Trump Aims to Limit Outside Influence on College Accreditors

The Trump administration’s college accreditation overhaul targets bipartisan concerns that trade groups have captured the accreditors that act as gatekeepers over the quality of specialized education in fields like law and accounting.

A forthcoming proposal will aim to curb the influence of trade associations and professional organizations on so-called programmatic accreditors: organizations that determine whether academic programs in areas such as nursing, business, and accounting adequately prepare students to enter a field.

Trump officials argue that trade associations wield influence on the accreditation system by requiring that students earn more advanced degrees than necessary. Critics claim ...