Association for Biblical Higher Education


The Association for Biblical Higher Education, formerly The Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges is a nationally recognized accrediting agency in the United States. It is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The ABHE is inter-denominational but requires annual affirmation of a common statement of beliefs.

History

The organization that is now the ABHE was founded in 1947 as the Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges. The name was shortened in 1957 to the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges. From 1973 to 1994 the organization was called the American Association of Bible Colleges, but the name Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges was restored in 1994. In 2004 the name of the organization changed to the Association for Biblical Higher Education "in order to reflect its expansion of scope with graduate education accreditation and programmatic accreditation."

Organization structure and statistics

The ABHE is incorporated in the State of Illinois as a not-for-profit corporation and exempt from income tax under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. Currently, it is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
As of 2011, the ABHE reported that its membership included nearly 140 Bible institutes, colleges, and universities in the United States and Canada, of which about 100 were accredited members. A total of 48,000 students were reported to be enrolled in ABHE-affiliated institutions.

Standards for accreditation

To achieve or retain accreditation from ABHE, a school must demonstrate that it is accomplishing its mission and goals through a comprehensive system of assessment and planning.