The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is accredited, most recently in 2020, by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC, known prior to 2014 as the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools). The university underwent its Assurance Review in April 2024 and will undergo its next comprehensive evaluation in 2029-2030.
Additional information about past institutional accreditation reviews, including self-studies and decision letters, can be found at the following links:
Who handles institutional accreditation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The Office of the Provost is responsible for ensuring compliance with HLC rules. This office also maintains a guide to levels of governance detailing what kinds of approvals are needed for certain changes in order to comply with University of Illinois Statutes, Illinois Board of Higher Education rules, and HLC rules.
Why does HLC accreditation matter?
- Through accreditation’s processes of self-assessment and external peer review, an institution can ensure that it attains a level of quality and progresses toward meaningful and lasting improvement.
- Title IV federal financial aid funds are limited to students enrolled in an accredited institution.
- An institution’s accreditation status can impact credit transfer from one school to another.
- Many graduate and professional schools restrict admission to students who graduated from an accredited institution.
Accreditation Standards and Processes
HLC lists its current criteria for accreditation on its website. Institutions are typically reviewed in depth every 10 years following an intensive self-study and a site visit by a team of accreditors. The University of Illinois follows the Open Pathway cycle of accreditation. In between the site visits, HLC requires either an Assurance Review or a Student Success Quality Initiative, an Open Quality Initiative, and annual institutional data updates. HLC also monitors significant changes at each institution.
The federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 mandated additional requirements for oversight by accreditors recognized by the Department of Education. In part because of that act, and to ensure that members are maintaining standards, HLC now requires approval in advance for some kinds of institutional changes. For other changes, HLC requires notification after the fact.
Annual Institutional Updates
Each year, the campus submits responses to a set of queries from HLC. Starting in 2004, the university’s Division of Management Information was assigned responsibility for collating and submitting the information. From 2008 to 2013, HLC split its data request into two parts, one related to student data and one related to financial data. The Office of Budget and Resource Planning now completes the financial data section.
To obtain or review the annual institutional updates, contact the Provost’s Office at provost@illinois.edu.