A Comparison of AACSB, ACBSP, and IACBE Accredited U.S. Business Programs: An Institutional Resource Perspective

Abstract

Accreditation is a means by which business programs can assure accountability and quality to their stakeholders. However, attaining and maintaining accreditation can be a costly endeavor. The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) differ with respect to the cost of accreditation and the rigidity and rigor of their accreditation guidelines. Therefore, we hypothesize that institutional resources may be a determining factor in the choice of accreditor. Our results provide compelling evidence to support our hypothesis. Public institutions are more likely to have AACSB-accredited business programs, whereas private institutions are more likely to have ACBSP- or IACBE-accredited business programs. Research institutions are more likely to have AACSB-accredited business programs, whereas master’s and baccalaureate institutions are more likely to have ACBSP- or IACBE-accredited business programs. Institutions with AACSB-accredited business programs have the most assets and equipment, generate the most revenue overall and from all revenue sources examined except tuition and fees, expend the most on instruction, pay the highest professor salaries (at all ranks), and they have the most personnel (both total staff and instruction/research and public service staff) and students.

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