Georgia Accrediting Commission

What Georgia Accrediting Commission does

The Georgia Accrediting Commission, Inc. (GAC) is a private non-profit educational accrediting organization incorporated under Georgia state law and headquartered in Alma, Georgia. Founded in 1903-1904 by Dr. Joseph S. Stewart at the University of Georgia to standardize relationships between the university and the state's high schools, GAC has operated continuously for over 120 years and now accredits institutions from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12, as well as Educational Agencies with Special Purposes (EASP), Non-Traditional Educational Centers (NTEC), and online schools. The organization is led by an Executive Director (currently Phillip K. Murphy) supported by a 12-member Board of Directors with ex-officio representation from the Georgia Department of Education and Regional Educational Service Agencies, and a contracted network of approved consultants—typically retired school administrators—who conduct the on-site visitations central to the accreditation process.

GAC's core product is the accreditation review and certification service, anchored by the comprehensive GAC Bulletin that codifies all standards and procedural requirements in a downloadable document. The underlying technology is a modest web-based platform hosted under the University of Georgia College of Education domain (gac.coe.uga.edu), used primarily for standards publication and distribution of application forms; there is no proprietary software product, mobile application, or API surface. Schools engage GAC through direct outreach to the Executive Director, engagement of GAC-approved consultants for multi-year visitations (three years for initial accreditation, every three-to-five years thereafter), and ultimately Board approval at semiannual meetings.

GAC generates revenue primarily through membership and accreditation fees. Traditional schools pay $50 per grade level annually for renewal, with EASP and NTEC schools paying a flat $100 per year. Initial accreditation applications carry a $75 per-grade-level fee ($250 for NTEC). Consultant fees ($300 per day plus travel) are paid directly by schools to consultants and do not flow through GAC. Secondary revenue includes seal and document sales. The go-to-market is consultant-led and event-driven, with no active outbound sales motion; marketing is limited to the informational website and Board-level network relationships with member schools across the state.

Name

Georgia Accrediting Commission

Legal name

Georgia Accrediting Commission, Inc.

Website

https://gac.coe.uga.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Georgia Accrediting Commission is a non-profit educational accrediting organization that certifies Pre-K through Grade 12 schools, online schools, and specialized educational agencies across the State of Georgia against standards codified in the GAC Bulletin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Accreditation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12/School & District Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accreditation Support (NAEYC/NECPA/State) (EDACAKAD), Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

Keywords

• School accreditation services
• Educational quality assurance
• Educational standards compliance
• School membership programs
• Pre-K through 12 accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Alma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Accreditation Fees: Schools pay annual membership fees based on grade levels accredited. Traditional schools pay $50 per grade level annually; NTEC and EASP schools pay $100 annually. Application fees for initial accreditation are $75 per grade level. Consultant services are paid separately by schools at $300 per day plus travel expenses.
2. Forms and Document Sales: Schools purchase official GAC seals for accredited institutions. Seal order forms are available for purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Georgia Accrediting Commission provides accreditation review and certification services for Pre-K through Grade 12 schools across the state of Georgia. Schools voluntarily apply for accreditation, complete a comprehensive self-study using the GAC Bulletin standards, and undergo consultant-led on-site visitations. The commission issues accreditation status and maintains recognized educational standards that facilitate credit transfers between member institutions.

Product overview

The Georgia Accrediting Commission is an independent educational accrediting agency that provides accreditation services for schools and educational agencies across Georgia. The organization operates a comprehensive accreditation system that evaluates and certifies educational programs from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as specialized educational agencies. The core product is the accreditation review and certification service, supported by the GAC Bulletin containing all standards, the Consultant Visitation Program for site evaluations, and various application processes. Member services include downloadable forms, consultant access, and the Starr Miller Distinguished Service Award recognizing excellence in education. The organization serves both public and non-public schools through a structured accreditation framework with multiple status levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Initial Accreditation Comprehensive initial accreditation program for Pre-K through Grade 12 schools in Georgia seeking first-time accreditation, including application processing, self-study review using the GAC Bulletin standards, and consultant-led on-site visitation leading to accreditation status issuance.
• Continuing Accreditation Ongoing accreditation maintenance program for previously accredited Pre-K through Grade 12 schools, including periodic re-evaluation, standards compliance verification, consultant re-visitations, and continued recognition as an accredited institution.
• Consultant Visitation Program On-site consultant-led evaluation service where trained field consultants conduct visitations at applicant and member schools to assess compliance with GAC educational standards and report findings to the commission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Academic credits transfer automatically between GAC-accredited schools without special examination

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)coreOthersLinked organization sharing similar educational standards and accreditation processes. Schools often seek dual accreditation from both GAC and SACS. GAC accepts SACS-accredited work for credit transfers.
• Georgia Private School Accreditation CouncilcoreOthersState-level coordinating body for private school accreditation in Georgia, working alongside GAC to establish educational standards.
• Georgia Department of EducationcoreOthersState education agency with an ex-officio member on the GAC Board of Directors. Coordinates with GAC on educational standards and school compliance.
• Governor's Office of Student AchievementminorOthersState agency focused on student achievement metrics, linked as a resource for member schools.
• Georgia Student Finance CommissionminorOthersState agency managing student financial aid programs, linked as a resource for member schools.
• Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESA)coreOthersGeorgia's regional educational service agencies provide support to local schools. GAC bylaws include an ex-officio director representing RESA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cognia: Cognia is the largest US K-12 accreditor, formed through the merger of AdvancED, SACS CASI, and NCA CASI. It is the dominant incumbent competitor to GAC and offers school accreditation services across the same K-12 domain with much broader geographic reach and digital infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Georgia Private School Accreditation Council (GPSAC): GPSAC is the state-level coordinating body for private school accreditation in Georgia and is explicitly named as a parallel/partner organization to GAC. It serves the same private K-12 customer base within Georgia, making it the most direct in-state peer.
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS): SACS — now part of Cognia — is the regional accreditor that historically competed with and overlapped GAC in Georgia. Schools frequently pursue dual accreditation, and GAC explicitly accepts SACS-accredited work for credit transfer, making SACS the closest direct peer in function and customer base.
• Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS): MSA-CESS accredits K-12 schools across the mid-Atlantic and globally. It operates the same school-level accreditation model (standards, consultant visits, board review) and serves a comparable customer base of public and private K-12 institutions, making it a strong direct functional peer.

Regional players

• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC): WASC accredits schools across the western US and Pacific region, using a comparable standards-and-visit model for elementary, middle, and high schools. It is structurally analogous to GAC but operates in a different geography and as part of a different regional association framework.
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC): NEASC's Commission on Public Secondary Schools accredits K-12 schools in New England and internationally. It mirrors GAC's structure of educator-led boards, published standards, and periodic consultant-driven school visits, with the key difference being a different geographic territory.

Emerging players

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): NAEYC operates a national early-childhood education accreditation program — directly overlapping GAC's Pre-Kindergarten accreditation offering. It serves a partially overlapping segment (early childhood programs) and competes for the same Pre-K member schools.

Others

• National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA): NCPSA is a meta-accrediting body that recognizes private school accreditors and serves as a coordinating layer above organizations like GAC. It is comparable because it directly affects the legitimacy and recognition of GAC's accreditation in the broader private-school ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georgia-accrediting-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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