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Standard and Open Pathways

The Standard and Open Pathways are the cornerstones of HLC accreditation. The Pathways are 10-year cycles in which our members affirm the quality of their offerings and demonstrate their continuous improvement. Each Pathway provides the custom support our members need to fulfill their unique missions.

The Accreditation Relationship

The Pathways are a key element of HLC’s relationship with our members, but we interact with institutions in many other ways. Learn more about the accreditation relationship.

Standard Pathway

The Standard Pathway offers additional support for institutions, including those that are new to HLC or undergoing significant changes. This pathway involves comprehensive evaluations in Years 4 and 10 of the 10-year cycle.

Pathway Reviews

Year 4: Mid-cycle Comprehensive Evaluation

What to expect: Institutions are evaluated based on HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and other requirements. Peer reviewers review materials, visit campus and consider feedback from students and community members.

Comprehensive Evaluation Process

Year 10: Comprehensive Evaluation for Reaffirmation of Accreditation

What to expect: At the end of the Year 10 evaluation process, HLC determines whether the institution’s accreditation should be reaffirmed. The Year 10 comprehensive evaluation follows the same process as the mid-cycle evaluation, with an additional review of the institution’s compliance with certain federal regulations.

Comprehensive Evaluation Process

Pathway Expenses

HLC’s annual dues distribute the cost of maintaining accreditation evenly over each pathway cycle. Therefore, institutions do not pay a base fee for Standard Pathway comprehensive evaluations. Institutions will still be billed for expenses related to the peer review team’s on-site visit during the evaluations. Such expenses typically include travel, honoraria and facility expenses. If a multi-campus visit is required as part of the comprehensive evaluation, a visit fee will apply.

Dues and Fees Schedule

10–Year Standard Pathway Cycle

HLC member institutions: Your CEO and Accreditation Liaison Officer can find your institution’s Pathway and cycle year in Canopy.

Years 1–3

Prepare Assurance Filing

Institution

Collect evidence and write Assurance Argument for the mid-cycle comprehensive evaluation in Year 4. Will gain access to Assurance Filing in Canopy in Year 2.

Year 4

Mid-cycle Comprehensive Evaluation

Institution

Submit comprehensive evaluation materials.

Peer Review

Conduct comprehensive evaluation (with visit).

HLC Decision Making

Take action on comprehensive evaluation.

Years 5–9

Prepare Assurance Filing

Institution

Collect evidence and write Assurance Argument for the comprehensive evaluation in Year 10. Will gain access to the Assurance Filing in Canopy in Year 8.

Year 10

Comprehensive Evaluation for Reaffirmation

Institution

Submit comprehensive evaluation materials.

Peer Review

Conduct comprehensive evaluation (with visit).

HLC Decision Making

Take action on comprehensive evaluation, Reaffirmation of Accreditation and determine pathway eligibility.

Open Pathway

The Open Pathway is designed primarily for institutions that have completed at least one pathway cycle and are otherwise eligible to choose their pathway. The Open Pathway supports the pursuit of innovative or strategic improvement projects, known as Quality Initiatives.

Some institutions on the Open Pathway undergo a virtual Assurance Review in Year 4. Beginning in September 2025, certain eligible institutions may opt to complete a Quality Initiative project focused on student success during Years 1–4 in lieu of this review. All institutions on the Open Pathway complete a Quality Initiative on a topic of their choice during Years 5–9 and undergo a comprehensive evaluation in Year 10.

Pathway Reviews

Years 1–4: Assurance Review or Student Success Quality Initiative

At the time an institution selects its Pathway for its next accreditation cycle, it may be eligible to choose to complete a Student Success Quality Initiative, rather than participate in a mid-cycle Assurance Review in Year 4. Institutions that are not eligible for the Student Success Quality Initiative will be required to complete the mid-cycle Assurance Review.

Assurance Review

What to expect: In Year 4 of the institution’s accreditation cycle, peer reviewers evaluate the institution based on HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and other requirements. The review typically occurs virtually, without a visit to campus.

Assurance Review Process

Open Pathway Year 4 Assurance Review

Student Success Quality Initiative

Eligibility: The Student Success Quality Initiative option is available to institutions that complete a Year 10 comprehensive evaluation for reaffirmation of accreditation on or after September 1, 2025, and meet certain conditions.

What to expect: Eligible institutions may opt to complete a project focused on student success during Years 1-4 of their accreditation cycle in lieu of completing an Assurance Review in Year 4. Institutions submit a project proposal in Year 1 and then report the outcomes in Year 4.

Quality Initiative Process

Years 5–9: Open Quality Initiative

What to expect: All institutions are required to design and implement a project to improve an aspect of their organization, or to pursue a strategic initiative. Institutions submit a project proposal between Years 5 and 7, and then report on the outcomes between Years 7 and 9. Peer reviewers evaluate the project proposal and outcomes report. The topic is of the institution’s own choosing, thus it is “open.”

Peer reviewers evaluate the project proposal and outcomes report, unless an institution chooses to participate in an HLC Academy for its Open Quality Initiative. In those cases, the institution’s Academy application takes the place of its proposal and the institution’s report is reviewed through a different process.

Quality Initiative Process

Year 10: Comprehensive Evaluation for Reaffirmation of Accreditation

What to expect: At the end of the Year 10 evaluation process, HLC determines whether the institution’s accreditation should be reaffirmed. Institutions are evaluated based on HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and other requirements. Peer reviewers evaluate institutional materials, visit campus and consider feedback from students and community members. The team also reviews the institution’s compliance with certain federal requirements.

Comprehensive Evaluation Process

Pathway Expenses

HLC’s annual dues distribute the cost of maintaining accreditation evenly over each Pathway cycle. Therefore, institutions do not pay base fees for Assurance Reviews, Quality Initiative Proposals and Reports, and comprehensive evaluations.

Institutions will still be billed for the Year 4 Assurance Review team’s honoraria, if applicable, and for expenses related to peer review team visits required as part of the comprehensive evaluation. Team expenses for comprehensive evaluations include travel, honoraria and facility expenses. If a multi-campus visit is required as part of the comprehensive evaluation, a visit fee will apply.

An institution that completes a Student Success Quality Initiative will also be billed for the honoraria of the peer review panels that evaluate the institution’s proposal and report.

Dues and Fees Schedule

10–Year Open Pathway Cycle

HLC member institutions: Your CEO and Accreditation Liaison Officer can find your institution’s Pathway and cycle year in the Institution Profile or Institutional Status and Requirements Report in Canopy.

For Institutions Completing a Mid-cycle Assurance Review

Years 1–3

Prepare Assurance Filing

Institution

Collect evidence and write Assurance Argument for mid-cycle Assurance Review. Will gain access to Assurance Filing in Canopy in Year 2.

Year 4

Assurance Review

Institution

Submit Assurance Filing (Assurance Argument and Evidence File).

Peer Review

Conduct Assurance Review (typically no visit).

HLC Decision Making

Acceptance of or action on Assurance Review.

For Institutions Completing a Student Success Quality Initiative

Year 1

Student Success Quality Initiative Proposal

Institution

Submit Student Success Quality Initiative Proposal and begin implementation.

Peer Review

Review Student Success Quality Initiative Proposal.

Year 4

Student Success Quality Initiative Report

Institution

Submit Student Success Quality Initiative Report.

Peer Review

Review Student Success Quality Initiative Report.

For All Institutions on the Open Pathway

Years 5–7

Open Quality Initiative Proposal

Institution

Submit Open Quality Initiative Proposal and begin implementation. May also begin preparing Assurance Filing for Year 10 comprehensive evaluation (will gain access to Assurance Filing in Canopy in Year 8).

Peer Review

Review Open Quality Initiative Proposal.

Years 7–9

Open Quality Initiative Report

Institution

Submit Open Quality Initiative Report. May also continue preparing Assuring Filing for Year 10 comprehensive evaluation (will gain access to Assurance Filing in Canopy in Year 8).

Peer Review

Review Open Quality Initiative Report.

Year 10

Comprehensive Evaluation for Reaffirmation

Institution

Submit comprehensive evaluation materials.

Peer Review

Conduct comprehensive evaluation (with visit).

HLC Decision Making

Take action on comprehensive evaluation, Reaffirmation of Accreditation and determine pathway eligibility.

Pathway Eligibility

An institution’s eligibility to choose its Pathway for Reaffirmation of Accreditation is considered at the end of the institution’s current accreditation cycle and at other points of the accreditation relationship, as applicable.

An institution may be deemed eligible to choose its Pathway or may be limited to the Standard Pathway, based on specific conditions and the judgment of the peer review team and decision-making body evaluating the institution.

Pathway Eligibility

When Pathway Eligibility Is Considered

At the End of an Institution’s Current Accreditation Cycle

An institution’s eligibility to choose its Pathway is typically determined at the conclusion of its current accreditation cycle, as part of its comprehensive evaluation for reaffirmation of accreditation in Year 10. The peer review team and decision-making body consider whether the institution should be limited to the Standard Pathway or may choose its Pathway for its next accreditation cycle.

Note: An institution that selects the Open Pathway at the time of reaffirmation may also be eligible to choose to complete a Student Success Quality Initiative in lieu of the Year 4 Assurance Review. See Open Pathway for details.

At Other Points of the Accreditation Cycle

Pathway eligibility is also considered at other points of an institution’s accreditation cycle, including:

If an institution on the Open Pathway is placed on Notice or assigned a focused visit at any point during its accreditation cycle. In such cases, the institution will be placed on the Standard Pathway.

As part of the first Year 4 comprehensive evaluation for an institution that gained accreditation through the Accelerated Process for Initial Accreditation. The institution may choose a different pathway following its reaffirmation of accreditation, as long as it is otherwise eligible to choose its pathway.

Conditions for Placement on the Standard Pathway

Following Reaffirmation of Accreditation

An institution will be placed on the Standard Pathway following reaffirmation of accreditation if:

It has been accredited for fewer than 10 years and gained accreditation through the Eligibility Process and Candidacy.
It is on Notice or related action with HLC or has been under HLC sanction or related action within the last five years.
It has pending recommendations for a focused visit or extensive other monitoring.
It has a history of extensive HLC monitoring.
It is currently on the Open Pathway and failed to demonstrate genuine effort to conduct its Open Quality Initiative or, if applicable, its Student Success Quality Initiative.
The decision-making body that takes action on the institution’s comprehensive evaluation determines the institution should be limited to the Standard Pathway. See Pathway Eligibility for factors the decision-making body may consider in making that determination.

Institutions on the Open Pathway Placed on Notice or Assigned a Focused Visit

An institution on the Open Pathway may be placed on the Standard Pathway at any point during its accreditation cycle if it is placed on Notice or assigned a focused visit.