Higher Learning Commission Criteria

HLC’s Board of Trustees adopted revisions to the Criteria for Accreditation, which went into effect on September 1, 2025.

The Criteria for Accreditation convey the standards of quality by which HLC determines whether an institution merits accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation. Recognition of the widely varying institutional missions across HLC’s membership is essential to these Criteria as standards of quality.

When demonstrating that it meets the Criteria for Accreditation, an institution has the opportunity to reflect on the significance of its distinctive mission as well as across the wider higher education landscape. An institution’s distinctive mission will inform how it demonstrates that it meets the core components for each of the following criteria.

Criterion 1. Mission

The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.

Criterion 2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct

In fulfilling its mission, the institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.

Criterion 3. Teaching and Learning for Student Success

The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness in fulfilling its mission. The rigor and quality of each educational program is consistent regardless of modality, location or other differentiating factors.

Criterion 4. Sustainability: Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning

The institution’s resources, structures, policies, procedures and planning enable it to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its educational programs, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.