What Is ABET Accreditation?

ABET accreditation is assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its students.  For example, an accredited engineering program must meet the quality standards set by the engineering profession.  An accredited computer science program must meet the quality standards set by the computing profession.

ABET accredits postsecondary degree-granting programs housed within regionally accredited institutions.  ABET accredits programs only, not degrees, departments, colleges, or institutions.

Who Sets the ABET Quality Standards?

The quality standards programs must meet to be ABET-accredited are set by the ABET professions themselves.  This is made possible by the collaborative efforts of many different professional and technical societies.  These societies and their members work together through ABET to develop the standards, and they provide the professionals who evaluate the programs to make sure they meet those standards.

Why Is ABET Accreditation Important

• Accreditation helps students choose quality programs.
• Accreditation enables employers to recruit graduates they know are well-prepared.
• Accreditation is used by registration, licensure, and certification boards to screen applicants.
• Accreditation gives colleges and universities a structured mechanism to assess, evaluate, and improve the quality of their programs.