The U.S. Department of Education completed negotiated rulemaking on a major accreditation reform package, with the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) committee reaching consensus May 21. No institution’s accreditation is affected immediately, but the department is preparing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would reshape how accreditors evaluate colleges and universities. Under the consensus agreement, accreditors would be pushed to place more weight on measurable student outcomes—completion rates, licensure results, and post-completion economic returns. The package also directs a stronger presumption of transfer of comparable coursework for students coming from other accredited institutions, with additional transparency and appeal processes. The proposal adds new expectations around conflicts of interest (including prohibitions on sharing resources with affiliated trade or professional associations), and requires accreditors to evaluate whether institutions maintain policies addressing academic freedom, research integrity, civil rights, and the free exchange of ideas. It also lowers barriers for new accreditors by eliminating a two-year minimum operating requirement for federal recognition, and simplifies procedures for institutions switching between accreditors—aimed at reducing administrative and financial burdens.