據了解，美國憲法規定，各州政府負責注冊并審批各類高等院校，但各院校是否被社會所認可則取決于政府承認的認證機構的認證。

　　美國高等院校包括公立與私立兩種。主要實行二年學制或四年學制，二年制的多為技術專科學校和社區學院。據統計，目前美國各類高等院校有3600多所。

　　美國高等院校的質量認證一般由專業認證機構負責，經美國教育部認可的專業認證機構主要有六大區域認證機構及近百個專業認證機構。聯邦政府通過認證機構間接起到對各院校的管理與規范。全美高等教育認證委員會（CHEA）是協調并審核認證機構的專業機構。 通過區域性認證協會或其它專業認證機構的認證，各院校可實現學分相互轉換，所頒發的學位證書或文憑證書能獲得社會的廣泛認可。

　　2012年美國新罕布什爾州教育部批準境外正規高校名單：

　　New Hampshire

　　Chester College of New England (Chester)

　　Colby-Sawyer College (New London)

　　College for Lifelong Learning (Concord)

　　Concord Academy of Hair Design (Concord)

　　Continental Academie of Hair Design (Hudson)

　　Continental Academie of Hair Design (Manchester)

　　Daniel Webster College (Nashua)

　　Dartmouth College (Hanover)

　　Empire Beauty School #3 (Somersworth)

　　Empire Beauty School (Laconia)

　　Franklin Pierce College (Rindge)

　　Franklin Pierce Law Center (Concord)

　　Hesser College (Manchester)

　　Keene Beauty Academy, Inc. (Keene)

　　Keene State College (Keene)

　　McIntosh College (Dover)

　　Michael‘s School of Hair Design (Manchester)

　　New England College (Henniker)

　　New England School of Hair Design, Inc. (West Lebanon)

　　New Hampshire Community Technical College (Berlin)

　　New Hampshire Community Technical College - Berlin (Berlin)

　　New Hampshire Community Technical College - Claremont (Claremont)

　　New Hampshire Community Technical College - Laconia (Laconia)

　　New Hampshire Community Technical College - Manchester (Manchester)

　　New Hampshire Community Technical College (Nashua)

　　New Hampshire Community Technical College - Nashua (Nashua)

　　New Hampshire Community Technical College (Stratham)

　　New Hampshire Community Technical College - Stratham (Stratham)

　　New Hampshire Technical Institute (Concord)

　　Plymouth State College (Plymouth)

　　Portsmouth Beauty School of Hair Design (Portsmouth)

　　REEP (Nashua)

　　Rivier College (Nashua)

　　Saint Anselm College (Manchester)

　　School of Nail Design (Bedford)

　　School of Nail Design (Greenland)

　　Second Start (Concord)

　　Southern New Hampshire University (Manchester)

　　The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, Inc. (Merrimack)

　　University of New Hampshire (Durham)

　　Upper Valley Teacher Institute (Lebanon)