Intensive English Programs (IEPs): The Importance of Accreditation

Accreditation by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET) serves to both evaluate and improve the quality of Intensive English Programs (IEPs) through the establishment and publication of rigorous standards, policies and practices, along with a reliable process for their application in evaluating those programs. There are a number of important and unique characteristics that define the operation of ACCET, which has been officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Education since 1978 as a "reliable authority as to the quality of education or training provided by the institutions of higher education" it accredits.  In addition, ACCET sought and attained an important international affiliation to diversify and strengthen its role in accreditation by becoming, in 1998, the only U.S. accrediting agency to achieve ISO 9001 certification as a Quality Management System.  ACCET has been accrediting intensive English programs, which currently number 208 throughout the U.S.A., for over 25 years. 

The ACCET standards for evaluating institutions offering IEPs can be reviewed on our website, under Documents and Forms (Document 3.2/3.ESL Combined). These standards address all essential aspects of a school utilizing a peer review cadre of ESL and other professionals, both for on-site evaluation visits and on the Accrediting Commission, the latter of which shoulders the responsibility of independently granting or denying accredited status.  Much more information about the specifics of ACCET accreditation standards and practices, in addition to a school directory with more detailed information for the IEP schools listed below, can be located on the website at www.accet.org.

In addition to the overall evaluation and improvement of the quality of education and training, accreditation has some specific purposes and functions pertinent to international students interested in continuing their education in the USA. While this country holds great allure as a symbol of freedom and free enterprise, access to its shores for extended educational purposes requires a student visa, for which the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorizes schools, accredited by agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, to process the forms to make application by enrollees.

Accreditation is, at its best, a means by which good schools and good practices are promoted, while students' best interests and educational goals are protected.  ACCET accredited institutions voluntarily commit themselves to the expense and effort of a quality-oriented, rigorous, third-party evaluation to gain and maintain accredited status, an important distinction to consider when selecting an intensive English program in the U.S.A.


A list of ACCET accredited IEP institutions can be located in our Member Institutions Directory by clicking the following link and typing in IEP under the "Programs Offered" box.  Each individual institution can then be accessed by clicking on the name of the institution.     

IEP Institutions