About the Higher Learning Commission

According to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, accreditation is a process of external quality review. By going through the accreditation process, a University has demonstrated to an external agency that it can provide quality education, it is financially stable, it has demonstrated accountability standards and is responsive to issues of accountability, it has sufficient resources, and it employs fair practices and procedures. Institutional accreditation is required for an institution to receive federal aid and for students to obtain federally-backed student loans.

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is the institutional accrediting agency for Oklahoma State University. It is one of six regional accreditors in the United States. The Criteria for Accreditation are the standards of quality by which the Commission determines whether an institution merits accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation.