ACCSC gets most of the attention in conversations about third-party placement verification, but it’s far from the only accreditor that cares about the integrity of employment outcomes. If your institution is accredited by COE, ABHES, or ACCET, here’s how to think about verification requirements across the three — and what they have in common.
The common thread: outcomes must be substantiated
All three accreditors tie accreditation to student achievement outcomes, with placement (or licensure/completion) rates among the headline metrics. And all three expect those rates to be supported by documentation that would survive scrutiny during an on-site evaluation or annual-report review. The practical implication is the same everywhere: if a rate is reported, the records behind it must be verifiable — and independent verification is the strongest form of substantiation available.
COE (Council on Occupational Education)
COE-accredited institutions — largely occupational and technical schools — report completion, placement, and licensure rates by program. Placement must be related to the field of instruction, which means verification needs to confirm not just that a graduate is working, but that the work relates to their training. Documentation supporting reported outcomes must be maintained and producible.
ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools)
ABHES focuses on health education programs, where placement definitions can be nuanced — think per-diem clinical roles, registry work, and positions that require licensure. Verification for ABHES schools needs care in classifying whether employment is in the field or a related field, and the supporting documentation must align with ABHES’s annual reporting.
ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training)
ACCET-accredited institutions document placement outcomes as part of ACCET’s completion-and-placement framework, again with the expectation that reported outcomes are accurate, documented, and verifiable on review.
Where a single verification partner fits
Schools holding multiple accreditations — or campuses across accreditors — shouldn’t run three different verification processes. A single independent partner that qualifies as an independent third party under ACCSC, COE, ABHES, and ACCET standards can verify once, to the strictest applicable standard, and produce reports formatted for each accreditor’s requirements.
Keep one eye on the standards themselves
Each accreditor publishes and periodically updates its standards, definitions, and reporting instructions — details like reporting windows and rate formulas do change. Treat this article as orientation, verify specifics against the current published standards, and lean on a verification partner that tracks those updates as part of the service.
Auxicent verifies placements for schools across all four accreditors, with year-round continuous verification and customized reporting for each. Request a demo to see how it would work for your programs.