Accreditation & Licensure


What is Accreditation? 
Regional Accreditation
National Accreditation
Licensure
Independent Quality Reviews

What is Accreditation? 

Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental process that gives public recognition to institutions that meet published standards of academic and administrative quality. The purpose of accreditation is to assure the public of the quality of an institution and its dedication to high standards, as well as its commitment to continuous improvement.

The U.S. Department of Education formally recognizes accrediting commissions that meet all federal standards. Further, the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) extends recognition to accrediting bodies and their institutions that meet established quality standards. Generally, accrediting bodies fall into three major categories: national, regional, and specialized/professional.

Regional Accreditation

American Public University System is one of the few institutions that is both regionally and nationally accredited by federally recognized accrediting agencies.

American Public University System is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association, www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602, 800-621-7440

National Accreditation

American Public University System is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, www.detc.org, 1601 18th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009, 202-234-5100

As an accredited institution, APUS is eligible to participate in federal educational entitlement programs such as military tuition assistance, government tuition reimbursement programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill, and many corporate education assistance programs. Credits and degrees earned through APUS are therefore recognized for promotion, assignment, and position qualification standards within the military and federal government.

Further information on recognition policies and standards may be found on the following web sites:    

Licensure

American Public University System is licensed by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
Additionally, APUS is certified to operate as an out of state institution by the State Council on Higher Education for Virginia.

Independent Quality Reviews

In order to ensure academic quality, currency, and relevance, institutions of higher education frequently request a review of their curriculum by outside agencies or subject matter experts. APUS programs are reviewed on a regular basis by subject matter experts as an integral part of the accrediting process.  They are also subjected to an internal review on a triennial basis. APUS has also sought the expertise of two independent agencies to validate the quality of its curriculum.