Accreditation
The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) accredited AUP on 23 April 2026.
Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the Commission should be directed to AUP’s Accreditation Liaison Officer, Dr. Kate Zhang, at kzhang [at] aup.edu (kzhang[at]aup[dot]edu), or to the Office of the Provost at academicaffairs [at] aup.edu (academicaffairs[at]aup[dot]edu).
Individuals also may contact:
The New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210, Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 425 7785
E-Mail: info [at] neche.org (info[at]neche[dot]org) or website: https://www.neche.org/contact/
Complaints to accreditors:
Individuals considering submitting a complaint NECHE should review its policies and processes.
NECHE: https://www.neche.org/comments-complaints/
DEGREE GRANTING AUTHORITY
AUP is approved by the Delaware Department of Education to offer courses and program(s) of courses in the State of Delaware, from whom it has been awarded full Degree Granting Authority.
Delaware Department of Education
401 Federal ST, Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901-3639
Phone: 302-735-4000
website: https://education.delaware.gov/
OPERATING AUTHORITY
The University is incorporated in the state of Delaware (United States) as a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt not-for-profit organization. AUP is an association étrangère (foreign association) registered in France and governed by French law.
French and International Recognition
The American University of Paris is declared to the Rectorat de Paris as an établissement d'enseignement supérieur privé (private higher education institution) and has maintained this right to ouverture (operate) since 1964. AUP’s graduate programs in Global Communications and Strategic Brand Management lead to professional certifications registered with the RNCP (Répertoire National des Certifications Professionelles).
The Rectorat de Paris has acknowledged that the undergraduate majors and Master’s programs offered at AUP are of higher education level (“les formations dispensées par l’établissement American University of Paris sont reconnues de niveau d’enseignement supérieur”).
Like other officially US-accredited diplomas, AUP's bachelor's degrees are recognized as comparable to the French Licence (BAC+3) for Graduate Studies admission. This allows AUP students to apply for graduate studies within the French higher education system following the completion of their undergraduate degree.
France does not practice foreign diploma recognition. It practices diploma comparison, providing “attestation de comparabilite” (certificate of comparability), applying the Lisbon convention on international diploma equivalency. If needed, comparability attestation of an AUP diploma can be delivered on a case-by-case basis by applying to the ENIC-NARIC Center in France.
AUP degrees are also separately recognized by the Ministries of Higher Education in Norway and Turkey.