Accreditation for College Excellence Act of 2023

This bill revises the requirements for an accrediting agency to be recognized by the Department of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education being offered at an institution of higher education (IHE).

Specifically, an accrediting agency must confirm that its standards do not require, encourage, or coerce an IHE to (1) support or oppose specific partisan or political beliefs or viewpoints on social or political issues; or (2) support the disparate treatment of any individual or group on the basis of sex, race, or ethnicity.

Additionally, an accrediting agency must confirm that its standards do not prohibit an IHE from having a religious mission. The accrediting agency may not prohibit the IHE from requiring an applicant, student, or employee to provide a statement of faith or adhere to a code of conduct.

The bill also prohibits an accrediting agency from adopting additional standards for accreditation that are not specifically authorized by statute.