Accreditation is a process by which experts in a particular field determine common standards and choose to regulate themselves according to those standards. In order to become accredited, especially in the field of education, a program or institution participates in a voluntary process of peer review, designed to improve and assure the quality of the program or institution. Within the higher education community, oversight for education programs and institutions is the purview of accrediting agencies, state regulatory agencies, and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

The goals of accreditation in education include the following:

• Advancing standards and promoting excellence
• Publicly recognizing programs and institutions that meet accepted standards
• Assuring the quality of programs and institutions to the public
• Providing a means of ongoing self-assessment and continuing education for programs and institutions
• Providing an objective means for reviewing the quality of education and education services 

Benefits of Accreditation

Personnel, students and an English language program or institution itself directly benefit from involvement in a comprehensive assessment of how effectively the program or institution meets its stated mission with respect to accreditation standards. By evaluating quality of educational programs, administration and services with respect to the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions, it is possible to measure effectiveness against accepted benchmarks in the field of English language teaching. Through the ongoing annual reporting and reaccreditation process, programs and institutions continue to demonstrate their commitment to high quality educational and administrative practices.