The Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries around the world. It offers a variety of grant programs the promote international exchange, and its EducationUSA resource provides information on studying in the United States.

CHEA is an association of degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes institutional and programmatic accrediting organisations.

The United States has a single, comprehensive higher education system. It is not divided into university and non-university sub-sectors. The following links provide information about degree-granting institutions of higher education.

The United States has a variety of education and training providers offering non-degree programs at the postsecondary level. The following links provide information about them.

In the United States, quality assurance is administered by nongovernmental accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Accrediting agencies develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether criteria are met. Institutions and/or programs that request an accreditor's evaluation and meet the agency's criteria are then "accredited" by that accreditor. For complete information about an accredited institution -- such as accreditation history, branch campuses, etc. -- consult the accrediting agency's website.

The U.S. Department of Education recognizes U.S. accrediting agencies that accredit postsecondary institutions and programs in the United States. (No overseas institutions or programs are listed.) The Department's database only lists institutions and programs accredited by U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agencies.  

CHEA recognizes U.S. accrediting agencies that accredit higher education institutions and programs in the United States, as well as in other countries. The CHEA database lists institutions and programs accredited by CHEA-recognized and/or U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agencies.

IMPORTANT: The U.S. ENIC (U.S. Department of Education) does not evaluate/validate academic or professional credentials. Please do not submit requests for such evaluations; however, feel free to contact the U.S. ENIC regarding other inquiries. See below for general information on policies and procedures for the recognition of foreign credentials.