Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)

What Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) does

ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools) is a U.S. Department of Education-recognized, private nonprofit accrediting agency that has operated since 1964 and has held continuous federal recognition since 1969. Headquartered at 6116 Executive Blvd., Suite 730, North Bethesda, MD, with a staff of 11-50, the organization evaluates and accredits private postsecondary institutions and specific allied health programs in the United States. Its core products are institutional accreditation for postsecondary schools offering predominantly allied health education (certificates through Master's level, including distance education) and programmatic accreditation for Medical Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technician, and Surgical Technology programs.

Supporting products include a published Accreditation Manual, Self-Evaluation Report (SER) and Program Effectiveness Plan (PEP) templates with mandated thresholds (e.g., at least 70% retention, credentialing, and placement rates), a Directory of Accredited Institutions, evaluator training programs across CORE, Surgical Technology, Distance Education, and Administrative Team Leader specialties, accreditation workshops (Initial, Renewal, Maintaining, Institutional/Programmatic), and the annual National Conference on Allied Health Education (22nd edition in March 2026). The technology footprint consists of a customer portal (portal.abhes.org), a separate online training center (abhestraining.org), Zoom for webinars, Dropbox for document submissions, and calendar integrations (Google, iCalendar, Outlook 365/Outlook Live). ABHES is explicitly independent of any trade or membership organization and is governed by its Board of Commissioners.

Revenue is generated through accreditation application and evaluation fees (institutional and programmatic, initial and renewal), paid training and workshop fees (e.g., $149 per webinar attendee, with some webinars offered free), and conference registration. The go-to-market mixes direct sales engagement with institutions, an annual conference for community engagement, and a trained evaluator network for site visits and assessment. Marketing channels include the abhes.org website, webinars, the accreditation manual and resources, the institution directory, and the training portal. Geographic scope is domestic (United States) only, and there are no disclosed partnerships, M&A activity, or external funding rounds.

Name

Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)

Legal name

Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools

Website

https://abhes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

U.S. Department of Education-recognized nonprofit accrediting agency providing institutional and programmatic accreditation for private postsecondary institutions and allied health programs (Medical Assistant, Medical Lab Technician, Surgical Technology) across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Accreditation Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized/Single-Purpose Accreditors (e.g., seminaries, arts conservatories) (EDADACAD)

Keywords

• Health education accreditation
• Institutional accreditation
• Programmatic accreditation
• Allied health programs
• Accreditation standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Falls Church

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Application Fees: Institutions and programs seeking accreditation pay application fees for initial and renewal accreditation reviews. Fees cover the evaluation process including application review, site visits, and commission consideration.
2. Training and Workshop Fees: ABHES generates revenue through registration fees for webinars, workshops, and evaluator training sessions. For example, certain webinars are priced at $149 per attendee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ABHES is a private, non-profit, independent accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education since 1969 that provides institutional and programmatic accreditation to private postsecondary institutions offering predominantly allied health education programs. It evaluates institutions and programs against published standards through systematic reviews, site visits, and commission decisions, and supports the process with workshops, evaluator training, an annual conference, and an online training platform.

Product overview

ABHES is an accreditation organization offering institutional and programmatic accreditation services for health education institutions. The core offerings include institutional accreditation for private postsecondary institutions and programmatic accreditation specifically for medical assistant, medical laboratory technician, and surgical technology programs. Supporting products include the Accreditation Manual, Self-Evaluation Report (SER), and Program Effectiveness Plan (PEP) templates. Additional services include accreditation workshops, evaluator training programs, an annual National Conference, Online Training Center, Directory of Institutions, and a customer portal for accreditation management. The organization does not operate as a technology platform with AI capabilities but provides educational and administrative services to the health education sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Institutional Accreditation Accreditation services for private, postsecondary institutions offering predominantly allied health education programs leading to certificates, diplomas, and degrees at Associate, Baccalaureate, and Master's levels, including distance education.
• Programmatic Accreditation Programmatic accreditation for medical assistant, medical laboratory technician, and surgical technology programs leading to certificates, diplomas, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Occupational Science, or Academic Associate degrees.
• Accreditation Workshops

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs): CAAHEP is a programmatic accreditor for allied health education programs, directly overlapping with ABHES's Medical Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technician, and Surgical Technology scope. It competes for the same institutional and programmatic accreditation business in the U.S.
• ARC/STSA (Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting): ARC/STSA accredits Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting programs, directly overlapping with ABHES's surgical technology accreditation. It competes for the same programmatic accreditation customers.
• JRCERT (Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology): JRCERT accredits radiologic technology programs, a closely allied health education niche adjacent to ABHES's core programs. It competes for institutional accreditation business in the allied health education space.
• ACICS (Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools): ACICS accredits private colleges and schools, including many that offer allied health programs. It competes with ABHES for institutional accreditation customers in the U.S.
• ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training): ACCET accredits continuing education and training institutions, overlapping with ABHES's reach into postsecondary and continuing education providers serving allied health education.
• NAACLS (National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences): NAACLS accredits clinical laboratory science programs, directly competing with ABHES's Medical Laboratory Technician programmatic accreditation. It serves a similar institutional customer base in the U.S.
• ACCSC (Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges): ACCSC accredits private postsecondary career schools and colleges, directly competing with ABHES's institutional accreditation for allied-health-focused institutions in the U.S.
• Council on Occupational Education (COE): COE is a national accreditor of postsecondary occupational education institutions, competing directly with ABHES for institutional accreditation of allied health-focused private postsecondary schools.

Broad incumbents

• Higher Learning Commission (HLC): HLC is a large regional accreditor with a broader portfolio than ABHES. It serves many of the same postsecondary institutions but covers degree levels and disciplines far beyond allied health, competing at the institutional accreditation layer.
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE): MSCHE is a regional accreditor that accredits a wide range of postsecondary institutions, including those offering allied health programs. It competes with ABHES at the institutional accreditation level while serving a much broader mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)