Accreditation Information

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is a quality assurance process that colleges and universities undergo to confirm they meet a strict and recognized set of standards.

Accreditation is assessed by private, non-governmental agencies that have been created specifically for this purpose. These external college accreditation agencies are reviewed and recognized by entities such as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation along with the U.S. Department of Education.

Accreditation creates a set of quality standards, provides access to federal and state funding, and makes transferring credits easier.

Institutional Accreditation

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
1007 North Orange Street
4th Floor, MB #166
Wilmington, DE 19801
(267) 284-5000

The Middle States Commission, recognized by the United States Secretary of Education as an accreditor of degree-granting colleges and universities, accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region, which includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and several locations internationally. The Middle States Commission is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that is dedicated to quality assurance and improvement through accreditation via peer evaluation. Middle States accreditation instills public confidence in institutional mission, goals, performance, and resources through its rigorous accreditation standards and their enforcement.

First Accredited Year: 1977
Last Re-affirmed: 2017 accreditation reaffirmed with a commendation to the institution for the quality of its self-study process and report
Next Self-Study Evaluation Visit: 2026

Click here to view the College's current Statement of Accreditation Status (SAS). Accreditation with Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is incumbent upon a college or university's compliance with the Commission's Standards for Accreditation and Requirements for Affiliation, with other topical Commission policies, and with accreditation-relevant aspects of federal education law and policy. Visit www.msche.org to view these policies, information about the accreditation process and MSCHE expectations, or to file a complaint.

Programmatic Accreditation

LIM College’s business degree programs (associate of applied science in Fashion Merchandising and Management, bachelor of business administration degrees in Fashion Merchandising, Management, Fashion Marketing, and Visual Studies, bachelor of science in International Business, and bachelor of professional studies in Fashion Merchandising) are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

ACBSP is dedicated to improving the quality of business schools and programs around the world, and ultimately to improving the practice of business in every industry around the world. ACBSP offers programs, services, and an accreditation process uniquely focused on teaching excellence and student learning outcomes.

Visit www.acbsp.org to find more information about the mission and vision of ACBSP as a global business education accrediting body, to view the Council's accreditation standards, and to find their policy and process for submitting a public concern or complaint.

New York State Board of Regents

LIM College has been authorized by the New York State Board of Regents to confer the degree of Bachelor of Science on graduates of the four-year programs in Fashion Media and International Business; and to confer the degree Bachelor of Business Administration on graduates of four-year programs in the Business of Cannabis, the Business of Fashion, Fashion Merchandising, Visual Studies, Fashion Marketing, and Fashion Management and Leadership; and to confer the degree of Bachelor of Professional Studies on graduates of the four-year program in Fashion Merchandising; and to confer the degrees of Associate in Applied Science and Associate in Occupational Studies on graduates of two-year programs in Fashion Merchandising & Management and in Fashion Merchandising respectively; and to confer the degree of Master of Science on graduates of the one-year programs in Consumer Analytics and Global Fashion Supply Chain Management; and to confer the degree of Master of Professional Studies on graduates of the one-year programs in Fashion Merchandising & Retail Management, Fashion Marketing, the Business of Fashion, Global Fashion Supply Chain Management, and the Business of Cannabis.

The New York State Board of Regents are responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within the State, presiding over The University of the State of New York (USNY) and the New York State Education Department (NYSED). The NYSED Office of Higher Education (OHE) is the division that oversees colleges, universities, and proprietary schools within the state. Students who have exhausted the College's complaint or grievances processes and who wish to file a complaint with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) can find further information about the complaint process here.

LIM College is approved for the training of veterans by the New York State Division of Veterans Affairs.

LIM College is authorized by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service to enroll international students in academic and exchange programs.