Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) is a nonprofit institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, serving over 650 post-secondary career schools and colleges educating approximately 150,000 students annually through voluntary, peer-reviewed accreditation and professional development programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersArlington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges does
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) is a private, nonprofit institutional accrediting body headquartered at 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 302, Arlington, Virginia. Founded in 1967 and continuously recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for over 50 years, ACCSC serves as the designated accreditor for post-secondary career schools and colleges, currently overseeing more than 650 accredited institutions that educate approximately 150,000 students annually in vocational, trade, technical, and select degree programs. Its core offering is the Standards of Accreditation — a comprehensive framework covering management, programs, faculty, recruiting, admissions, student services, achievement outcomes, and distance education — applied through a voluntary, peer-reviewed lifecycle of initial accreditation, renewal, self-evaluation reports, on-site evaluations, and continuous improvement.
The organization is supported by a defined technology stack centered on the College 360 Database, a centralized platform for submission of accreditation reports, forms, and required documentation, and the Online Training Center, which hosts the Certified Accreditation Professional (CAP) Program, the Essential Workforce Skills (EWS) Programmatic Certification, webinars, and the Blueprints for Success and Monograph Series resources. These platforms operationalize the accreditation workflow and extend into professional development and programmatic credentialing. Distribution is event- and community-led, anchored by accreditation workshops, an annual Professional Development Conference, webinars, and a network of volunteer peer reviewers drawn from member institutions.
ACCSC generates revenue through subscription-style annual membership dues from accredited institutions, supplemented by accreditation application fees, renewal processing fees, workshop fees, and ancillary professional development income. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; schools engage ACCSC directly for fee schedules. The organization is governed by a Board of Commissioners (chaired by Michael Romano) under Executive Director Michale S. McComis, Ed.D., and operates with a small staff of approximately 20–25 employees. ACCSC's recognized counterparties include the U.S. Department of Education (regulatory recognition), CHEA (quality assurance recognition), the mikeroweWORKS Foundation (scholarship promotion), and Cyanna Education Services (faculty development content).
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges
- Legal name
- Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
- Website
- https://accsc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) is a nonprofit institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, serving over 650 post-secondary career schools and colleges educating approximately 150,000 students annually through voluntary, peer-reviewed accreditation and professional development programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Accreditation Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.) (EDADACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online/Distance Education Quality & Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAK), Accreditation Coordination, Recognition & Meta-Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAH)
Keywords
Where Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Accreditation Fees and Membership Dues: ACCSC generates revenue through accreditation application fees, annual membership dues from accredited institutions, and fees for workshops and renewal processes. Schools pay dues and fees at various stages of the accreditation lifecycle.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Accreditation and membership fees for post-secondary institutions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ACCSC is an institutional accrediting agency that evaluates and accredits post-secondary career schools and colleges against its Standards of Accreditation framework. Schools voluntarily apply through initial accreditation or renewal processes involving self-evaluation reports, on-site evaluations, and peer review, gaining recognition that enables federal student aid eligibility and quality assurance for students and employers.
Product overview
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) operates as a recognized accrediting agency rather than a traditional technology product company. Its core offering is the Standards of Accreditation—a comprehensive framework for evaluating post-secondary career schools and colleges. Supporting this primary framework are the College 360 Database platform for document submission, the Online Training Center for professional development, the Certified Accreditation Professional (CAP) Program for certification, and the Essential Workforce Skills (EWS) Programmatic Certification. Additional resources include the Blueprints for Success guidance series, Monograph Series brochures, Accreditation Renewal and Initial Accreditation Workshops, and webinars for administrators and faculty development. These products and services collectively support the accreditation lifecycle from initial eligibility through renewal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ACCSC Standards of Accreditation
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 150,000 students educated annually at ACCSC-accredited institutions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- mikeroweworks FoundationminorPartnership with the mikeroweworks Foundation Work Ethic Scholarship Program. ACCSC promotes the scholarship program to students at accredited institutions, supporting recognition of hardworking individuals who understand the importance of work ethic, personal responsibility, and positive attitude.
- Cyanna Education ServicesminorCyanna Education Services presents the Faculty Development Webinar Series for ACCSC, providing professional development content focused on people skills, power skills, communication techniques and educational theories for faculty at accredited institutions.
- U.S. Department of EducationcoreACCSC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the designated institutional accrediting body for post-secondary career schools. This recognition enables accredited schools and their students to access federal student aid programs.
- CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation)coreCHEA Board of Directors awarded initial recognition to ACCSC, indicating quality assurance in higher education accreditation. CHEA also collaborated on joint statements regarding transfer of credit.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training): ACCET is a national institutional accreditor of post-secondary, vocational, and continuing education institutions, directly competing with ACCSC for the same career and trade school member segment in the United States.
- ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools): ABHES is a national institutional and programmatic accreditor focused on health education institutions, often overlapping with ACCSC in the proprietary school and vocational training market.
- Council on Occupational Education (COE): COE is a national accrediting agency for career, technical, and occupational education institutions, directly comparable to ACCSC in serving the same population of post-secondary career schools.
Broad incumbents
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC): HLC is one of the largest U.S. regional institutional accreditors serving colleges and universities; broader in scope than ACCSC but operates in the same accreditation ecosystem and occasionally competes for career-oriented institutions.
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC): SACSCOC is a major regional accreditor covering degree-granting institutions in the southern U.S., part of the same accreditation framework ACCSC operates in and a peer for institutional accreditation policy.
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE): MSCHE is a regional accreditor of colleges and universities in the mid-Atlantic region; comparable to ACCSC in operating institutional accreditation but at a broader, degree-granting institution level.
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU): NWCCU accredits colleges and universities in the northwestern U.S., another regional institutional accreditor operating in the same federal/CHEA-recognized accreditation framework as ACCSC.
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC): WSCUC is the WASC commission accrediting senior colleges and universities in California, Hawaii, and the Pacific, comparable in role to ACCSC as a federally recognized accreditor of post-secondary institutions.
- New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE): NECHE is the regional accreditor for institutions in the New England states, comparable to ACCSC as a peer institutional accreditor within the U.S. accreditation system recognized by the Department of Education and CHEA.
Others
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA): CHEA is a meta-recognizing body that coordinates and recognizes accrediting organizations, including ACCSC; not a direct competitor but a peer organization whose recognition is integral to ACCSC's standing in the accreditation ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges social profiles
Digital presenceAccrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges
What does Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges do?
ACCSC is an institutional accrediting agency that evaluates and accredits post-secondary career schools and colleges against its Standards of Accreditation framework. Schools voluntarily apply through initial accreditation or renewal processes involving self-evaluation reports, on-site evaluations, and peer review, gaining recognition that enables federal student aid eligibility and quality assurance for students and employers.
Is Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges a public or private company?
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges founded?
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges was founded in 1967. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges based?
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges is headquartered in Arlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges make money?
One revenue line is on record: accreditation Fees and Membership Dues.
Who are Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training), ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools) and Council on Occupational Education (COE). Broad incumbents are Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is listed as an others.
Does Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges have an API?
No public API is recorded for Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges.
What industry is Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges in?
Accrediting Commission Of Career Schools and Colleges's product category is Educational Accreditation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADACAB, National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.), with a secondary code of EDADACAK, Online/Distance Education Quality & Accreditation Bodies. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.