In the United States, schools and colleges voluntarily seek
accreditation from nongovernmental bodies. There are two types
of educational accreditation: institutional and specialized.
Institutional accreditation is provided by regional and national
associations of schools and colleges. There are six regional
associations, each named after the region in which it operates
(Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern,
Western). The regional associations are independent of one
another, but they cooperate extensively and acknowledge one
another’s accreditation. Several national associations focus on
particular kinds of institutions (for example, trade and
technical colleges, and religious colleges and universities). An
institutional accrediting agency evaluates an entire educational
organization in terms of its mission and the agency’s standards
or criteria. It accredits the organization as a whole. Besides
assessing formal educational activities, it evaluates such
things as governance and admin