About Us
Accreditation
Accreditation
Accreditation is an independent evaluation of educational quality and rigor. Learn more about the value of University of Phoenix accreditation and how it benefits our students.
Accreditation is an independent evaluation of educational quality and rigor. Learn more about the value of University of Phoenix accreditation and how it benefits our students.
Accredited for 45+ years
Since 1978, University of Phoenix has maintained institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit degree-granting colleges and universities.
In 2022-2023, our accreditation was continued for a 10-year period, and our next comprehensive evaluation for reaffirmation of our accreditation is scheduled for 2032-2033.
Institutional accreditation
University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org since 1978.
University of Phoenix Accreditation by Higher Learning Commission
Highlights from Higher Learning Commission Criteria for Accreditation
Mission
The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.
Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.
Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support
The institution provides quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered.
Sourced from hlcommission.org
What is accreditation?
Accreditation is a process of external quality review to evaluate an institution against its own mission and the accreditor's Criteria for Accreditation and confirm that it accomplishes what it claims.
Institutional accreditation evaluates and accredits an institution, such as a university or college, as a whole. It evaluates various aspects, including the institution’s mission, educational programs, faculty qualifications, student support services and overall organizational effectiveness.
Programmatic accreditation focuses on specific academic programs within an institution. It assesses whether these programs meet established standards for curriculum, faculty qualifications, student learning outcomes, resources and other criteria specific to the field of study. Programmatic accreditation is common in professional or specialized fields such as business, nursing and counseling. Learn more about programmatic accreditation.
Why is accreditation valuable?
Accreditation holds several key benefits for students:
Accreditation verifies that an institution or program meets recognized standards of quality, ensuring that you receive a high-caliber education.
Accreditation serves as an important factor in credit transfer by establishing a common benchmark for educational quality and standards. Institutions accredited by recognized agencies are generally considered more reliable in terms of the quality of their courses and degrees, which can facilitate smoother credit transfer processes between institutions. Ultimately, it’s the receiving institution that makes decisions regarding the acceptance of transfer credits.
Many financial aid programs, including federal grants and loans, require students to attend accredited institutions or programs.
Employers typically give preference to degrees from accredited institutions because accreditation acts as a reliable marker of quality, signaling that the education meets established standards. This especially applies in professions where graduates are required to come from programmatically accredited programs.
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What are the different types of accreditation we have?
We are an accredited university with institutional accreditation. Additionally, some of our programs also hold programmatic accreditation, which is an extra layer of specialized accreditation that reinforces the quality of certain degree programs. Learn more about our programs with programmatic accreditation below:
The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) has accredited the following programs offered by the College of Business and Information Technology or the College of Doctoral Studies.
- Associate of Arts with a concentration in Accounting Fundamentals*
- Associate of Arts with a concentration in Business Fundamentals
- Bachelor of Science in Accounting
- Bachelor of Science in Business
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Management
- Master of Science in Accountancy*
- Doctor of Business Administration
- Doctor of Management
*These programs are not available for new enrollments.
For additional information, visit acbsp.org.
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
8101 College Blvd #100
Overland Park, KS 66210
The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program is programmatically accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).
For additional information, visit cahme.org or call 301-298-1820.
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)
PO Box 911
Spring House, PA 19477
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at University of Phoenix are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
The Master of Science in Counseling program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the Phoenix Campus is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP®).
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
500 Montgomery Street, Suite 350 Alexandria, VA 22314
For additional information please visit cacrep.org.
University of Phoenix’s Bachelor of Science in Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation.
Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the Commission on Accreditation has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.
Accreditation applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.
For more information about social work accreditation, you may contact Accreditation.
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Licensures and affiliations
University of Phoenix is approved to operate in the following U.S. states and district, either through licensure, registration, general or specific approvals, consent, or exemption.
- Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
- California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education
- State of Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP)
- Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
University of Phoenix also maintains voluntary memberships with numerous organizations, including:
INSTITUTIONAL
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
- American Council on Education®
- Arizona Veterans Programs Administrators
- Association of Veterans Education Certifying Officials
- Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation®
- Council of College and Military Educators
- Consortium for the Advancement of Adult Higher Education
- EDUCAUSE
- National Association of Military Institutions for Military Education Services
- National Association of Veterans Program Administrators
- Online Learning Consortium™
- Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
- Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council
- University Professional and Continuing Education Association®
- Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Cooperative for Educational Technologies
DOCTORAL STUDIES
- International Leadership Association
BUSINESS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
- Computing Technology Industry Association
- Human Resources Certification Institute
- International Council of E-Commerce Consultants
- Society for Human Resource Management®
EDUCATION
- Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation
- National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
- American College of Healthcare Executives Higher Education Network
- Association of University Programs in Health Administration
NURSING
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing
- American Association of Nurse Leaders
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners
- California Association of Colleges of Nursing
- National Education Progression in Nursing Collaborative
- National League for Nursing
- National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
- Center for Credentialing and Education™
- National Board for Certified Counselors™
- Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration
American Council on Education is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education.
Council for Higher Education Accreditation is a registered trademark of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
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Questions other students are asking
An accredited university is an institution that has been officially recognized by an independent accrediting body. This recognition means that the university has met specific standards of educational quality and operates at a high level of academic integrity.
Employers typically respect higher education degrees from accredited institutions more than degrees from non-accredited institutions. For certain professions, graduation from a program with specialized or programmatic accreditation is required.
Institutional accreditation means a university has successfully gone through a rigorous review process and has proven that its curriculum, faculty and student services are of high quality and consistently meet or exceed the criteria set by the independent accrediting body.