据了解，美国宪法规定，各州政府负责注册并审批各类高等院校，但各院校是否被社会所认可则取决于政府承认的认证机构的认证。

　　美国高等院校包括公立与私立两种。主要实行二年学制或四年学制，二年制的多为技术专科学校和社区学院。据统计，目前美国各类高等院校有3600多所。

　　美国高等院校的质量认证一般由专业认证机构负责，经美国教育部认可的专业认证机构主要有六大区域认证机构及近百个专业认证机构。联邦政府通过认证机构间接起到对各院校的管理与规范。全美高等教育认证委员会（CHEA）是协调并审核认证机构的专业机构。 通过区域性认证协会或其它专业认证机构的认证，各院校可实现学分相互转换，所颁发的学位证书或文凭证书能获得社会的广泛认可。

　　2012年美国华盛顿州教育部批准境外正规高校名单：

　　The Academy of Hair Design (Wenatchee)

　　ALPS Language School (Seattle)

　　Apollo College (Spokane)

　　Art Institute of Seattle (Seattle)

　　Ashmead College (Seattle)

　　B. J.‘s Beauty & Barber College (Tacoma)

　　Bastyr University (Kenmore)

　　Bates Technical College (Tacoma)

　　Bellevue Beauty School (Bellevue)

　　Bellevue Community College (Bellevue)

　　Bellingham Beauty School, Inc. (Bellingham)

　　Bellingham Technical College (Bellingham)

　　Big Bend Community College (Moses Lake)

　　B.J.’s Beauty & Barber College (Puyallup)

　　Brenneke School of Massage (Seattle)

　　Bryman College (Lynnwood)

　　Bryman College (Renton)

　　Business Computer Training Institute (Everett)

　　Cascadia Community College (Bothell)

　　Central Washington University (Ellensburg)

　　Centralia College (Centralia)

　　Chetta‘s Academy of Hair & Nails (Port Angeles)

　　City University (Bellevue)

　　Clare’s Beauty College (Pasco)

　　Clark College (Vancouver)

　　Clover Park Technical College (Lakewood)

　　Columbia Basin College (Pasco)

　　Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle)

　　Court Reporting Institute (Seattle)

　　Crace, Inc. (Bellevue)

　　Crown College (Tacoma)

　　DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond)

　　Divers Institute of Technology (Seattle)

　　Eastern Washington University (Cheney)

　　Edmonds Community College (Lynnwood)

　　Emil Fries School of Piano Tuning & (Vancouver)

　　Eton Technical Institute (Everett)

　　Eton Technical Institute (Federal Way)

　　Eton Technical Institute, Inc. (Tacoma)

　　Eton Technical Institute - Port Orchard (Port Orchard)

　　Everett Beauty Academy (Everett)

　　Everett Community College (Everett)

　　Evergreen Cosmo Inc. (Everett)

　　Evergreen State College (Olympia)

　　Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary (Tacoma)

　　Gene Juarez Academy of Beauty (Federal Way)

　　Gene Juarez Academy of Beauty (Seattle)

　　Glen Dow Academy of Hair Design Inc. (Spokane)

　　Gonzaga University Department of Religious Studies (Spokane)

　　Gonzaga University (Spokane)

　　Grays Harbor College (Aberdeen)

　　Green River Community College (Auburn)

　　Greenwood Academy of Hair Design (Seattle)

　　Henry Cogswell College (Everett)

　　Heritage College (Toppenish)

　　Highline Community College (DesMoines)

　　Inland Northwest Heating, Ventilation and A/C Training Center (Spokane)

　　Interface Computer School (Spokane)

　　International Air Academy (Vancouver)

　　ITT Technical Institute (Bothell)

　　ITT Technical Institute (Seattle)

　　ITT Technical Institute (Spokane)

　　Kirkland Beauty School (Woodinville)

　　Lake Washington Technical College (Kirkland)

　　Lincoln Beauty School, Inc. (Tacoma)

　　Lower Columbia College (Longview)

　　Mars Hill Graduate School (Bothell)

　　North Seattle Community College (Seattle)

　　Northwest Aviation College (Auburn)

　　Northwest Baptist Seminary (Tacoma)

　　Northwest College of Art (Poulsbo)

　　Northwest College (Kirkland)

　　Northwest Graduate School of the Ministry (Seattle)

　　Northwest Hair Academy (Everett)

　　Northwest Hair Academy, Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon)

　　Northwest Indian College (Bellingham)

　　Northwest School of Wooden (Port Townsend)

　　Olympic College (Bremerton)

　　Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma)

　　Peninsula College (Port Angeles)

　　Perry Technical Institute (Yakima)

　　Phagans‘ Orchards Beauty School (Vancouver)

　　Pierce College (Puyallup)

　　Pima Medical Institute (Seattle)

　　Professional Beauty School (Sunnyside)

　　Professional Beauty School (Yakima)

　　Puget Sound Christian College (Mountlake Terrace)

　　Renton Technical College (Renton)

　　Saint Martin’s College (Lacey)

　　Sakie International College of Cosmetology (Yakima)

　　Seattle Central Community College (Seattle)

　　Seattle Pacific University (Seattle)

　　Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry (Seattle)

　　Seattle University (Seattle)

　　Shoreline Community College (Seattle)

　　Skagit Valley College (Mount Vernon)

　　SkillSource Office & Technology Center (Wenatchee)

　　South Puget Sound Community College (Olympia)

　　South Seattle Community College (Seattle)

　　Spokane Community College (Spokane)

　　Spokane Falls Community College (Spokane)

　　Stylemasters College of Hair Design (Longview)

　　Tacoma Community College (Tacoma)

　　Total Cosmetology Training Center (Spokane)

　　Trident Training Facility, Bangor (Silverdale)

　　Trinity Lutheran College (Issaquah)

　　University of Puget Sound (Tacoma)

　　University of Washington (Seattle)

　　Walla Walla College (College Place)

　　Walla Walla Community College (Walla Walla)

　　Washington State University (Pullman)

　　Wenatchee Valley College (Wenatchee)

　　Western Business College (Vancouver)

　　Western Washington University (Bellingham)

　　Whatcom Community College (Bellingham)

　　Whitman College (Walla Walla)

　　Whitworth College (Spokane)

　　Yakima Valley Community College (Yakima)