Publications

Resource Guide

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2025 Resource Guide

White Papers

Consumer Awareness: Curating Information About Higher Education (July 2023)

Written in collaboration with the Credential Engine and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, this report looks at the current state of higher education information and identifies ways to help consumers navigate it.

The Role of Equity in Quality Assurance (September 2022)

The HLC Peer Corps Committee on Diversity, provides recommendations to HLC on the role of equity in quality assurance: how institutions demonstrate alignment to standards and their stated mission and goals, measure and assess the commitment, and show progress and continuous improvement.

Criteria for Accreditation

Key Findings of the Application of the Criteria for Accreditation, Academic Year 2024 (January 2025)
Based on the findings from the comprehensive evaluations conducted in academic year (AY) 2024, September 2023 – August 2024, HLC examines how the Criteria for Accreditation work for member institutions over the years and explores the areas of challenge for institutions.

Institutional Update

2024 Institutional Update Data (September 2024)
HLC’s analysis of data reported by our membership indicates potentially strengthening post-pandemic enrollment numbers.

2023 Institutional Update Data (September 2023)
This report provides a broad overview, coupled with historical context and national trends, of student enrollment, program completion, institutional workforce and financial resources of HLC’s membership.

2022 Institutional Update Data (September 2022)
This report provides an overview of student enrollment, program completion, institutional workforce and financial resources of HLC member institutions. The report also puts these measures into historical and national context, in some ways revealing how the pandemic has impacted institutions since 2020.

2021 Institutional Update Data (September 2021)
This analysis of student enrollment, program completion, workforce, and financial resources, drawn from the 2021 Institutional Update data, demonstrates the strength and resilience of HLC member institutions in times of crisis and disruptive challenges.

Member Survey

Findings of the 2021 Member Survey (May 2022)
Institutional representatives and HLC peer reviewers provide feedback on the value of HLC membership, importance of HLC’s thought leadership and advocacy work, experience with HLC processes, engagement with HLC elective programs, and HLC outreach.

Promising Practices: Certification Plus Degree Pathways (September 2025)

Check out this promising practice that demonstrates how institutions can prepare students for living-wage careers through pathways that integrate associate degrees and industry certifications.

Survey on Alternative Credential Offerings and Quality Assurance Needs (June 2023)

A report on the findings from a survey of HLC’s membership on institutions’ current alternative credential programs and their needs related to those offerings.

Evolving: Accreditation and the Credential Landscape (April 2022)

Corporate leaders offer recommendations on the changing landscape of accreditation and quality assurance, as well as expectations of institutional transparency related to credentials and learner competencies.

Partners for Transformation: Innovation—Beyond the Horizon and the Future of Higher Education (April 2019)

Higher education thought leaders conceptualize 21st-century accrediting practices that assure quality in higher education and ultimately better benefit students in today’s world.

A Space to Innovate (November 2018)

Institutional representatives identify ways for HLC and its members to be more supportive of innovation.

Continuous Improvement of the Substantive Change Process (November 2018)

Institutional representatives offer suggestions for streamlining HLC’s substantive change process, while assuring increased transparency and objectivity for decisions made.

Dual Credit in U.S. Higher Education: A Study of State Policy and Quality Assurance Practices (February 2013)

A descriptive analysis of current dual credit policies across the United States with implications for assuring the quality of dual credit courses that are offered by accredited postsecondary institutions.

Leadership Lessons Learned (July 2024)

HLC President Barbara Gellman-Danley shares her lessons learned as a higher education leader.

Postsecondary Education in Prison Programs and Accreditation—General Considerations for Peer Reviewers and Accreditors (October 2022)

HLC collaborated with the Vera Institute of Justice on this guidebook for accreditors and their peer reviewers, providing insight into the unique context and goals of postsecondary education in correctional facilities.

Growing With Data: A Partnership With the National Student Clearinghouse (September 2022)

HLC presents the findings from the first phase of its data partnership with the National Student Clearinghouse, in which the Clearinghouse provided HLC with student outcome metrics reported by HLC member institutions in aggregate for use as existing HLC benchmarks.

Testing Student Success Data: Findings and Recommendations (March 2019)

A group of HLC member institutions present their findings and recommendations from research to test variables that affect student success.

Defining Student Success Data Paper Series

Representatives from HLC member institutions, national higher education organizations, state agencies and national data organizations identify ways in which HLC may contribute to the student success conversation.

C-RAC Graduation Rate Survey Summary Report (February 2018)

The Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) summarizes the results of graduation rate surveys conducted by all regional accrediting agencies that participated in the national initiative.

HLC’s Graduation Rate Survey Findings (July 2017)

HLC presents its findings from a survey on how institutions track students’ academic outcomes, how they work to improve those outcomes, and the contexts affecting specific student populations.

Student Records Access for Success: Closed Schools, Transcript Holds and the Future of Learner Records (May 2024)

This white paper written in collaboration with the higher ed compacts illustrates the variety of activities to help students gain access to student records.

A New Look at Transfer Admissions (July 2021)

An HLC staff liaison and two institutional representatives explore scenarios when the sudden closure of a college prompted its former students to inquire at other institutions in the area about continuing their studies as transfer students. They offer a rich and candid look at how institutions may provide transfer applicants with both admission and posting of a significant number of transferred credits.

Teach-Out Toolkit (March 2025)

Institutional representatives and representatives from higher education state agencies who have been involved in teach-out situations provide guidance and tools to help institutions prepare for and implement successful teach outs.

A State Perspective on Consumer Protection in the Changing Higher Education Landscape: Practical Steps and Recommendations in Cases of Institutional Closure (September 2019)

Representatives from the Illinois Board of Higher Education provide insight into the work the Board has undertaken to support affected students and other stakeholders when a postsecondary institution closes.

2025 Trends in Higher Education (March 2025)

HLC compiles an annual list of higher education trends to inform its work to support member institutions and provide insight into the future of postsecondary education.

Distinctive and Connected: Tribal Colleges and Universities and HLC Accreditation — Considerations for Peer Reviewers (January 2025)

HLC provides context for peer reviewers who may not be familiar with the unique characteristics of Tribal Colleges and Universities.

Guidelines on HLC Requirements

The following guidelines have been developed to assist institutions and peer reviewers in determining whether an institution is meeting the Criteria for Accreditation or other HLC requirements:

Determining Faculty Qualifications

HLC’s Determining Faculty Qualifications (November 2023) provides guidance to institutions and peer reviewers in evaluating institutional policies and procedures for determining faculty qualifications. The guidelines highlight the Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices that speak to the importance of institutions accredited by HLC employing qualified faculty for the varied and essential roles faculty members perform.

Personally Identifiable Information

HLC has provided guidelines on personally identifiable information (PII) in documents or information submitted to HLC. PII is any information about an individual that allows the individual to be specifically identified. This includes, but is not limited to: name, address, telephone number, birthday, email, social security number, bank information, etc. The guidelines highlight HLC’s Obligation of Membership related to PII and describe requirements for redacting or identifying PII in materials submitted to HLC.

Dual Credit

These guidelines offer institutions and peer reviewers formal guidance on the evaluation of dual credit activity at member institutions. HLC defines dual credit courses as “courses taught to high school students for which the students receive both high school credit and college credit.” Dual credit programs are reviewed during an institution’s comprehensive evaluation, but also may be reviewed at other times if concerns about the programs arise.

Maintaining Institutional Autonomy

These guidelines are intended to provide member institutions that are not separately incorporated from a parent organization with a framework for how they can satisfy HLC requirements related to institutional autonomy.

School of Record

Institutions acting as a School of Record must be able to ensure academic integrity and transparency in the transcription of coursework taken abroad by students. They also must ensure appropriately trained personnel are evaluating such courses or programs and that the institution has established processes for evaluation that are applied in a consistent fashion. These guidelines highlight the Criteria and Assumed Practices relevant for these institutions.

Evaluating Reduced-Credit Bachelor’s Degree Programs

These guidelines assist institutions and peer reviewers in evaluating reduced-credit bachelor’s degree programs in the context of HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. The guidelines apply to institutions initially seeking to offer, and then subsequently offering, a reduced-credit bachelor’s degree program. Likewise, the guidance will inform peer reviewers evaluating an application from an institution that is seeking to offer a reduced-credit bachelor’s degree program, or evaluating an institution that is offering such programs.

Position Statements

HLC is an active member of the higher ed community. We work regularly with other higher ed organizations, including the Council for Regional Accreditation Commissions, to communicate with other members of the Triad on issues that matter to you. Check out the Advocacy Agenda to see position statements made by HLC.

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