By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose
A cadre of higher education accreditors holds the keys to the kingdom of American higher education, dictating where students can funnel the staggering $100 billion in Federal student loans and Pell Grants each year. Their mission? To discern which institutions offer quality education worthy of accreditation. Unfortunately, this gatekeeping body has not only dropped the ball on this critical responsibility but has also, quite audaciously, misused its considerable power.
Accreditors routinely give the thumbs-up to institutions that fall short on key quality metrics. For instance, the national six-year undergraduate graduation rate was a concerning 64 percent in 2020. Moreover, many accredited programs, both undergraduate and graduate, yield a negative return on investment — with nearly 25 percent of bachelor’s degrees and over 40 percent of master’s degrees leaving students financially worse off, burdened by hefty debts for degrees that promise little in terms of earnings potential.
Despite a troubling decline in graduation rates and graduates’ labor market performance, coupled with escalating debt obligations relative to expected earnings, accreditors have chosen to focus on advancing a particular ideological agenda instead of prioritizing student outcomes. Some accreditors have made the adoption of discriminatory practices a formal prerequisite for accreditation, embedding “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) standards into their criteria. This approach requires institutions to share their DEI results, which often translates into a requirement for demographic considerations in mission and resource allocation. Such actions encroach upon state and local governance.
For instance, the American Bar Association’s Council for Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, the sole federally recognized accreditor for Juris Doctor programs, mandates that law schools “demonstrate by concrete action a commitment to diversity and inclusion,” including maintaining a diverse student body and faculty. This requirement, as the Attorney General pointed out, blatantly contravenes the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. 181 (2023). Though the Council has temporarily halted enforcement while considering revisions, such discriminatory mandates must be eliminated entirely.
Similarly, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which accredits Doctor of Medicine degree programs, requires institutions to engage in systematic recruitment efforts to achieve diversity. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has similar expectations, insisting that institutions focus on recruiting underrepresented groups in medicine. However, the standards for training the next generation of doctors should be centered on providing exceptional care, not on enforcing unlawful discrimination.
American students and taxpayers deserve better. My Administration is committed to overhauling this dysfunctional accreditation system to ensure that colleges and universities prioritize delivering high-quality academic programs at reasonable costs. Accreditation recognition will no longer be granted to those engaging in unlawful discrimination that contravenes Federal law.
Sec 2. Holding Accreditors Accountable for Unlawful Actions
(a) The Secretary of Education shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, hold accountable those accreditors who fail to meet established recognition criteria or violate Federal law, including requiring institutions to engage in unlawful discrimination under the guise of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives. Measures may include denial, monitoring, suspension, or termination of accreditation recognition.
(b) The Attorney General and the Secretary of Education shall investigate and take necessary action to terminate unlawful discrimination practices in American law schools perpetuated by the Council, including the unlawful “diversity, equity, and inclusion” requirements masquerading as accreditation standards. The Secretary of Education will also evaluate the Council’s status as an accrediting agency under Federal law.
(c) The Attorney General and the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall investigate and address unlawful discrimination in American medical schools or graduate educational entities, as advanced by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The Secretary of Education will assess whether to suspend or terminate the status of these committees as accrediting agencies under Federal law, ensuring compliance with lawful standards in entities receiving Federal funding for medical education.
Sec 3. New Principles of Student-Oriented Accreditation
(a) To realign accreditation with a focus on high-quality, valuable education for students, the Secretary of Education shall take appropriate steps, consistent with applicable law, to ensure that:
(i) Accreditation mandates that higher education institutions deliver high-quality, high-value academic programs free from unlawful discrimination or other violations of Federal law;
(ii) Barriers hindering institutions from adopting practices that promote degree completion and innovative education models are removed;
(iii) Accreditation standards require institutions to support and prioritize intellectual diversity among faculty to enhance academic freedom, intellectual inquiry, and student learning;
(iv) Accreditors do not exploit their role under Federal law to compel institutions to breach State laws, unless such State laws conflict with the Constitution or Federal law; and
(v) Accreditors are forbidden from engaging in practices that lead to credential inflation, ultimately burdening students with unnecessary costs.
(b) To advance the policies outlined in subsection (a), the Secretary of Education shall:
(i) Resume recognizing new accreditors to foster competition and accountability in promoting high-quality, high-value academic programs focused on student outcomes;
(ii) Mandate that accreditors require member institutions to utilize data on program-level student outcomes to enhance those outcomes, devoid of any references to race, ethnicity, or sex;
(iii) Ensure that any findings of noncompliance from investigations conducted by the Office of Civil Rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 are promptly communicated to accreditors;
(iv) Launch an experimental site to accelerate innovation and ensure accountability by establishing new, flexible quality assurance pathways for institutions delivering high-quality, high-value academic programs;
(v) Enhance the consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness of the accreditor recognition review process, potentially through technology;
(vi) Simplify the process for higher education institutions to switch accreditors, ensuring they are not compelled to adhere to standards that contradict their values and missions; and
(vii) Revise the Accreditation Handbook to guarantee that the accreditor recognition and reauthorization process is transparent, efficient, and not overly burdensome.
Sec 4. General Provisions
(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) The authority granted by law to any executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) The functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget concerning budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented in accordance with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, nor does it, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 23, 2025.
