Membership

Discover the AAC&U Advantage

For more than a century, AAC&U has partnered with colleges and universities to advance liberal education as the foundation for student success, civic responsibility, and institutional transformation.

Renew Your Institutional Membership

If you are a listed contact for your institution, log in and renew your membership today. Please contact memberservices@aacu.org with any questions.

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A Word from Lynn Pasquerella

Hear directly from AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella on why this moment demands bold investment in liberal education — and what membership means in practice.

    Higher Education At a Defining Moment

    Founded in 1915, AAC&U is a global membership association dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. We partner with educators and leaders to address higher education's most pressing challenges — strengthening student learning, advancing equity, improving outcomes, and preparing graduates for work, life, and citizenship in a rapidly changing world.

    One of the things I appreciate about AAC&U the most is the way in which it talks about democracy and the role of higher education in both perfecting and preserving democracy.
    / David Wilson, President, Morgan State University

    The AAC&U Community

    AAC&U brings together a diverse, global network of institutions and educators committed to advancing educational quality, equity, and innovation.

    Membership includes two-year and four-year institutions, public and private colleges and universities, research universities, minority-serving institutions, international partners, and individual educators and leaders.

    Membership Reach

    • 1,200+

      institutional and individual members

    • 7+ million

      students enrolled at member institutions

    • 350,000+

      faculty and staff employed at member institutions

    The AAC&U Advantage

    • Liberal Education Leadership
      Advancing liberal education as a framework for preparing students to navigate complexity and contribute to society.
    • Thought Leadership
      Shaping national and global conversations through research, publications, and Liberal Education magazine.
    • Professional Development
      Providing campus-tested tools and models for measurable outcomes.
    • Practical Solutions
      Providing campus-tested tools — including Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) rubrics and High-Impact Practices — for measurable outcomes.
    • Peer Networks
      Connecting leaders through communities of practice.
    • Convenings & Professional Learning
      Hosting institutes, conferences, workshops, webinars, and symposia.
    • Advocacy & Voice
      Championing liberal education and higher education's democratic purposes.
    It is critical for community colleges to be a member of AAC&U because it is time for the family of higher education to come together — the four-year publics and privates, the selectives, and the community colleges of all sizes across the country. We are what makes the ecosystem of higher education and AAC&U is there to hold that ecosystem together.
    / Pam Edinger, President, Bunker Hill Community College

    Why AAC&U Stands Apart

    • Mission-driven, not just service-driven. AAC&U is organized around liberal education and democracy — not administrative function or institutional type.
    • Cross-institutional by design. Community colleges, HBCUs and other MSIs, research universities, and liberal arts colleges all in one network — peer learning across difference.
    • Evidence-based tools. Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) rubrics and High-Impact Practices are field-tested, nationally recognized frameworks — not position papers.
    • Faculty to president. Membership engages every level of the institution — not just administrators — in a shared professional community.

    Initiatives

    Join the AAC&U Community

    AAC&U is where liberal education, institutional strategy, and collective action come together. Membership is strategic — built for the challenges your institution faces today.

    Learn More