History
Excelsior University is an accredited, not-for-profit distance learning institution founded in 1971 focused on providing educational opportunity to adult learners.
Education
Excelsior initially achieved its mission to provide adult learners with a flexible and affordable pathway to a credential through the assessment of learning and the aggregation of credit earned from inside and outside the classroom. It soon added credit by examination, and students could study independently and take exams to validate their knowledge. Thirty years later, in the 2000s, Excelsior was among the first institutions developing and offering online courses.
Accreditation
Accreditations
There are two basic types of educational accreditation: "institutional," and "specialized" or "programmatic." Institutional accreditation applies to an entire college.
Institutional Accreditation
Excelsior College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
All of Excelsior College's academic programs are registered (i.e., approved) by the New York State Education Department.