The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of seven regional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the United States. HLC is as an institutional accreditor, accrediting the institution as a whole.

HLC Mission

Advance the common good through quality assurance of higher education as the leader in equitable, transformative and trusted accreditation in the service of students and member institutions.

HLC Vision

HLC will be the champion of quality higher education by working proactively in support of students, institutions and their communities.

HLC's Vision Goals

Contact HLC

Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, Illinois 60604-1413
Phone: 800.621.7440 / 312.263.0456 . Fax: 312.263.7462 . This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Governance

HLC is governed by a Board of Trustees elected by the membership and administered by a president selected by and accountable to that Board. The charge to the president is to ensure that through its structures and personnel, HLC delivers useful and cost-effective services. The president is Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley.

HLC adheres to the following Bylaws, which were approved in 2010.

Decision-Making Bodies

Actions on member institutions are taken by decision-making bodies comprised of institutional representatives and public members. Unless otherwise specified, the decision-making bodies are broadly representative of the colleges and universities accredited by HLC, with attention to institutional type, control, size, and geographical distribution. All decision-making bodies abide by HLC’s conflict of interest policies. Visit the Calendar of Events to see a list of meetings of HLC’s decision-making bodies.

Peer Reviewers

HLC relies on a cadre of carefully selected and trained professionals who serve HLC in its accreditation processes. This group of more than a thousand individuals is called the Peer Corps. These volunteers share their knowledge of and direct experience with higher education, their dedication to educational excellence, and their commitment to the principles underlying voluntary accreditation.

Relationship Within the Triad

As an accreditor, HLC is one member of the program integrity Triad, which consists of three areas of oversight for higher education in the United States. The Federal government and the state in which the institution is located are the other two areas. The components of the Triad operate independently to focus on issues within their specific scope.

In order to assure academic quality as part of the Triad, accreditors have requirements for institutions. To be a member, colleges and universities provide evidence that they meet these requirements in alignment with the institution’s mission. The college or university’s mission is central to accreditation and assurance of academic quality.

Should any of the requirements overlap within the Triad, we work with the other Triad members to identify them and limit the burden on the institution where possible.

HLC's requirements reflect the values of academic quality at HLC as an organization as well as at its member institutions. These values include academic freedom in teaching and learning as well as diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

HLC does not prescribe how a member institution meets HLC’s requirements. If a requirement of another entity of the Triad exists that may appear to limit an institution's ability to meet HLC's requirements in a particular manner, HLC would anticipate that the institution would identify other ways to demonstrate it meets HLC's requirements.

By being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a gatekeeper agency, HLC agrees to fulfill specific federally defined responsibilities within the accreditation processes.

Each member of the Triad has a role in transparency to students. For example, the U.S. Department of Education publishes a College Scorecard (available at https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/), which allows students to search and compare colleges: their fields of study, costs, admissions, results, and more.

Staff

HLC has more than 50 staff members. For contact information, visit the staff directory.

Employment Opportunities

HLC is an equal opportunity employer. Learn more about employment opportunities at the Higher Learning Commission.

History

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Archives holds the Higher Learning Commission's and the North Central Association's historical documents.

To use the materials contact the Archives at 217.333.0798 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The materials are accessible at the Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street, Urbana, IL 61820, during business hours.

Transition From North Central Association to Higher Learning Commission

Through an agreement between the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and CASI (the Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement), the North Central Association was dissolved in 2014. The dissolution of the North Central Association and the liquidation of its assets, announced in July 2014, had no effect on the accreditation of any institution. There was no change in the standards or process for accreditation of institutions by HLC and there was no effect on HLC’s federal recognition as a Title IV gatekeeper.

After 2001, when HLC and CASI incorporated as separate and independent corporations that accredit educational institutions at all levels, the North Central Association had no role in the accreditation process and existed solely to hold the Association’s property, including its name, trademarks and records.

As of the fall of 2014, institutions should revise their descriptive information to delete information indicating that they are members of the North Central Association. Instead, institutions should continue to describe themselves as members of HLC. Any third-party references to accreditation of degree-granting institutions of higher education by the North Central Association should be construed as referring to accreditation of these institutions by HLC.

Additional information regarding requirements related to the Mark of Accreditation Status is available on the Use of HLC Logos and Images page. Please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions.