Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation

Colorado State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a historically regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

CSU participates in the Open Pathway — one of two options institutions have with HLC to maintain accreditation. It follows a 10-year cycle and, like all pathways, is focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement. The process includes regular monitoring, an assurance review in year four, completion of a quality initiative in years five through nine and a comprehensive evaluation in year 10.

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Specialized Accreditation

All academic/professional degrees and all course credits earned at CSU are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In addition, many of CSU’s academic programs are accredited through professional organizations in their disciplines.

The Specialized Accreditation Schedule provides a listing of accredited programs as well as the corresponding dates for reaccreditation. Disciplinary accreditation can be important for future employment or admission to graduate school.

Specialized accreditation is especially common if the program is intended to prepare graduates for an occupation requiring licensure. Before enrolling in such a program, students should verify the program actually meets the requirements of the state in which they intend to practice.