Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and private educational institutions ranging from preschool to college level in the Southern United States.

SACS accredits educational institutions in the states of Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, as well as schools for US students in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

There are a number of affiliate organizations within the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. One affiliate organization is the Southern Association of Community, Junior, and Technical Colleges.

Commission on Colleges
The SACS Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) accredits universities and colleges in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Latin America (Extraterritorial).

Every six months, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges publishes an online report on its accreditation actions, including reaffirmations of accreditation and public sanctions of institutions of higher learning. The reports include specific public sanctions of schools and statements disclosing why those institutions have been placed on sanction.

The Commission on Colleges accredits both public and private institutions of higher education in the United States, including some community colleges as well as four-year institutions. As a regional accreditor, SACS-COC accreditation extends to all of the educational programs offered at the accredited institution.

Institutions in Latin America accredited by SACS COC include the Mexican universities of Fundación Universidad de las Américas, Puebla; Universidad de las Americas, A.C.; Universidad de Monterrey; Tecnológico de Monterrey; and Instituto Centroamericano de Administración de Empresas (INCAE or the Central American Institute of Business Administration) in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The SACS-COC has also accredited the American University in Dubai.

Council on Accreditation and School Improvement
SACS CASI accredits over 13,000 primary, middle, and secondary schools, as well as school systems located in the SACS region. In 2006, AdvancED was established with the unification of SACS CASI, NCA CASI, and NSSE creating the world's largest education community. Today, SACS CASI acts as an accreditation division of AdvancED.