Accreditation Information

Accreditation within higher education is a voluntary process that gives public recognition to institutions that meet established quality standards. Accreditation should be important to you, because it determines a school’s eligibility for federal and state financial aid, and may influence acceptance of transfer credits and admission to OTHER accredited graduate schools.

American Public University and American Military University are part of the American Public University System (APUS), which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The HLC accredits degree-granting institutions located in a 19-state region, and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

The university’s level of accreditation requires a significant amount of self-study and presentation of evidence to satisfy the demanding requirements of accrediting organizations. Obtaining accreditation with the HLC demonstrates the university’s focus on providing academic excellence and the best possible experience for our students.

Other schools accredited by the HLC include The Ohio State University, Air Force Academy, and University of Michigan, to name just a few.

Benefits of Attending an Accredited University

As an accredited institution, our university is eligible to participate in federal educational entitlement programs, such as military tuition assistance, government tuition reimbursement programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill®, and many corporate education assistance programs. In addition, APUS has been granted approval by the Department of Education to participate in Title IV Federal Student Aid (FSA) Programs.

Credits and degrees earned through APUS may be recognized for promotion, assignment, and position qualification standards within the military, federal government, and private sector.

Note: Credits earned here are considered transfer-eligible based on our accreditation, but the university cannot guarantee that all your credits will be accepted, as acceptance of credit is always the prerogative of the receiving institution.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official website: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill

Specialized Accreditation

In addition to our HLC accreditation, our university has obtained specialized/programmatic accreditation through appropriate governing organizations for our bachelor's nursing program, as well as many programs in business, health sciences, and public safety. The curriculum for these programs meets the higher standards required by these external accrediting organizations.

Additional Information

More details, including the mailing address of the HLC, can be found on the university’s website. If you have questions or need further information on accreditation, please contact the Office of Institutional Accreditation at [email protected] or 304-724-3778.