Accreditations & recognitions
We at Bluffton University work to provide an enriching collegiate experience that prepares “students of all backgrounds for life as well as for vocation.”
While the true measure of our success is in the success of our graduates, it is rewarding when our efforts are recognized by outside organizations.
Accreditations
Bluffton University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and is a member of the North Central Association, 312-263-0456.
Bluffton has been continually accredited by the HLC since 1956.
Education
Bluffton’s education department is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and approved by the State Department of Education of Ohio for the preparation of teachers at the initial and advanced levels in the regular academic fields and in specialized fields.
CAEP is the sole nationally-recognized accrediting body for educator preparation. Accreditation is a nongovernmental activity based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement. In fall 2018, Bluffton received full accreditation with no areas for improvement or stipulations cited.
Social work
The social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education at the baccalaureate level. At the last review, Bluffton’s social work program received full re-accreditation through 2021.
Dietetics
The dietetics program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Bluffton's dietetics program has been approved /accredited since 1985. Bluffton University had its most recent accreditation review in 2014, and received a full 10-year accreditation.
Bluffton’s dietetics program attracts students from all over who are interested in the field. It is the only Mennonite school to offer such a program.
Music
Bluffton University has been an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1968. Bluffton University had its most recent accreditation review in 2012, and received a full 10-year accreditation.
Recognitions
U.S. News & World Report
The 2020 edition of the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges guidebook ranks Bluffton
in the top tier in the “Best Regional Colleges” listing. Bluffton has made the U.S.
News rankings top tier for two decades.
More about U.S. News...
Affiliations
The university is an institutional member of
- Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio
- Council of Independent Colleges
- Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
- Mennonite Education Agency
- National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division III)
- Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges
- OHIOLINK
- American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
