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How to use the HLC Directory of Institutions

The Higher Learning Commission directory of institutions at hlcommission.org is the authoritative source for the accreditation status, pathway, reaffirmation history, and public action record of every HLC-accredited institution. For HLC-accredited institutions including University of Phoenix, the HLC Directory of Institutions provides information that goes significantly beyond what DAPIP shows: the specific evaluation pathway, the date and outcome of the most recent reaffirmation, the schedule for the next comprehensive evaluation, and any public notices or formal actions that have occurred. This page explains how to navigate the directory and read the Statement of Accreditation Status.

Navigate to hlcommission.org. The HLC website includes a member directory search function - sometimes labeled “Find an Institution” or accessible through the directory section. The search allows you to find a member institution by name. Enter the institution’s name, select from the results, and open the institution’s detail page. For University of Phoenix, the institution’s name in the HLC directory is University of Phoenix.

Step 2: open the Statement of Accreditation Status

The institution detail page in the HLC directory includes a link to the Statement of Accreditation Status. Open it. This document is the accreditor’s own formal record of the institution’s current accreditation status and recent history. It is the document that legal, academic, and employment verification processes reference when confirming HLC accreditation.

Step 3: read the key fields

The Statement of Accreditation Status contains several key fields. Current accreditation status: shows whether the institution is currently accredited. For University of Phoenix, this reads as accredited. Pathway: HLC uses the Standard Pathway and the Open Pathway; University of Phoenix is on the Standard Pathway. The pathway determines the structure and cadence of the evaluation cycle. Most recent comprehensive evaluation: shows the date and outcome of the last full evaluation. For University of Phoenix, this is 2023, with an outcome of reaffirmation. Next comprehensive evaluation: shows when the next full evaluation is scheduled. For University of Phoenix, this is 2032–2033.

Public notices and formal actions: if HLC has issued any notices, sanctions, probations, show cause orders, or other formal actions, they appear in this section. A clean record shows no current or outstanding actions. University of Phoenix’s historical record shows a 2013 Notice that was subsequently resolved. Resolved actions may appear in the historical record even after they are no longer active. Reading them in context - understanding that a resolved notice is different from an ongoing adverse action - is essential for an accurate interpretation.

What the different action types mean

HLC’s policies include those for sanctions, adverse actions and appeals. A Notice is a public sanction that attaches to an institution’s accreditation status. The sanction of Notice indicates an overall judgment that the institution is at risk of being out of compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation. Notice will be supported by a finding that an institution meets with concerns one or more Criteria for Accreditation and, overall, the institution is at risk of being out of compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation. The institution remains accredited while it is on Notice.

Probation is a public sanction that attaches to an institution’s accreditation status. The sanction of Probation indicates that an accredited institution is no longer in compliance with one or more Criteria for Accreditation and/or is not in compliance with other HLC requirements, which may include the Assumed Practices or the Federal Compliance Requirements, such that Probation is warranted. Probation will be supported by a finding that an institution does not meet one or more Criteria for Accreditation or that the institution does not meet other HLC requirements, such that Probation is warranted as a period for the institution to remediate the areas of noncompliance. The institution remains accredited while it is on Probation.

Show-Cause is a public procedural order that attaches to an institution’s accreditation status. A Show-Cause Order is not a sanction. A Show-Cause Order shifts the burden to the institution to promptly provide evidence, without a period of remediation, indicating that its accreditation should not be withdrawn. The basis for the issuance of a Show-Cause Order will be the determination by the HLC Board of Trustees that the institution does not meet one or more Criteria for Accreditation, and/or is not in compliance with other HLC requirements, which may include the Federal Compliance Requirements, the Assumed Practices, the Eligibility Requirements or the Obligations of Membership. A Show-Cause Order is appropriate where review of an institution’s compliance with HLC requirements through a comprehensive evaluation for Show-Cause, rather than a remediation period on Probation, or withdrawal of accreditation, is warranted. The institution remains accredited while it is on Show-Cause. The issuance of a Show-Cause Order is a final action and is not subject to appeal.

Withdrawal of Accreditation: The HLC Board of Trustees shall only take action to withdraw the accreditation of an institution when that institution has been determined to be out of compliance with one or more HLC requirements. The specific grounds for withdrawal of accreditation shall be that the institution does not meet one or more Criteria for Accreditation and/or is not in compliance with other HLC requirements, which may include the Federal Compliance Requirements, the Assumed Practices, the Eligibility Requirements or the Obligations of Membership during the accreditation period.

The 2013 HLC Notice for University of Phoenix was not probation, show cause, or withdrawal. It was a notice - the least severe category of formal public HLC action - and it was subsequently resolved. University of Phoenix remained accredited throughout. HLC reaffirmed accreditation in 2023. This is the accurate characterization of the 2013 record and should not be conflated with more serious action types.

Using both DAPIP and the HLC directory together

DAPIP at ope.ed.gov/dapip confirms the federal database entry: the accreditor’s name, the institution’s participation in the federal system, and the basic accreditation status. The HLC Statement of Accreditation Status at hlcommission.org adds pathway detail, reaffirmation history, evaluation schedule, and the formal action record. Using both sources together gives a complete picture that neither provides alone. For any serious verification purpose - transfer credit, employment, licensing, graduate school - checking both is the appropriate standard.

Download and save the Statement of Accreditation Status with the access date visible. HLC publishes this document specifically to support verification by third parties, and a dated copy constitutes a primary-source record suitable for formal submission to employers, licensing boards, or graduate programs.

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