What is Accreditation

Why Is It Important to be Accredited?

Accreditation is the process of reviewing an organization’s ability to meet specific standards, regulations and quality requirements. In the case of healthcare educational organizations, accreditation simply means that the institution meets the standards set forth by the industry, state and federal regulations or specific certifying boards or organizations.

To become accredited, a college or university must complete many steps, including:

  • Submission: To be considered for accreditation, the college must be in operations for a specific amount of time (depends on the accrediting agency). Next, it must apply for initial accreditation and have an initial meeting with the agency to determine if the institution is eligible. The institution completes a self-evaluation report and then receives a visit date.
  • Visit/review: Once a submission is received, the accrediting body conducts a thorough review, including on-site visits with review of the college’s programs and policies. The review board is often made up of volunteers and peers within the industry. If the college passes the visit/review, accreditation is granted.
  • Ongoing review: To maintain accreditation, the college must submit to continuous review of campuses, policies and programs. This ongoing review ensures the college continues to meet accreditation requirements.
Why Is Accreditation Important?

Accreditation is important for many reasons, and offers many benefits to students and employers. Accreditation offers:

  • Peace of mind: Accreditation offers students peace of mind in knowing that their education meets strict and rigorous quality standards. Graduation from an accredited program prepares students for successful careers in the healthcare industry.
  • Transferability: Credits earned within an accredited educational program can be transferrable to other institutions, or eligible for admissions to advanced educational programs. Students who plan on pursuing additional degrees after graduation should focus on completing an accredited program.
  • Additional career opportunities: Many employers, especially those in the healthcare field, prefer to hire employees who have graduated from accredited educational programs. Graduation from an accredited program may open additional employment opportunities throughout your career.

While institutions that offer programs without an accredited status may provide a quality education, the benefits of accreditation cannot be ignored.

Cambridge College Is an Accredited Institution

When choosing an educational program or college, it is important to consider the program’s and institution’s accreditation status. Cambridge College is proud to be institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and other standards boards.

All of Cambridge’s campuses are institutionally accredited by ABHES. Additionally, our Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at our Delray Beach and Atlanta campuses are programmatically accredited with CAAHEP, and our Nursing program at our Altamonte Springs campus is a candidate for accreditation with ACEN.

For more information on our accreditation and programs, please contact an advisor.

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