About Accreditation
Resources that Provide Context for the Brooklyn College Self-Study
The following resources describe the accreditation of institutions of higher education in the United States, with particular emphasis on the standards of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the regional accrediting body that accredits Brooklyn College.
United States Department of Education. Overview of Accreditation.
The goal of accreditation of American colleges and universities is to ensure that the education they provide meets acceptable levels of quality. Accreditation is not carried out by the Department of Education, but by state agencies and/or private educational organizations of regional or national scope that are authorized by the Department of Education. This site provides an overview of accreditation in the United States and its essential role in the student financial aid process.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is the regional body that accredits Brooklyn College. It is the unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region, which includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and several locations internationally. The Commission is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources. It examines each institution as a whole, rather than specific programs within institutions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Characteristics of Excellence.
This 75-page manual describes in detail the fourteen essential elements that constitute the standards and eligibility requirements for accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. For each of the fourteen standards, this manual provides context (or definition) and a list of the fundamental elements (or requirements) and optional elements (or additional evidence) that an institution must provide in order to obtain accreditation.
