ACISC Accredited Institutions

ACISC accredited institutions are educational institutions that have received a formal accreditation decision from the Accrediting Council for International Schools & Colleges (ACISC) within the applicable accreditation framework.

This page is intended to help students, parents, education professionals, institutions, universities, employers, and other stakeholders identify institutions with an ACISC accreditation status and understand the importance of verifying current information.

ACISC Accredited Institutions Directory

The ACISC accredited institutions directory is intended to provide current information about institutions that hold or have held ACISC accreditation.

Accreditation information should be reviewed carefully because institutional status, scope, location, and other details can change over time.

Where available, the directory should distinguish current accreditation from historical accreditation information and should provide sufficient information for stakeholders to identify the institution accurately.

Search ACISC Accredited Institutions

Use the institutional directory to search for an institution by its official name or other available identifying information.

When reviewing a result, confirm that the institution’s name and location correspond to the educational institution you are considering.

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What Information Should You Verify?

When reviewing an ACISC accredited institution, stakeholders should consider the information available in the current official record.

Institution’s official name
Institutional location
Current accreditation status
Accreditation scope
Applicable campus, branch, or learning site
Effective date, where applicable
Applicable accreditation period, where applicable
Relevant accreditation action or decision
Conditions or limitations, where publicly applicable

The exact information displayed will depend on the current ACISC institutional records and applicable transparency procedures.

Current Accreditation Matters

An institution may have held ACISC accreditation in the past without holding the same accreditation status today.

For this reason, stakeholders should verify the current status rather than relying solely on an old certificate, archived website, historical advertisement, or previous accreditation announcement.

Current information should be checked before making significant educational, professional, or financial decisions.

Accreditation Status and Scope

Accreditation status and scope describe what an accreditation decision covers.

An institution may operate multiple campuses, branches, learning sites, programs, or educational activities. Accreditation should not automatically be assumed to cover every location or activity unless the applicable accreditation decision establishes that scope.

Read ACISC Accreditation Status & Scope for a detailed explanation.

Institutional Accreditation

An ACISC-accredited institution has undergone the applicable accreditation process and received a formal accreditation decision.

Institutional accreditation is part of an external quality-assurance framework involving applicable standards, institutional evidence, evaluation, review, and formal decision-making.

Accreditation is intended to support educational quality, institutional effectiveness, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Accreditation Is Different From Membership

ACISC membership and accreditation are separate.

An institution may be an ACISC member without being accredited by ACISC.

Likewise, the appearance of an institution in a membership directory should not be interpreted as evidence of accreditation.

For membership information, visit the ACISC Membership Directory.

Accreditation Is Different From Eligibility

Eligibility is an initial determination that an institution may proceed into the applicable accreditation process.

Eligibility does not constitute accreditation and does not guarantee that accreditation will ultimately be granted.

Only a formal accreditation decision establishes ACISC accreditation.

Accreditation Is Different From an Application

An institution may apply for accreditation without yet being accredited.

Submitting an application, participating in a workshop, completing a self-study, or undergoing an evaluation does not by itself establish accredited status.

Institutions should communicate their status accurately throughout the accreditation process.

Why Verify an ACISC Accredited Institution?

Verification helps stakeholders distinguish current accreditation from membership, historical status, pending applications, eligibility, or other relationships with ACISC.

Verification is particularly important when an institution’s accreditation status may affect educational planning, transfer considerations, professional decisions, institutional partnerships, or other significant choices.

Visit Verify ACISC Accreditation when you need to confirm an institution’s accreditation status.

For Students and Parents

Students and parents should verify the accreditation status of an institution before enrolling when accreditation is an important consideration in their educational decision.

They should also determine whether the accreditation applies to the specific campus, program, qualification, or educational activity they intend to undertake.

Accreditation should be considered alongside academic quality, program content, student support, costs, legal authorization, qualification requirements, and future educational or professional plans.

For Universities and Colleges

Universities and colleges may review ACISC accreditation information when evaluating educational institutions, applicants, qualifications, or potential institutional relationships.

Each receiving institution remains responsible for establishing its own admissions, transfer-credit, qualification-recognition, and academic policies.

ACISC accreditation does not require another university or college to admit a student or accept academic credit.

For Employers and Professional Organizations

Employers and professional organizations may establish their own requirements for evaluating educational qualifications.

An ACISC accreditation status does not automatically establish professional licensing, employment eligibility, qualification recognition, or acceptance by every organization.

Where a profession is regulated, applicants should confirm requirements directly with the relevant professional or regulatory authority.

International Recognition

Accreditation and recognition are related but distinct concepts.

An ACISC accreditation status does not automatically guarantee recognition by every government, university, employer, professional body, or other organization.

Recognition requirements can vary according to jurisdiction, institution, qualification, profession, and intended use.

Read ACISC Recognition for further information.

Government Authorization and Accreditation

ACISC operates independently of governmental authorities and does not replace or supersede national or local regulatory requirements.

An ACISC accreditation status should not be interpreted as governmental licensing, authorization, registration, regulatory approval, or government recognition.

Institutions remain responsible for complying with all laws, regulations, licensing requirements, and governmental requirements applicable to their operations.

Accreditation and Quality Assurance

ACISC accreditation is intended to provide an independent quality-assurance framework through which institutions can evaluate their academic and institutional practices against applicable standards.

The process can include institutional self-evaluation, evidence review, external evaluation, institutional response, and formal accreditation decision-making.

The purpose is not simply to award a status, but to encourage sustainable educational quality and continuous institutional improvement.

Accreditation and Student Protection

Educational quality includes appropriate attention to student welfare, safeguarding, institutional integrity, and systems that support a safe and effective learning environment.

Students should nevertheless review an institution’s own student-support and safeguarding policies and should raise concerns through appropriate channels when necessary.

ACISC accreditation does not remove an institution’s responsibility for student protection or legal compliance.

Changes to Accredited Institutions

Accredited institutions may experience changes in ownership, governance, location, leadership, educational provision, campuses, branches, or other material aspects of their operations.

Depending on the nature of the change, applicable ACISC procedures may require notification, review, approval, or other action.

Stakeholders should therefore rely on current institutional information rather than assuming that an earlier accreditation decision automatically covers later changes.

Historical Accreditation Information

Historical information can help establish an institution’s accreditation history, but historical accreditation should be clearly distinguished from current accreditation.

Where historical records are published, dates and status descriptions should be reviewed carefully.

An institution that appears in historical information should not automatically be described as currently accredited.

Accreditation Actions

Accreditation status can change following formal review or other action under applicable ACISC procedures.

Depending on the applicable framework, accreditation actions may include continuation, renewal, conditions, limitations, deferral, suspension, withdrawal, denial, or another formal outcome.

The meaning of any specific action should be determined from the applicable ACISC decision and current policy rather than assumed from a general label.

Institutional Responsibility

Institutions are responsible for representing their accreditation status accurately.

An institution should not claim a broader accreditation scope than the applicable decision establishes or present membership, eligibility, or application status as accreditation.

Accurate institutional communication supports students, families, education professionals, and other stakeholders in making informed decisions.

ACISC Transparency

Transparent accreditation information allows stakeholders to understand what an accreditation decision means and what it does not mean.

ACISC’s transparency approach includes clear information about accreditation standards, evaluation, decision-making, institutional status, and the limitations of accreditation, while respecting appropriate confidentiality and data-protection responsibilities.

Learn more through ACISC Transparency.

How to Use This Directory

Search for the institution using its official name.
Confirm the institution’s identity and location.
Review the current accreditation status.
Check the applicable accreditation scope.
Review effective dates or accreditation periods where available.
Consider any relevant conditions or limitations.
Contact ACISC if the information cannot be confirmed or appears inconsistent.

If You Cannot Find an Institution

If an institution does not appear in the accredited institutions directory, do not automatically conclude that it is unaccredited. The institution may use a different official name, may have changed its name, or the directory may require additional information to locate the relevant record.

Use the official verification pathway or contact ACISC when you need clarification about an institution’s status.

If an Institution Claims Accreditation

If an institution publicly claims ACISC accreditation but you cannot confirm the claim through current official information, request clarification before relying on the claim.

Stakeholders should not rely solely on logos, certificates, website statements, advertisements, or third-party directories as proof of current accreditation.

The official ACISC verification process should be treated as the appropriate source for confirming accreditation status.

For Institutions Listed in the Directory

Institutions should review their publicly displayed information and notify ACISC of material inaccuracies through the appropriate communication channel.

Institutions should also ensure that their own websites, prospectuses, marketing materials, certificates, and other public communications accurately reflect their current accreditation status and scope.

For Researchers and Education Professionals

Researchers, counsellors, education professionals, and other stakeholders may use institutional accreditation information as part of broader educational research or institutional evaluation.

Users should record the date on which accreditation information was reviewed because institutional status can change over time.

Data Accuracy and Updates

Institutional information should be maintained as accurately and currently as practicable.

Because accreditation information can change, users should confirm important information directly with ACISC when making significant decisions.

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Privacy and Institutional Information

Institutional directories may contain information about organizations and their accreditation status. Personal information should only be published or processed where appropriate and in accordance with applicable privacy and data-protection responsibilities.

Review the ACISC Privacy Policy for information concerning personal data.

Related ACISC Resources

ACISC accredited institutions are institutions that have received a formal accreditation decision under the applicable ACISC accreditation framework.

Stakeholders should use current official information to verify an institution’s accreditation status and should consider the applicable scope, location, dates, and other relevant information before relying on an accreditation claim.

ACISC is committed to clear accreditation information, evidence-based evaluation, institutional accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.