Specialized and professional accreditors are recognized as reputable by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Best practices are shared and developed through affiliation with the Association of Professional and Specialized Accreditors. The more visible specialized and professional accreditors include:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology - for applied science, computing, engineering, and technology programs
American Bar Association - for law schools. Graduation from an ABA-accredited law school is a prerequisite to sitting for the bar exam in most states, a notable exception being California.
American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation - for dentistry schools
American Veterinary Medical Association - for veterinary schools
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs - for business schools
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business - for business schools
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation - for medical schools that grant a D.O. degree
Liaison Committee on Medical Education - for medical schools that grant an M.D. degree
National Architectural Accrediting Board - for architecture schools. Graduation from a NAAB-accredited architecture school is a prerequisite to sitting for the architectural licensing exams in most states
National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration - for public policy schools
Other recognized accreditors
Several organizations exist that accredit institutions and which are not recognized by the DOE or CHEA. These include:
The State Bar of California Committee of Bar Examiners