The Trump administration is proposing a broad overhaul of U.S. college accreditation. The changes would make it easier for new accreditors to gain federal recognition and alter what accrediting agencies are expected to measure and enforce. 

Trump first signalled the approach during his 2023 campaign, calling accreditation a “secret weapon” for reshaping higher education. He argued that accreditors had failed students and taxpayers. He also said new standards should emphasise free speech, student outcomes and lower-cost degrees while eliminating DEI requirements. Accreditation carries particular weight because colleges need approval from a federally recognised accreditor to access federal student aid. 

After returning to office, Trump formalised the agenda through Executive Order 14279. The Education Department’s proposed overhaul would lower barriers for new accreditors and would put greater emphasis on measurable outcomes, including completion, employment and earnings. Other provisions address intellectual diversity, academic freedom and civil-rights protections, while limiting some ties between accreditors and trade associations. 

The administration says the current system is dominated by a small group of established accreditors, limiting competition and innovation while contributing to bureaucracy and higher costs. Officials also say the current system pays too little attention to whether students receive value from their education. More competition, they argue, would spur innovation, reduce costs and reconnect higher education more closely to workforce needs. 

Critics question both the scope of the changes and the additional federal leverage they could create. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation has warned against “undue federal prescription.” Other policy experts say broadly worded rules on intellectual diversity and academic freedom could give future administrations more room to pressure accreditors over campus policies. 

Critics also argue that restrictions on who can set accreditation standards could disrupt the traditional peer-review model. New oversight duties, they say, may increase rather than reduce administrative burdens. Critics have also warned that the proposal could politicise accreditation, giving future administrations more leverage over a system traditionally designed to operate independently of partisan priorities 

For now, the overhaul remains a proposal. The Education Department is accepting public comments through 21 September, after which it will formulate a final rule.