About the Commission on Accreditation

The ABHE Commission on Accreditation is governed by its accredited and candidate institutions through the Delegate Assembly, which elects members at an annual business meeting. All accrediting decisions are made by the Commission. Public accountability is underscored by the requirement that the Commission include public representatives among its members. The Commission on Accreditation is administered by an Executive Director with the support of additional professional and support staff.

U.S. Department of Education Recognition

The COA is also recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) as a national, specialized, institutional accrediting agency. ABHE was among the first institutions to receive recognition when USDE began recognizing accrediting agencies in 1952. The agency’s official scope of USDE recognition (primarily for the purpose of participation in U.S. Title IV financial aid programs) is as follows:

The accreditation and pre‐accreditation (“Candidate Status”) of institutions of biblical higher education offering undergraduate certificates, associate degrees, baccalaureate degrees, graduate certificates, and master’s degrees, including the accreditation of educational programs offered via distance education and direct assessment.

The agency’s scope of recognition with the U.S. Department of Education does not include doctoral education, correspondence education, or programmatic accreditation.

USDE recognition extends to ABHE’s candidate institutions. COA-accredited and candidate institutions are recognized by the Department of Justice, the Veteran’s Administration, and other relevant federal agencies in the United States.

CHEA Recognition

The Association for Biblical Higher Education’s Commission on Accreditation (COA) is recognized as a national, faith-related accrediting agency by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the successor of the Council on Postsecondary Education (COPA) and, subsequently, the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary accreditation (CORPA). The agency’s official scope of CHEA recognition is as follows:

Institutions and programs in the United States, Canada, and related territories that offer certificates, diplomas, associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees aimed at preparing students for Christian ministries through Biblical, church-vocational, and general studies.

The agency’s scope of recognition with the CHEA includes doctoral education, correspondence education, and programmatic accreditation.