Through its excellent leadership, DETC is highly regarded as both a gateway to improving distance education and a gatekeeper for barring misuse of federal and other funds—and the diminution of quality.
Susan Porter Robinson, Vice President of Lifelong Learning, American Council of Education.
DETC accredited schools were the first to be allowed to admit DETC application in lieu of specified sections of the state application. We also utilize DETC as the sole resource for our program review of distance education programs. Indeed, the Bureau staff has benefited from the training and expertise of DETC during the accrediting visits and conferences.
Sheila M. Hawkins, Education Administrator Degree Programs California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.
Based on my experience over the past eight years, DETC is viewed as a most reliable accrediting body regarding the quality of education and training offered by the institutions it accredits. In particular, when we determine that it (an institution) is DETC accredited, we know that the school has already met a rigorous review and will have little difficulty in meeting Georgia’s standards and criteria.
William C. Crews, Executive Directo rNon-public Postsecondary Education Commission.
Evidence is overwhelming that DETC deserves continued recognition as a reliable partner in our mutual quest for high quality educational opportunities
for adult learners.
Kathryn M. Snead, President Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges.
The (Missouri) department considers DETC to be a reliable arbiter of educational integrity and quality and an important member of the postsecondary education community. The standards by which the (DETC) Commission evaluates schools and its decisions concerning individual schools are an important part of the licensure process in Missouri.
Leroy Wade, Director Proprietary School Certification State of Missouri.
I use DETC often as my measure of the best. I can always count on DETC doing things right, and for the right reasons. Wisconsin has only one Memorandum of Understanding with one accrediting agency, DETC. We did this because we trusted the quality and competence of DETC. Over the years,our decision has been tested, and it has always proved to be the correct decision for Wisconsin residents.
Patrick Sweeney, State of Wisconsin Education Approval Board.
Founded: 1926, with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation.
Size: 100 distance institutions in 7 countries enrolling over 3 million students.
Recognitions: U.S. Secretary of Education, 1959-present; National Commission on Accrediting,1973-75; COPA, 1975-93; CORPA, 1993-98; CHEA, 2001-present.
Scope of Activity: Accreditation of primarily distance institutions at the non-degree postsecondary level and accreditation of degree-awarding primarily distance institutions from the associates through the professional doctoral degree levels; includes Title IV authority for degree institutions.
Staff: Six full time staff; the Executive Director and Associate Director have a combined seven decades of DETC service.
Institutional ownership types.
Student Profile
Most DETC students select the distance study method because it is the most convenient way for them tolearn. The largest percentage of students are ages 41-45 and make $61-71,000 a year. 26% of degrees awarded are at the Associate’s degrees, 27% are Bachelor’s degrees, 37% are Master’s degrees, 7% Juris Doctor, and 3% other First Professional Degree. It takes an average of 3.4 years for a DETC student to earn a degree.
A. The Postsecondary DETC Student
- Average Age is 34; 47% male, 53% female
- 81% are employed at the time of enrollment
- 40% have their tuition paid by employers
- 85% have a high school diploma or GED certificate, 40% have an associate’s degree, 20% have a bachelor’s degree, and 2% have a master’s degree
- The average lesson completion rate is 77%, the average graduation rate is 71%
B. The Degree-Granting Student
- The average age is 37; 55% are male, 45% are female
- 94% are employed at the time of enrollment
- 38% have their tuition paid by employers
- The average lesson completion rate is 74%, the average graduation rate is 69%
Graduate Satisfaction Rates
A. Achieved all their Goals -95%
B. Satisfied overall -97%
C. Would Recommend -97%
D. Successful Credit Transfer -70%
Supervisor Satisfaction Rates
A. Said DETC Graduates Compared Favorably with Resident School Grads -100%
B. Said Graduate Performs Better on the Job -87%
C. Would Encourage Others to Enroll in Accredited Distance Education Programs -93%
How Difficult is it to Earn the DETC Seal?
Approximately 1 out of 3 applicants eventually earns DETC accreditation. In the period 2001-2006, out of more than 100 new applications, only 36 new institutions were accredited; 3 institutions had accreditation withdrawn by DETC and 13 others resigned.
A Leader in National and State Affairs
- DETC was among the first accrediting associations to accredit military educational institutes: the U.S. Air Force in 1975, the U.S. Marine Corps in 1977 and the U.S. Army in 1978.
- DETC institutions trained over 1.2 million students using their Vietnam-era G.I. Bill benefits.
- DETC was responsible, in 1985, for opening the door for all nationally accredited schools to become eligible for military tuition reimbursement funding for active and reserve military members.
- DETC was the only national accrediting agency to gain recognition from the National Commission on Accrediting, the predecessor non-government association of institutional accreditors to the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA).
- DETC was the first of the national accrediting agencies to forge a partnership with the American Council on Education’s college credit recommendation program (CREDIT).
- DETC served on the CHEA Task Force on Credit Transfer (see CHEA’s “Transfer and the Public Interest,”www.chea.org).
- DETC actively supports the National Association of State Administrators and Supervisors of Private Schools(NASASPS) and has presented at several NASASPS Annual Conferences.
- DETC has executed an agreement for dual accreditation for its institutions with the Middle States Association- Commission on Secondary Schools.
- DETC has executed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board which accepts DETC accreditation in lieu of EAB review for all non-Wisconsin distance institutions enrolling Wisconsin students.
- DETC is accepted by the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE),where BPPVE accepts DETC evaluations and reports in lieu BPPVE reports.
- DETC’s Executive Director serves or has served on the CHEA International Commission; the CHEA Advisory Board on Specialized and National Accreditation; the CHEA 10th Anniversary Commission; the ACE Commission on Lifelong Learning and the Servicemembers Opportunity College (SOC) Advisory Board.
- DETC works closely with the Office of the Secretary of Defense on voluntary education matters that affect all accredited institutions. The DETC Executive Director was the Co-Chair of the DoD Task Force on Principles of Good Practice in Distance Learning.
