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Accreditation Overview

Cornell University has been accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education since 1921.

Cornell’s accreditation status is up for renewal in 2011. The decennial process involves a comprehensive institutional self-study and a site visit by a team of external peers.

The self-study process for 2011 is described here.

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation in higher education is a process of external quality review to scrutinize colleges, universities and educational programs for quality assurance and quality improvement. Accreditation is a form of self-regulation in which colleges, universities, and programs have come together to develop standards, policies, and procedures for self-examination and evaluation by peers.

In the U.S., accreditation is carried out through private, nonprofit organizations designed for this specific purpose.  Cornell is accredited through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education , the accrediting agency for educational institutions in the mid-Atlantic region recognized by the federal government and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Accreditation is required in order for students to gain access to federal funds including student grants and loans. Non-accredited institutions are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Types of Accreditation

  • Regional or “University” Accreditation: Regional accreditors operate in six specific clusters of states (regions) in the U.S. and review entire institutions.  As an institution in New York State, Cornell is accredited through “Middle States.”
  • Specialized and Professional Accreditation: Specialized and professional accreditors operate throughout the country and review programs and some single-purpose institutions. There are 21 programs which have specialized or professional accreditation at Cornell.