Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

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Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

SACS operational area
Abbreviation	SACS
Formation	1895 (1895)
Type	Non-governmental organization
Purpose	Educational accreditation
Headquarters	North Druid Hills, Georgia, U.S.
Region served	Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
Chairman	John Pickelman
President	Belle S. Wheelan, Ph.D.
Main organ	Board of Trustees
Affiliations	CHEA
Website	www.sacs.org

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and private educational institutions ranging from preschool to college level in the Southern United States.^{[citation needed]} Its headquarters are in North Druid Hills, Georgia, near Decatur, in the Atlanta metropolitan area.^[1][2]

SACS accredits educational institutions in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, and educational institutions for U.S. students in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.^[3]

There are a number of affiliate organizations within the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. One affiliate organization is the Southern Association of Community, Junior, and Technical Colleges.^[4]