Since 1913, CU Boulder has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). As an institution accredited by HLC, we are obligated to assess and evaluate the education we deliver, our mission, integrity, ethics, teaching and learning, resources, planning, and institutional effectiveness and make public how well, and in what ways, we as a university accomplish our goals.

Institutions like CU Boulder that are accredited by HLC take part in a decennial process, focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement in the context of HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation.  The university’s most recent review by a team of peer reviewers took place on December 9-10, 2019.  All documents related to that visit and the university's response are posted below.  

For more information, see HLC’s information on the Assurance Review and policy on the Criteria for Accreditation.

Timeline

CU Boulder participates in HLC’s Open Pathway. Unlike other accreditation models offered by HLC, the Open Pathway contains an improvement component allowing the University to pursue and report on a Quality Initiative Project of our choosing.

  • August 2023: 4th year Assurance Review & embedded Monitoring Report 
  • 2024-2027: develop Quality Initiative (QI) proposal
  • 2026-2029: QI Report
  • 2029-2030: Comprehensive Evaluation for Reaffirmation of Accreditation