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2023 HLC reaffirmation for University of Phoenix

HLC reaffirmed University of Phoenix accreditation in 2023 following a comprehensive evaluation. Reaffirmation is the accreditation outcome when a comprehensive evaluation finds that the institution meets HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. The next comprehensive evaluation is scheduled for 2032–2033. Current status is verifiable at hlcommission.org and in DAPIP at ope.ed.gov/dapip. The 2023 reaffirmation is the most recent substantive statement of University of Phoenix’s compliance with HLC’s accreditation standards.

What the HLC Open Pathway is

The HLC Open Pathway is one of two evaluation pathways available to HLC-accredited institutions. The other is the Standard Pathway. The Open Pathway uses a ten-year evaluation cycle that combines several components: periodic assurance reviews in which institutions document their ongoing compliance with HLC criteria, a quality initiative project in which the institution undertakes a focused improvement effort of its own choosing, and a comprehensive evaluation at the end of the ten-year cycle that reviews the full scope of HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation.

University of Phoenix is on the Standard Pathway.

What the reaffirmation process involved

The comprehensive evaluation that resulted in the 2023 reaffirmation involved a review of University of Phoenix’s compliance with HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. HLC’s Criteria address mission, integrity, teaching and learning quality, teaching and learning resources, and institutional effectiveness. The evaluation process includes a self-study by the institution documenting its compliance, a peer review by a team of higher education professionals from other HLC-accredited institutions, a site visit, a peer review report, and a determination by HLC’s decision-making body.

Reaffirmation is the determination that the institution meets HLC’s criteria. It is not automatic - it is the positive outcome of a structured, peer-reviewed evaluation process. An institution that did not meet the criteria would receive a different outcome: conditions, probation, or other adverse action. University of Phoenix’s 2023 outcome was reaffirmation.

The reaffirmation in the context of the institutional history

The 2023 reaffirmation follows the 2013 HLC Notice (subsequently resolved), the approximately 2015 resolution of the notice, and the 2017 ownership transition from Apollo Education Group to new ownership. The reaffirmation represents HLC’s evaluation of University of Phoenix as it operates today - under current ownership, governance, and academic leadership - against HLC’s current Criteria for Accreditation. Both the historical record and the 2023 outcome belong in a complete account of the institution’s accreditation status.

Next evaluation schedule and interim monitoring

Under the HLC Standard Pathway ten-year cycle, the next comprehensive evaluation for University of Phoenix is scheduled for 2032–2033. In the interim, the institution completes assurance reviews and any other monitoring steps required under the Standard Pathway framework. Any interim actions or notices would appear in the HLC Statement of Accreditation Status at hlcommission.org. The absence of any current adverse action in that record, combined with the 2023 reaffirmation, is the basis for the current accreditation status.

The HLC Statement of Accreditation Status at hlcommission.org is updated to reflect evaluation outcomes as they occur. Checking the Statement directly at the time of any consequential credential use ensures the most current accreditation status is being referenced.

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