Organization profile
Higher Education Organizations
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026 · Editorial standards
This directory lists national and international organizations whose work centers on higher education: faculty and labor, institutional administration, student affairs, institutional research, sector-specific associations, international education, and advancement. Each entry was checked for a live, working link before inclusion. Organizations whose sites had gone dark, whose domains had lapsed, or whose focus was K-12 rather than postsecondary education were removed from the legacy version of this page.
Faculty, Labor, and Academic Freedom
- American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Defines and defends academic freedom and tenure; author of the 1940 Statement of Principles.
- American Federation of Teachers (AFT). National labor union representing faculty and staff across education, healthcare, and public service.
- National Education Association, Higher Education. NEA’s division for college and university faculty and staff.
Institutional Administration and Operations
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). Professional association for registrars and admissions officers, representing more than 2,400 institutions and agencies in the United States and beyond.
- Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB). Supports the practice of voluntary trusteeship in American higher education.
- College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR). Network of human resource administrators at colleges and universities nationwide.
- National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). Represents chief administrative and financial officers at more than 2,100 colleges and universities.
- Society for College and University Planning (SCUP). Focused on the advancement and practice of effective institutional planning.
Student Affairs and Campus Life
- NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. National association for college and university student affairs administrators.
- Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association (CIVSA). Serves campus information and visitor-services professionals.
- The Collegiate Way. A resource on residential colleges and their role in undergraduate life, with a directory of residential college systems worldwide.
Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning
- Association for Institutional Research (AIR). International association for administrators and researchers working in institutional research and assessment.
Sector and Institutional-Type Associations
- American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Represents two-year, technical, and vocational institutions.
- American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). National association of colleges and universities with educator-preparation programs.
- Association of American Universities (AAU). Coalition of leading public and private research universities in the United States and Canada.
- State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO). Association of chief executive officers of statewide higher education governing and coordinating boards.
International and Global Higher Education
- NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The primary professional association for international education practitioners.
Advancement and Institutional Support
- Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Professional association for advancement staff working in alumni relations, communications, and fundraising.
- The Templeton Guide: Resource Listing, John Templeton Foundation. Profiles roughly 70 higher education organizations that support character development through programs or publications.
Reference and Directories
- Scholarly Societies Project. An independently maintained directory of scholarly societies, including those in education.