Accreditation

Jones International University, The University of the Web^®, is proud to be the first fully online institution in the U.S. to receive regional accreditation. We are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association. The Higher Learning Commission is one of the six regional accrediting bodies in the United States and offers the highest form of accreditation available to a university. The Higher Learning Commission may be contacted at www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org or by calling 800.621.7440.

In the U.S., accreditation is voluntarily sought by institutions and is conferred by six regional associations, and by several national associations that limit their scope to particular kinds of institutions. An institutional accrediting body evaluates an entire institution in terms of its mission and accredits the institution as a whole. This body reviews more than the educational offerings of the institution; it also assesses such characteristics as governance and administration, financial condition, admissions and student personnel processes, institutional resources, and relationships with outside communities.

What is the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association?

The Higher Learning Commission is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Association is a not-for-profit, voluntary, membership organization that was founded in 1895 for educational institutions. The Association is one of six regional institutional accrediting associations in the United States. Through its Commissions it accredits, and thereby grants membership to, educational institutions in the 19-state North Central region. The 19 states it serves include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming – and Department of Defense Schools and Navajo Nation Schools.

The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, based in Chicago, accredits degree-granting institutions of higher education. Its mission is: to establish requirements and criteria for the accreditation of institutions of higher education and accredit institutions found to meet those requirements and criteria; to strengthen educational and institutional quality through its assistance to its affiliated institutions, its evaluation processes and its programs, publications, and research; to advocate and exercise self-regulation in higher education through effective peer review; and to provide the public with accurate information concerning the relationship of affiliated institutions with the Commission.

What Other Institutions has the Higher Learning Commission Accredited?

A partial list of the institutions of higher education accredited by the Higher Learning Commission includes The University of Notre Dame, University of Arizona, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Kansas and Ohio State University.

What is the Value of Institutional Accreditation?

For members of the public – and especially prospective students — the institutional accreditation provided by the Higher Learning Commission means that the accredited institution meets the Commission’s requirements and criteria and will continue to meet them. Accreditation provides public certification of acceptable institutional quality.

To Learn More…

To learn more about the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, visit www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org or call 800.621.7440. Written inquiries: 30 North LaSalle Street Suite 2400, Chicago, Ill. 60602-2504.