How many accreditation agencies are there?

There are currently over eighty accreditation agencies that accredit on the national and regional level, and for specialized academic programs such as arts, social services, healthcare, education, law, and personal care and services. Currently, there are 25 accrediting agencies that are pending recognition from the Department of Education, either for initial recognition or to expand the scope of its accreditation. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes many of the same institutions, in addition to institutions outside of the United States. There are currently a total of 68 national, regional, faith-based, and programmic accreditation agencies recognized by CHEA.