Alabama

Commission on Higher Education; Department of Postsecondary Education Office of Private School Licensing Division

https://www.accs.edu/about-accs/private-school-licensure/approval-process/ 

Alaska

Commission on Postsecondary Education

https://acpe.alaska.gov/Institutional-Authorization?_ga=2.207296211.1973622601.1593463892-59321284.1593463892 

Arizona

State Board for Private Postsecondary Education

https://ppse.az.gov/ 

Arkansas

Department of Higher Education; Arkansas State Board of Private Career Education

https://adhe.edu/resources/private-career-education 

California

California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education

https://www.bppe.ca.gov/ 

Colorado

Department of Higher Education; Division of Private Occupational Schools

https://highered.colorado.gov/about-dhe/divisions/division-of-private-occupational-schools 

Connecticut

The (Connecticut) Office of Higher Education

https://www.ctohe.org/POSA/ 

Delaware

Department of Education

https://www.doe.k12.de.us/domain/158 

Florida

Commission for Independent Education Florida Department of Education

http://www.fldoe.org/policy/cie/ 

Georgia

Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission

https://gnpec.georgia.gov/ 

Hawaii

Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP)

http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/TeachingAndLearning/PTVT/Pages/default.aspx 

Idaho

State Board of Education

https://boardofed.idaho.gov/higher-education-private/proprietary-schools-non-degree-granting/ 

Illinois

Board of Higher Education

https://www.ibhe.org/pbvsfaq.html 

Indiana

Office for Career and Technical Schools (in.gov)

https://www.in.gov/dwd/career-training-adult-ed/octs/ 

Iowa

College Student Aid Commission

https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/SchoolAuthorization 

Kansas

Board of Regents

https://www.kansasregents.org/academic_affairs/private_out_of_state 

Kentucky

Commission on Proprietary Education; Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

http://kcpe.ky.gov/school_resources.htm 

Louisiana 

Board of Regents

https://regents.la.gov/about/proprietary-schools/ 

Maine 

Department of Higher Education

https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/highered/proprietary 

Maryland 

Higher Education Commission

https://www.ctohe.org/POSA

Massachusetts 

Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure Office of Private Occupational School Education

https://www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-private-occupational-school-education 

Michigan 

Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/wd/pss

Minnesota 

Office of Higher Education

https://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=204 

Mississippi 

Commission on College Accreditation; Mississippi Commission on Proprietary School and College Registration

https://www.mccb.edu/offices/proprietary-schools 

Missouri 

Department of Higher Education

https://dhewd.mo.gov/psc/ 

Montana 

University System Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education

https://www.mus.edu/che/arsa/StateAuthorization/Outside.html 

Nebraska

Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education; Nebraska Department of Education Private Postsecondary Career Schools

https://www.education.ne.gov/ppcs/ 

Nevada 

Commission on Postsecondary Education

http://cpe.nv.gov/Licensure/Licensure_Home/ 

New Hampshire 

Department of Education Division of Higher Education - Higher Education Commission

https://www.education.nh.gov/who-we-are/division-of-educator-support-and-higher-education/office-career-school-licensing 

New Jersey 

Department of Labor and Workforce Development Postsecondary Private Career Schools (nj.gov)

https://www.nj.gov/education/cte/postsec/ppcs

New Mexico 

Higher Education Department

https://hed.state.nm.us/resources-for-schools/private-post-secondary-schools 

New York

Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision New York State Education Department

http://www.acces.nysed.gov/bpss/welcome-career-training-proprietary-schools 

North Carolina 

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors; Office of Proprietary School Services North Carolina Community College System

https://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/proprietary-schools 

North Dakota 

University System; North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education

https://www.cte.nd.gov/businessindustry 

Ohio 

Department of Higher Education; Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools

https://scr.ohio.gov/ 

Oklahoma 

State Regents for Higher Education; The Oklahoma Board of Private Schools; Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education

http://obpvs.ok.gov/ 

Oregon

Department of Education Private and Career Schools Office; Office of Degree Authorization

https://www.oregon.gov/highered/institutions-programs/private/Pages/policy-authorization.aspx 

Pennsylvania 

Department of Education

https://www.education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/CollegeCareer/Pages/default.aspx 

Rhode Island 

Office of Higher Education

https://www.riopc.edu/page/proprietary/ 

South Carolina 

Commission on Higher Education

https://www.che.sc.gov/institutions-and-educators/licensing-non-public-postsecondary-institutions 

South Dakota 

Secretary of State’s Office (solely a filing agency)

https://sdsos.gov/general-information/postsecondary-education/default.aspx 

Tennessee 

Higher Education Commission Division of Postsecondary School Authorization (DPSA)

https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization.html 

Texas 

Higher Education Coordinating Board; Texas Workforce Commission

https://www.twc.texas.gov/partners/applying-career-school-or-college-license 

Utah 

Division of Consumer Protection

https://dcp.utah.gov/businesses/stateauth.html 

Vermont 

State Board of Education through the Vermont Agency of Education

https://education.vermont.gov/vermont-schools/school-operations/post-secondary-programs 

Virginia

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (agency name) Private and Out-of-State Postsecondary Education (unit name)

https://ppe.schev.edu/ 

Washington

Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; Washington Student Achievement Council

https://www.wtb.wa.gov/private-career-schools 

Washington D.C.

(District of Columbia) Education Licensure Commission

https://helc.osse.dc.gov/ 

West Virginia 

Council for Community and Technical College Education; West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission

https://www.wvhepc.edu 

Wisconsin

Educational Approval Board 

https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Programs/EducationalApproval/Default.aspx 

Wyoming 

Department of Education

https://edu.wyoming.gov/beyond-the-classroom/school-programs/private-school-licensing

NATIONAL ACCREDITATORS

ACCSC

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges

Scope of recognition: the accreditation of postsecondary, non-degree-granting institutions and degree-granting institutions in the United States, including those granting associate, baccalaureate and master’s degrees, that are predominantly organized to educate students for occupational, trade and technical careers, and including institutions that offer programs via distance education.

www.accsc.org 

ACCET

Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training

Scope of recognition: the accreditation throughout the United States of institutions of higher education that offer continuing education and vocational programs that confer certificates or occupational associate degrees, including those programs offered via distance education.

Title IV Note: Only those institutions classified by this agency as "vocational " may use accreditation by the agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

www.accet.org 

ACICS (NO LONGER a DOE RECOGNIZED ACCREDITING AGENCY)

Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

Scope of recognition: the accreditation of private postsecondary institutions offering certificates or diplomas, and postsecondary institutions offering associate, bachelor’s, or master's degrees in programs designed to educate students for professional, technical, or occupational careers, including those that offer those programs via distance education.

www.acics.org 

COE

Council on Occupational Education

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Candidacy Status") throughout the United States of postsecondary occupational education institutions offering non-degree and applied associate degree programs in specific career and technical education fields, including institutions that offer programs via distance education.

www.council.org 

DEAC

Distance Education Accrediting Commission

Scope of recognition: the accreditation of postsecondary institutions in the United States that offer degree and/or non-degree programs primarily by the distance or correspondence education method up to and including the professional doctoral degree, including those institutions that are specifically certified by the agency as accredited for Title IV purposes.

Title IV Note: Only accredited institutions that are certified by the agency as accredited for Title IV purposes may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility of its degree and/or non-degree programs to participate in Title IV programs.

www.deac.org 

REGIONAL ACCREDITATORS

HLC

Higher Learning Commission

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Candidate for Accreditation") of degree-granting institutions of higher education in the United States, including the tribal institutions and the accreditation of programs offered via distance education and correspondence education within these institutions. This recognition extends to the Institutional Actions Council jointly with the Board of Trustees of the Commission for decisions on cases for continued accreditation or reaffirmation, and continued candidacy, and to the Appeals Body jointly with the Board of Trustees of the Commission for decisions related to initial candidacy or accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation.

www.hlcommission.org 

MSCHE

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and pre-accreditation ("Candidacy status") of institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and any other geographic areas in which the Commission elects to conduct accrediting activities within the United States including distance and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions.

www.msche.org 

NECHE

New England Commission of Higher Education

Scope of recognition: The accreditation and pre-accreditation (“Candidacy status”) of institutions of higher education in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont that award bachelor’s master’s and/or doctoral degrees and associate degree-granting institutions in those states that include degrees in liberal arts or general studies among their offerings, including the accreditation of programs offered via distance education within these institutions. Jointly with the Commission, this recognition extends to its Executive Committee and also to the Appeals Body for decisions related to the appeal of denial or withdrawal of candidacy; probation; and denial or withdrawal of accreditation.

https://cihe.neasc.org 

NWCCU

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and pre-accreditation (“Candidacy status”) of institutions within the United States, including the accreditation of programs offered via distance education within these institutions.

www.nwccu.org 

SACSCC

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and pre-accreditation (“Candidate for Accreditation”) of degree-granting institutions of higher education in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, including the accreditation of educational programs offered via distance and correspondence education within these institutions. The accreditation status of these institutions and their recognition extends to the SACSCOC Board of Trustees and the Appeals Committee of the College Delegate Assembly on cases of initial candidacy or initial accreditation and for continued accreditation or candidacy.

www.sacscoc.org