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Founded in 1926, DEAC is the preeminent accrediting organization for distance education delivered worldwide that sets high standards for academic quality, inspiring excellence in teaching, learning, and student outcomes through voluntary assessment and peer review. DEAC accreditation standards establish education quality expectations and assess an institution’s ability to integrate technology to meet the needs of 21st century graduates and employers. DEAC accreditation provides students with confidence that the institution offering programs, ranging from high school through the professional doctoral degree and non-degree certificates, have been evaluated and meet rigorous standards established by education industry professionals.

The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency. The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

ABHES is recognized by the United States Secretary of Education for the accreditation of private, postsecondary institutions in the United States offering predominantly allied health education programs.

Accrediting agencies are private educational associations of regional or national scope. Regional accreditation agencies concentrate on schools physically located in specific areas of the country whereas national accreditors, like DEAC, can accredit any postsecondary school located in the U.S. without limitation to a specific region.

Each accrediting agency determines its own evaluation criteria to assess whether a postsecondary institute meets it standards. Regional accrediting agencies typically focus on the traditional, liberal arts approach to academics, with greater emphasis on general education rather than preparation for specific occupations. Universities like ANU that are accredited by DEAC, a national career-related accrediting agency, focus on programs designed to educate students for in-demand professional, technical, or occupational careers. This includes certificate/diploma programs or associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees that are delivered in multiple formats: on-campus, online, or via video-conferencing.

It is worth noting that official sources of accreditation approval by the independent Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) make no qualitative distinctions among regional or national accreditors and ”institutions and accreditors need to assure that transfer decisions are not made solely on the source of accreditation of a sending program or institution.”¹ For more information on transfer of credit at ANU please click here>>