About Middle States Accreditation

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region, which includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and several locations internationally.

MSCHE is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources.  The Commission is one of seven regional accreditation agencies in the United States, each covering a specific geographic area.  Together, the seven regional agencies are responsible for monitoring institution-wide accreditation at over 3,000 colleges and universities.

As a regional accrediting agency, the Middle States Commission examines each institution as a whole, rather than specific academic programs within the institution.  Therefore, the Middle States Commission is tasked with examining all aspects of the university including: educational activities, student learning outcomes, institutional resources (human, financial, physical, and technical), governance, administration, admissions policies, student services, institutional assessment practices, and many other aspects of the university's operations.  

An institution must have regional or national accreditation in order to obtain federal financial aid for its students. 

Colleges and universities must seek reaccreditation every five years.  Carnegie Mellon was most recently reaccredited in 2008 following a successful Self-Study process.