission is central to accreditation and assurance of academic quality.
Should any of the requirements overlap within the Triad, we work with the other Triad members to identify them and limit the burden on the institution where possible.
HLC’s requirements reflect the values of academic quality at HLC as an organization as well as at its member institutions. These values include academic freedom in teaching and learning as well as diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
HLC does not prescribe how a member institution meets HLC’s requirements. If a requirement of another entity of the Triad exists that may appear to limit an institution’s ability to meet HLC’s requirements in a particular manner, HLC would anticipate that the institution would identify other ways to demonstrate it meets HLC’s requirements.
By being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a gatekeeper agency, HLC agrees to fulfill specific federally defined responsibilities within the accreditation processes. Each member of the Triad has a role in transparency to students. For example, the U.S. Department of Education publishes the College Scorecard, which allows students to search and compare colleges: their fields of study, costs, admissions, results and more.
Careers
Students deserve the best. That is why we’re here. HLC is an equal opportunity employer.
Contact
The needs of your institution will change – our personalized, one-of-a-kind support won’t.
Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street,
Suite 7-500,
Chicago, Illinois 60604-1413
History
HLC’s historical records are held by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Archives.
Transition From North Central Association to Higher Learning Commission
The North Central Association was dissolved in 2014. The dissolution of the North Central Association had no effect on the accreditation of any institution. There was no effect on HLC’s federal recognition as a Title IV gatekeeper.
Members should delete references to the North Central Association and replace them with HLC. Any third-party references to accreditation of colleges and universities by the North Central Association are referring to the accreditation of these institutions by HLC. Information regarding the Mark of Accreditation Status is available at Status and Stipulations.