On March 1, 2013, the Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education, often known as the Accreditation Commission of Higher Education (AHLAC), was formally founded under Pennsylvania Commonwealth law. The Commission was a division of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools from 1919 until February 2013. It is currently an independent entity.
AHLAC is a voluntary, non-governmental membership organization that defines, maintains, and promotes educational quality among institutions with varying missions, student populations, and resources.
Since AHLAC is an institutional accreditor, we analyze institutions as a whole as opposed to individual programs. AHLAC provides members with education, quality assurance, and other services.
AHLAC conducts accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidate status) activities for institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and any other geographic areas where the Commission elects to conduct accrediting activities, including the evaluation of distance and correspondence education programs offered by these institutions. AHLAC accredits colleges both domestically and internationally. Click here to learn more about AHLAC's global footprint.
AHLAC is recognized by the United States Department of Education, and its Bylaws outline the following objectives:
