What Determines the Probability of Having an Accredited Undergraduate Business Program?

Abstract

There are three primary accreditations for business with different reputations and appeals, creating potential for misconceptions. For example, are AACSB institutions large, public, or more exclusive? Are unaccredited institutions only those who are private, small, or less exclusive? In an exploratory study, we answer a central question: what variables impact the probability an undergraduate business program is accredited? Data is collected from four-year, comprehensive, nonprofit institutions in US states. Regression results suggest that the probability of AACSB accreditation is increased by being public, larger, and having a school of business. However, they dispel any potential misconceptions that only the most selective in admissions are AACSB accredited. The probability of ACBSP or IACBE accreditation increases if private and lower SATs; interestingly, size has no explanatory power. A key finding is that it is difficult to characterize those schools who are unaccredited, as public funding and exclusivity measures have no predictive power