Accreditation is part of the self-regulation process within the independent sector of higher education in the United States. It involves a comprehensive self-study assessment by outside higher education professionals. There is a 10-year interval of self-examination, external review, and commission approval with a 5 year Periodic Review Report. Institutions are to meet 14 specified regional standards of quality.

The purpose of accreditation is to assure the quality and effectiveness of university educational programs and services. Delaware State University is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHE) of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Established in 1919 the Middle States CHE is one of the “regional accrediting agencies” recognized by the federal government to accredit educational institutions within the mid-Atlantic region.

In the Middle States region there are  14 standards of higher education achievement.
 

This self-study assesses the university‘s effectiveness in relationship to that tripartite Mission and its Strategic Goals. In addition, the self-study process allowed campus leaders to identify strengths and areas for improvement in relation to the Commission‘s fourteen Standards. The comprehensive design model for the self-study provides an excellent opportunity to involve faculty, staff, students, and community members in the process of developing a more sophisticated understanding of the university mission and vision as they apply to administration, faculty, student body as well as the national and international communities.