On June 7, 2003 William Howard Taft University was awarded accreditation by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The DETC is an educational association located in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1926, it has been the standard setting agency for distance education institutions.
The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the United States Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. The Secretary of Education is required by law to publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies that the Secretary determines to be reliable authorities as to the quality of education provided by the institutions of higher education.
An agency seeking recognition by the Secretary must meet the Secretary's procedures and criteria for the recognition of accrediting agencies. First recognized by the Department of Education in 1959, the DETC was most recently reviewed in 2001 as part of the normal evaluation process. This resulted in their continued recognition as well as extending the scope of its recognition to include first professional (Juris Doctor) degrees.
The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA is a private nonprofit national organization that coordinates accreditation activity in the United States. It carries forward a long tradition that recognition of accrediting organizations should be a key strategy to ensure quality, accountability, and improvement in higher education. Recognition by CHEA affirms that standards and processes of accrediting organizations are consistent with quality, improvement, and accountability expectations that CHEA has established.

See Related Frequently Asked Questions on Accreditation.

State Approvals
The University has been awarded full institutional approval to operate as a degree granting institution by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. Full institutional approval is the highest status awarded by the State of California. Such approval indicates compliance with minimum state standards and does not imply any endorsement or recommendation by the state or by the Bureau.

On July 1, 2007, as a result of legislative inaction, the Bureau ceased to exist. On July 12, 2007 the Governor of the State of California signed Assembly Bill 1525 which allows previously approved California colleges and universities to enter into a voluntary agreement with the State of California which requires compliance with state statutes, rules and regulations as they existed on June 30, 2007. On July 24, 2007 William Howard Taft University entered into such an agreement.

The Colorado Commission on Higher Education has approved the University to operate as a degree granting institution under the Colorado Degree Authorization Act. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education acts as a central policy and coordinating board for Colorado public higher education. The mission of the Commission is to implement the directives of the General Assembly and promote and preserve quality, access, accountability, and efficiency with Colorado public higher education.

American Council on Education (ACE)
William Howard Taft University is an institutional member of the American Council on Education (ACE).
Membership in the American Council on Education is open to accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities, and higher education associations located within the United States. ACE speaks as higher education's voice in matters of public policy in Washington DC and throughout the nation.

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
William Howard Taft University is an institutional member of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). AACRAO is a non-profit, professional association of higher education administrators. Its goal is to foster the professional development of its individual members by providing guidelines and voluntary standards for best practices in records management, admissions, enrollment management, administrative information technology, and student services. Institutional membership is limited to nationally or regionally accredited colleges or universities.

Center for Computer- Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI)
The University is currently a member of the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI). CALI is a United States 501(c)(3) non-profit consortium of law schools that researches and develops computer-mediated legal instruction and supports institutions and individuals using technology in legal education.

Registration with the State Bar of California
The University’s School of Law is the oldest accredited distance learning law school in the nation. Since 1984, the University has been registered as a law school with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. Such registration has allowed graduates of the University’s School of Law to sit for the California Bar Examination and, upon successful completion, become attorneys in the State of California eligible to practice in Federal and California courts.