ABHE Accreditation

Accreditation is recognition that an educational institution is voluntarily maintaining the standards of a non-governmental accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA, the ABHE Commission on Accreditation (COA) accredits and preaccredits biblical higher education institutions and programs in the U.S. and Canada.

ABHE Principles of Accreditation

An ABHE COA-accredited institution documents that it is in accord with the Association for Biblical Higher Education’s Tenets of Faith and has a mission statement appropriate to biblical higher education as defined below:

Higher education in which study of the Bible is central and spiritual and ministry formation is essential. A biblical higher education requires a substantial core of biblical studies, general studies, and ministry formation experiences for all students, and integrates a biblical worldview with life and learning. An institution of biblical higher education offers curricula that fulfill its overriding purpose to equip all students for effective witness in and for the Church and the world.

An ABHE COA-accredited institution demonstrates patterns of evidence that indicate substantial compliance with the Conditions of Eligibility and Standards of Accreditation. An ABHE COA-accredited institution can be reasonably expected to continue to (1) achieve its stated mission, (2) substantially comply with the Standards of Accreditation, and (3) pursue ongoing institutional improvement.

An ABHE COA-accredited institution demonstrates compliance with the Standards of Accreditation for all educational sites, instructional modalities, languages of instruction, and pedagogical models, including competency-based and direct assessment programs.

An ABHE COA-accredited institution documents its compliance with the Standards of Accreditation with appropriate evidence. When a Standard requires a policy statement, the policy is (1) expressed in writing, (2) approved by appropriate bodies, (3) distributed to appropriate personnel, and (4) subject to periodic evaluation. Failure to meet these four conditions will constitute partial or non-compliance.

For more information, see the Principles of Accreditation and the Policy on Academic Quality as Related to Institutional Mission in the ABHE Commission on Accreditation Standards and Policies Manual.