Education Department proposes sweeping accreditation overhaul with implications for AVMA's veterinary college accreditor

The US Department of Education has proposed a rewrite of the federal rules governing how accrediting agencies are recognized and how they must operate—a change that could directly affect the AVMA Council on Education (COE), the body that accredits the nation's veterinary colleges.¹

The department published a notice of proposed rulemaking on August 20, implementing an executive order President Donald Trump signed in April 2025 directing an overhaul of higher education accreditation.¹ In the department's August 19 announcement, Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said, "Instead of ensuring institutions offer high-quality educational programs that justify the time and cost of a college education, the antiquated accreditation system has contributed to inflated tuition, administrative bloat, and ideology-driven mandates on college campuses. The Department's proposed changes to our higher education quality assurance system will improve college affordability, reconnect education to workforce needs, strengthen accountability, and restore confidence in our accreditation system."¹

The proposal follows a negotiated rulemaking process run by the department's Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization Committee, which met for two multi-day sessions in April and May following an earlier 30-day public comment period and two public hearings.³ Public comments on the proposed rule are due by September 21 and can be submitted through regulations.gov.¹ The department is targeting a final rule by November 1, with an effective date no earlier than July 1, 2027; requirements affecting shared spaces could take effect July 1, 2028.¹

What the rule would change

The proposal would require programmatic accreditors like the AVMA COE to operate "fully separate and independent" from related professional associations, prohibiting "joint use of personnel, services, equipment, or facilities" and requiring conflict-of-interest controls for their decision-making bodies.¹

It would also set new standards accreditors must apply when evaluating institutions and programs, including measures of student outcomes such as employment, licensure exam pass rates, and economic returns relative to cost of attendance; protections for academic freedom and intellectual diversity; a prohibition on standards based on "preferential treatment" tied to protected characteristics; cost-benefit analyses of institutional activities; and a requirement that program length be "appropriate to the objectives of the program."¹

The proposal would eliminate what's known as the "two-year rule," which currently requires an accrediting agency to have at least two years of experience making accreditation decisions before it can seek federal recognition. Under the proposed rule, an accrediting agency would no longer need to meet that two-year requirement. Instead, it would need to demonstrate the capacity to carry out its accrediting responsibilities and show that it has received an application from at least one institution or program.¹ The department has said the broader goal is to reduce "prescriptive site visit mandates, unnecessary documentation requirements, and rigid and overly long processing timelines."¹

How it could affect the AVMA COE

The AVMA COE was formally established in 1946 and was last renewed in 2024. According to the AVMA, the proposed changes would not trigger an immediate re-review of the COE but would apply at its next recognition review.¹

Jim Weisman, DVM, AVMA chief of academic affairs, research and accreditation, said, "The AVMA celebrates the great work of the COE, which has been in existence since 1946. Through its accreditation services, the council recognizes and elevates the veterinary colleges and schools that serve our profession. While we realize these proposed regulations by the Department of Education may necessitate additional changes, the AVMA stands ready to work with the COE in meeting these new requirements for its recognition, and therefore, continuing its long history in accrediting veterinary medical schools and colleges."¹

Weisman added that the proposal "already aligns with the AVMA COE's ongoing efforts to enhance its own policies and procedures, therefore helping our veterinary colleges and schools." He said the AVMA "maintains its focus on ensuring that any changes to its accreditation services do not negatively impact students, the veterinary schools or colleges, or the public we serve through best practices in accreditation."¹

Comments on the proposed rule can be submitted through September 21 at regulations.gov.¹

References

1. Larkin M. Education Department unveils proposed overhaul of accreditation regulations. AVMA News. American Veterinary Medical Association. August 27, 2026. Accessed August 28, 2026. https://www.avma.org/news/education-department-unveils-proposed-overhaul-accreditation-regulations
2. US Department of Education issues proposed rule to overhaul and improve America's higher education accreditation system. News release. U.S. Department of Education. August 19, 2026. Accessed August 28, 2026. https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-issues-proposed-rule-overhaul-and-improve-americas-higher-education-accreditation-system
3. Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization: The Secretary's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies. Proposed rule. Federal Register. Document 2026-17001. Published August 20, 2026. Accessed August 28, 2026. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/20/2026-17001/accreditation-innovation-and-modernization-the-secretarys-recognition-of-accrediting-agencies
4. Reforming Accreditation To Strengthen Higher Education. Executive order. The White House. April 23, 2025. Accessed August 28, 2026. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/reforming-accreditation-to-strengthen-higher-education/