Background and History

One of seven regional accreditors in the US, The International Accreditation Commission, was established as an independent company in 1895.

American post-secondary educational institutions that award degrees are accredited by IAC. As part of our mission and vision, IAC aims to serve as the pioneer in fair, transformative, and reliable accreditation for students and member institutions, higher education quality assurance serves the public good.

IAC’s governance structure comprises of a board of trustees, decided through elections by the members and eventually selected by the President. Decision-making bodies made up of institutional representatives and members of the public make decisions about member institutions. The decision-making bodies, unless otherwise stated, are roughly representative of the colleges and universities accredited by IAC, paying particular emphasis to institutional type, control, size, and geographic distribution.

IAC employs a group of carefully chosen and qualified experts to assist it in its accreditation procedures. More than a thousand people volunteers impart their understanding of and firsthand experience with higher education, as well as their commitment to educational excellence and the values that underlie voluntary accreditation.