Overview

• President Trump signed an executive order on April 23, 2025, to reform the college accreditation process, emphasizing performance metrics and intellectual diversity.
• The order directs the Education Secretary and Attorney General to investigate and address unlawful discrimination, including at law and medical schools, under civil rights laws.
• Accreditors are prohibited from penalizing colleges over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, as part of efforts to counter what Trump calls 'woke ideology.'
• The new rules expedite the approval of accrediting agencies and simplify the process for universities to switch accreditors, fostering competition.
• This move is part of a broader conservative education agenda, including recent funding freezes for elite universities like Harvard over alleged noncompliance with federal standards.