Who HLC is
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), headquartered in Chicago, accredits degree-granting colleges and universities. It was historically the North Central Association accreditor and covers a 19-state footprint across the Midwest and Mountain West — Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming — and, since the 2020 rule change, may accredit beyond it.
The five Criteria for Accreditation
HLC judges institutions against five Criteria for Accreditation (revised in 2024, effective September 2025), each broken into Core Components, and underpinned by non-negotiable Assumed Practices:
- 1 · MissionThe mission is clear, public, and guides operations.
- 2 · IntegrityEthical and responsible conduct toward students, faculty, and the public.
- 3 · Teaching & Learning: QualityQuality educational programs, resources, and support wherever and however delivered.
- 4 · Teaching & Learning: Evaluation & ImprovementOngoing assessment and improvement of programs and student learning.
- 5 · Institutional Effectiveness, Resources & PlanningResources, structures, and planning sufficient to fulfill and sustain the mission.
The Standard and Open Pathways
HLC members reaffirm accreditation on a 10-year cycle via one of two pathways (a third, AQIP, was phased out in 2020):
- Standard PathwayA comprehensive evaluation in Year 4 and a comprehensive evaluation for reaffirmation in Year 10.
- Open PathwayA Year-4 Assurance Review (or an early Quality Initiative), a Quality Initiative in Years 5–9, and a Year-10 comprehensive evaluation for reaffirmation — giving institutions room to pursue a self-designed improvement project.
- Annual updatesThroughout, institutions file an Annual Institutional Update and an Assurance Argument evidencing compliance with all five Criteria.
How the review works
- Eligibility & candidacyNew institutions apply for HLC membership and pass through eligibility and candidacy.
- Assurance ArgumentThe institution assembles evidence into a peer-reviewed narrative showing it meets every Criterion and Assumed Practice.
- Peer review & visitTrained peer reviewers evaluate the evidence and visit the campus.
- Commission actionHLC reaffirms accreditation, or attaches monitoring, Notice, Probation, or a Show-Cause Order where standards are unmet.
- OngoingAnnual updates and the mid-cycle review keep the institution accountable between reaffirmations.
Recognition and the 2026 context
HLC is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education (for Title IV) and CHEA. It is one of the largest accreditors in the country and, since 2020, competes for institutions nationally — in 2026 it has been a destination for colleges leaving other former regionals under state accreditor-switching laws. See the tier overview for the federal overhaul reshaping all of this.
What HLC accreditation means for you
- Federal aidHLC accreditation makes a college eligible for federal grants and loans.
- Transfer & degreesCredits and degrees are recognized nationally, including for graduate school.
- Licensure & employersProfessional licensure and employers rely on an HLC-accredited degree.
- Switching contextIf your college changes accreditors, its accreditation continues through the transition — verify the current accreditor before you enroll or transfer.
Verify a college
Common misconceptions
- “HLC is still ‘regional’.”In federal terms there is no regional category since 2020; HLC is an institutional accreditor that historically served 19 states.
- “HLC only covers the Midwest.”That is its historic footprint; it may now accredit nationwide.
- “AQIP is still a pathway.”No — AQIP was phased out in 2020. The pathways are Standard and Open.
- “Accreditation is a one-time stamp.”It is a 10-year cycle with a mid-cycle review, annual updates, and possible sanctions.
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Higher Learning Commission? An institutional accreditor for degree-granting colleges and universities, historically the North Central Association, covering a 19-state footprint and — since 2020 — beyond.
- What are HLC's five Criteria? Mission; Integrity; Teaching and Learning: Quality; Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement; and Institutional Effectiveness, Resources, and Planning — revised in 2024, effective September 2025, with baseline Assumed Practices beneath them.
- What are the Standard and Open Pathways? HLC's two 10-year reaffirmation routes. Both include a Year-4 review and a Year-10 comprehensive evaluation; the Open Pathway adds a self-designed Quality Initiative.
- How long does HLC accreditation last? It runs on a 10-year cycle, with a comprehensive or assurance review at Year 4 and reaffirmation at Year 10, plus annual updates.
- Is HLC recognized by the government? Yes. HLC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for Title IV eligibility and by CHEA for academic quality.
- Can HLC accredit colleges outside the Midwest? Yes. Since the 2020 rule removed geographic limits, HLC may accredit institutions nationwide, and it has taken on colleges leaving other accreditors.
- What was AQIP? A former HLC pathway (the Academic Quality Improvement Program) that was phased out in 2020. Only the Standard and Open Pathways remain.
- How do I verify an HLC-accredited college? Search the institution in HLC's directory and confirm current status, then cross-check the USDE DAPIP database.