"Through ACS WASC’s evaluation of institutions, ACS WASC accreditation assures the educational community, the general public, and other organizations and agencies that an institution has clearly defined objectives appropriate to education; has established conditions under which their achievement can reasonably be expected; appears in fact to be accomplishing them substantially; is so organized, staffed, and supported that it can be expected to continue to do so; and demonstrates that it meets ACS WASC’s criteria and accreditation standards."

"The American Council on Education (ACE) is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, our strength lies in our diverse membership of more than 1,700 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad."

"ASHE is a scholarly society with 2,200 members dedicated to higher education as a field of study. It is committed to diversity in its programs and membership, and has enjoyed extraordinary success in involving graduate students in Association activities."

"AAC&U is the leading national association dedicated to advancing the vitality and public standing of liberal education by making quality and equity the foundations for excellence in undergraduate education in service to democracy. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career."

"As a major research center in Boston College, the Center for International Higher Education promotes the belief that an international perspective is needed to foster enlightened policies and practices in higher education."

"CCRC studies community colleges because they provide critical access to postsecondary education and are uniquely positioned to promote equity and social mobility in the United States. Our mission is to conduct research that helps these institutions strengthen opportunities and improve outcomes for their students, particularly those from underserved populations."

" The accreditation database is brought to you by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). The database is provided as a public service without warranty of any kind."

"EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education through the use of information technology."

"The Foundation’s mission is to benefit, support, and enhance the missions of the California Community College system, the largest higher education system in the nation."

"Grapevine is an annual compilation of data on state fiscal support for higher education. This is a joint project of the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University and the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO)."

"IPUMS Higher Ed is intended to facilitate access to data on the STEM labor force. The National Science Foundation has conducted several surveys of science and engineering graduates since the 1990s..."

"NAFSA believes that international education advances learning and scholarship, fosters understanding and respect among people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, is essential for developing globally competent individuals."

"The Common Data Set (CDS) is a collaborative effort among the higher education community and publishers, as represented by the College Board, Peterson’s Guides, and U.S. News & World Report. Data are presented in the same “common” format used by most institutions of higher education to facilitate comparisons among institutions. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student’s transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers."

"The Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research (SIHER) is home to sponsored research projects and programs that examine contemporary higher education planning and policy issues from a wide range of analytical perspectives, including those of social scientists, policy makers, and institutional leaders from across sectors within the United States and abroad."

"The MUP Center's annual report, The Top American Research Universities, offers analysis and data useful for understanding American research university performance. A key feature of this report (available online and in print) is The MUP Center's classification of universities into groups based upon the nine quality indicators described above. Institutions that have more than $40 million in annual federal research expenditures and that rank within the top 25 on at least one of the nine measures fall into our definition of a top research university. In this study, we also present a second group of institutions--those ranking 26-50 on the same nine measures."