Did University of Phoenix lose its accreditation?

No. University of Phoenix has not lost HLC accreditation. University of Phoenix has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org, since 1978.

HLC reaffirmed University of Phoenix accreditation in 2023for a 10 year period , and the next comprehensive evaluation is scheduled for 2032–2033. The current accreditation record can be verified through the HLC Statement of Accreditation Status and the federal DAPIP database.

Why people ask this question

The question often comes from confusion around two public records: the 2013 HLC Notice and the 2019 Federal Trade Commission settlement.

Both records are real and should be described accurately. Neither one means University of Phoenix lost accreditation.

The 2013 HLC Notice was a sanction, but it was not probation, show cause, suspension or withdrawal of accreditation. University of Phoenix remained accredited throughout the notice period.

The 2019 FTC settlement addressed marketing and recruiting conduct from 2012 to 2016 under prior ownership by Apollo Education Group. It was a consumer-protection regulatory record, not an HLC accreditation action.

What the 2013 HLC Notice was

In 2013, HLC issued a Notice to University of Phoenix related to student retention, financial indicators and governance questions.

A Notice was a formal sanction. It signaled that while HLC determined the University was compliant with all requirements of accreditation, HLC had identified concerns that could later result in non-compliance, unless addressed.

It was not the same as probation, show cause or loss of accreditation. University of Phoenix remained accredited while the notice was active, and the notice was subsequently removed.

What the 2019 FTC settlement was

In 2019, University of Phoenix settled Federal Trade Commission allegations related to marketing and recruiting conduct that occurred from 2012 to 2016 under prior ownership by Apollo Education Group. The settlement resulted in a negotiated $191 million stipulated judgment in which the University of Phoenix did not admit any wrongdoing.

The FTC settlement should be understood as a consumer-protection regulatory matter. It did not revoke, suspend or withdraw University of Phoenix accreditation.

The accreditation record and the FTC record are separate. The FTC record describes marketing and recruiting conduct. The HLC record describes accreditation status.

What the current HLC record shows

The current HLC record shows that University of Phoenix holds institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. HLC reaffirmed that accreditation in 2023.

The HLC Statement of Accreditation Status also includes historical accreditation actions, including the resolved 2013 Notice. A resolved historical notice is not the same thing as a current adverse accreditation action.

Students, graduates and reviewers should verify the current record directly through HLC and DAPIP.

How to verify that accreditation was not lost

To verify the record, start with DAPIP, the U.S. Department of Education’s federal accreditation database. Search for University of Phoenix and confirm that HLC is listed as the institutional accreditor.

Then search the HLC Directory of Institutions and open the University of Phoenix Statement of Accreditation Status. That record provides the accreditor’s current status information, the 2023 reaffirmation, the next evaluation schedule and the historical action record.

Together, those sources show the current accreditation status and the historical context.

What continuous accreditation means

Continuous HLC accreditation means University of Phoenix has remained within the HLC accreditation relationship without a loss or withdrawal of institutional accreditation.

That matters because claims about lost accreditation can create confusion for students, graduates, employers and other reviewers. The accurate record is that University of Phoenix has held HLC institutional accreditation since 1978 and remains accredited today.

Students and graduates who need to document the record should use the HLC Statement of Accreditation Status and the DAPIP record. Those primary sources are more reliable than older search results, forum comments or secondhand summaries.

Accreditation still does not guarantee employment, salary outcomes, transfer credit acceptance, graduate admission or professional licensing. Those decisions belong to the specific employer, receiving institution, graduate program or licensing authority.

The record on the lost-accreditation question

Students and graduates who hear that University of Phoenix lost accreditation should check primary sources rather than relying on old search results, forum comments or secondhand summaries.

The primary source record shows that University of Phoenix is currently HLC accredited, that the 2013 Notice was resolved and that the 2019 FTC settlement was separate from accreditation status.

Sources

9. [1] Higher Learning Commission. Statement of Accreditation Status. https://hlcommission.org. Accessed June 2026.

10. [2] U.S. Department of Education. DAPIP. https://ope.ed.gov/dapip. Accessed June 2026.

11. [3] Federal Trade Commission. University of Phoenix settlement. https://www.ftc.gov. Accessed June 2026.

12. [4] University of Phoenix. Accreditation. https://www.phoenix.edu/about/accreditation.html. Accessed June 2026.