The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

What The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges does

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is a private, nonprofit institutional accreditor founded in 1895, headquartered in Decatur, Georgia. It accredits more than 780 degree-granting public, private not-for-profit, and private for-profit colleges and universities across 43 U.S. states and select international jurisdictions, with the Commission on Colleges formally established within the parent Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1917. Its core service is peer-review accreditation delivered through a structured lifecycle of initial accreditation, candidacy, decennial reaffirmation, fifth-year interim reports, and substantive change review, underpinned by the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement (2024 edition).

The organization's technology backbone is a three-portal accreditation management platform — an Institutional Portal for member submissions and compliance certifications, an Evaluator/Volunteer Portal for peer reviewer workflows, and an internal Staff Portal — supplemented by a public Institutions Database, a Third-Party Comment System, and a public draft-review system for proposed revisions to accreditation standards. Peer evaluators drawn from member institutions conduct off-site and on-site review committees, while a 77-member elected Board of Trustees and a 13-member Executive Council provide governance, with the College Delegate Assembly (institutional CEOs) serving as the electoral body.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from membership dues and fees assessed against the 780+ accredited institutions, including tiered annual dues for applicant, candidate, and member institutions, plus application fees, candidacy and accreditation committee visit fees, decennial reaffirmation review fees, and fees for substantive change and special committee reviews. Pricing is documented in an internal Schedule of Dues, Fees and other Expenses policy document rather than publicly disclosed. GTM is hybrid: sales-led for institutional onboarding and renewal, and community-led through peer evaluator participation, annual meetings, and the Summer Institute professional development conference.

Name

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Legal name

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Inc.

Website

https://sacscoc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SACSCOC is a U.S. nonprofit institutional accreditor, founded in 1895, that peer-reviews and accredits more than 780 degree-granting colleges and universities across 43 states and internationally, funded primarily by member institution dues and review fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Institutional Accreditation Services

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional/Institutional Accreditors (Universities & Colleges) (EDADACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ), International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

Keywords

• Higher education accreditation
• Institutional accreditation services
• Peer review accreditation
• Educational quality assurance
• College accreditation standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Decatur

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Fees: Annual membership dues and fees from accredited institutions. Fee schedule documented in Dues, Fees and Expenses policy document. Institutions at various stages (applicant, candidate, member) pay different fee levels.
2. Application and Review Fees: Fees for initial applications, candidacy reviews, accreditation committee visits, and reaffirmation reviews. Institutions pay expenses related to committee visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SACSCOC is a federally recognized regional institutional accreditor that evaluates and accredits degree-granting colleges and universities through a peer-review process grounded in the 2024 Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement. Its services span initial accreditation applications, candidacy status, decennial reaffirmation reviews, fifth-year interim reports, substantive change approvals, and Prison Education Program oversight, delivered through online portals, on-site committee visits, and annual professional development programs.

Product overview

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) operates as a recognized institutional accrediting body rather than a traditional software product company. Its primary offerings consist of accreditation services, standards documentation, and associated processes. The organization provides a suite of online portals for institutional accreditation management (Institutional Portal, Evaluator Portal, Staff Portal), standardized accreditation processes including reaffirmation, initial accreditation, and substantive change review. Key service offerings include the Principles of Accreditation document, Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) framework, Pre-Applicant Workshops, and the annual Summer Institute. The organization is undergoing a rebranding to 'The Commission on Colleges and Universities' effective September 1, 2026, which will include a new Torch and Shield logo with Navy and Gold color palette. All accreditation activities remain under the legal entity name Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Initial Accreditation Application Process Multi-stage process from pre-applicant workshop through candidacy to initial accreditation, including application submission, candidacy committee visit, and accreditation committee review for colleges and universities seeking first-time SACSCOC membership.
• Reaffirmation Process Comprehensive decennial review process for member institutions including Compliance Certification, Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) development, Off-Site and On-Site Reaffirmation Committee reviews, and Board of Trustees action.
• Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement The foundational accreditation standards document (currently 2024 edition) that defines requirements for member institutions, including core requirements, standards for accreditation, and compliance expectations.
• Substantive Change Review Services Review and approval process for significant institutional changes including new programs, off-campus sites, mission changes, and governance modifications, with streamlined digital submission via the institutional portal.
• Prison Education Program (PEP) Services Specialized guidance and approval process for institutions seeking to establish prison education programs under Second Chance Pell and PEP requirements.
• Pre-Applicant Workshops Virtual workshops covering accreditation procedures, documentation requirements, and compliance with Principles of Accreditation for prospective member institutions.
• SACSCOC Summer Institute Annual professional development conference for member institutions, typically held in July in Atlanta, Georgia, providing training on accreditation standards and institutional effectiveness (Summer Institute 2026 scheduled for July 19-22).
• Evaluator Training and Resources Training materials, handbooks, committee report templates, and ethical obligations guidance for peer evaluators serving on SACSCOC review committees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 780+ accredited institutions committed to student success, academic quality, and continuous improvement
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerC-RAC represents seven organizations responsible for accreditation of approximately 3,000 of the nation's colleges and universities. Includes ACCJC, HLC, MSCHE, NE-CHE, NWCCU, SACSCOC, and WASC Senior College and University Commission. Collaborates on regional accreditation standards and practices.
• U.S. Department of EducationcoreOthersSACSCOC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an institutional accreditor. This recognition enables accredited institutions to participate in Title IV federal student aid programs.
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHEA recognizes accrediting bodies meeting quality standards. SACSCOC maintains recognition through CHEA in addition to U.S. Department of Education recognition.
• Other Regional Accrediting CommissionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeer regional accrediting bodies including: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission of Higher Education (NE-CHE), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), WASC Senior College and University Commission, and Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).
• Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization for specialized and professional accrediting bodies. Provides networking and coordination among various accreditation organizations.
• Vera Institute of JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership related to Prison Education Program (PEP). The Vera Institute released The Best Interest Determination Toolkit for guidance on oversight entities, shared in SACSCOC's PEP resource folder.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU): Regional accreditor for institutions in the seven-state Northwest U.S. region, delivering peer-reviewed, USDE-recognized accreditation on the same multi-year cycle as SACSCOC. Comparable in scale, mission, and reliance on member dues.
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE): Regional accreditor for institutions across the Mid-Atlantic U.S., operating peer-driven evaluation standards and member dues similar to SACSCOC's. Competes for institutional members in adjacent geography and shares common regulatory exposure via USDE recognition.
• New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE): Regional accreditor for colleges and universities in the six New England states and internationally, structured around peer-driven reviews and recurring dues. Mirrors SACSCOC's combination of domestic + international accreditation reach and USDE-recognized status.
• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC): Regional accreditor focusing on two-year and community colleges, primarily in California, Hawaii, and U.S. Pacific territories. Shares the same regulatory recognition pathway as SACSCOC and overlaps in institutional type for associate-degree-granting members.
• Higher Learning Commission (HLC): Regional institutional accreditor for degree-granting institutions in the North Central U.S., covering a comparable institutional base through a similar peer-review and decennial reaffirmation process. Operates as SACSCOC's most direct functional analog within the U.S. accreditor system.
• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC): Regional accreditor serving senior (baccalaureate and above) institutions in the western U.S. and internationally, with a peer-review process and standards framework functionally interchangeable with SACSCOC's.

Emerging players

• Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC): U.S. national accreditor focused on distance education institutions, including a growing share of for-profit and online providers. Competes with SACSCOC for the institutional segment where distance learning is the primary modality — a segment targeted by SACSCOC's international and online members.

Broad incumbents

• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA): National association that recognizes and coordinates U.S. accrediting organizations, including SACSCOC. While CHEA is a meta-recognition body rather than a competing accreditor, its governance and policy stance directly affect SACSCOC's standing and is essential context for any investment or partnership thesis.

Others

• Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA): Membership organization for specialized and programmatic accreditors (e.g., business, engineering, nursing). Adjacent to SACSCOC rather than competing for the same institutional accreditation, but relevant as an ecosystem connector and policy interlocutor for higher-education quality assurance.
• Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC): Consortium of the seven U.S. regional accreditors (including SACSCOC) that collaborates on standards, policy, and federal advocacy. Not a direct competitor but a key coordinating counterpart whose policy positions materially influence SACSCOC's operating environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookm.facebook.com/61579162817249
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-association-of-colleges-and-schools-commission-on-colleges-sacscoc
• Instagraminstagram.com/sacscoc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges