Institutional Accreditation
Accreditation that evaluates an entire university (governance, finances, facilities, academic programs) rather than individual departments or programs.
Institutional accreditation evaluates a university as a whole entity — assessing its governance structure, financial stability, physical facilities, student services, and the overall quality of its academic programs. In the US, institutional accreditation is granted by six regional accrediting agencies, and is required for universities to participate in federal financial aid programs. Institutional accreditation differs from programmatic accreditation (which evaluates specific programs like engineering or nursing) and serves as the baseline quality standard that all legitimate universities must meet.
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