What is the Higher Learning Commission?
Institutional accreditation is provided by regional associations of schools and colleges (each named after the region in which it operates — Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, Western). The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) and is empowered to conduct accrediting activities for degree-granting organizations of higher education. Specifically, it grants membership to educational institutions in the nineteen-state North Central region: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The Commission's mission statement is succinct: Serving the common good by assuring and advancing the quality of higher learning. The Higher Learning Commission is committed to developing and maintaining high standards of excellence. The HLC was previously referred to as the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).