Donald Trump’s New Order Is His ‘Secret Weapon’ to Reshape Higher Education

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Wednesday targeting the college accreditation system, an influential pillar of higher education. The president has reportedly described this move as his “secret weapon” in reshaping colleges and universities.

Administration officials told The Wall Street Journal the order is designed to challenge what Trump views as discriminatory practices and “ideological overreach” on college campuses. The outlet reported that the order emphasizes intellectual diversity among faculty, improves metrics for student success, and streamlines the process for institutions to change accreditors or for new accrediting bodies to gain federal recognition.

Why It Matters

The Trump administration has repeatedly referred to college accreditation as a lever of influence.

The action was spearheaded by Trump’s Domestic Policy Council, the official said, as part of ongoing efforts by Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and others to advance the president’s agenda on higher education.

Currently, about 60 accrediting agencies are recognized by the Department of Education. These organizations serve as gatekeepers for institutions seeking access to over $120 billion in annual federal financial aid.

Schools that lose accreditation risk becoming ineligible for these funds—a move that could financially devastate many institutions.

What To Know

The order would lower barriers for institutions to switch accreditors and streamline the process for new accrediting bodies to gain federal recognition.

“President Trump is expected to sign an executive order Wednesday to shake up the arcane but pivotal world of college accreditation,” reported The Wall Street Journal, citing administration officials who view the move as a cornerstone of Trump’s higher education strategy.

Accreditors play a largely invisible but critical role in higher education. Their approval determines whether colleges and universities can access federal student aid—over $120.8 billion in loans, grants, and work-study funds were distributed to more than 9.9 million students in the most recent fiscal year. To gain accreditation, institutions must meet broad standards that cover everything from their mission and admissions policies to academic programs and faculty qualifications.

Despite this power, very few schools ever lose their accreditation, even those with low graduation and job placement rates.

Critics, including Trump and many Republicans, argue that the current system acts like a cartel, restricting competition and failing to hold poorly performing schools accountable.

“The current batch of accreditors is too finite a group, and it should be expanded,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in an April interview. Supporters of the system counter that accreditors help maintain academic standards and work closely with struggling institutions to improve.

The executive order reflects long-standing conservative calls for more accountability in higher education. One proposal gaining momentum is the “skin-in-the-game” model, which would require colleges to shoulder some financial responsibility if their graduates default on student loans.

The push also comes amid rising tensions between the Trump administration and elite universities. The White House has announced funding freezes or cuts to several Ivy League schools, including Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, and Brown, citing concerns about campus antisemitism and perceived liberal bias.

Meanwhile, some states are pursuing reform independently. Florida and North Carolina have passed laws requiring public universities to change accreditors every ten years, aiming to reduce what they see as entrenched political influence by long-established regional agencies.

What People Are Saying

Andrew Gillen, a research fellow at the Cato Institute, told The Wall Street Journal: “If you lose Pell grants and lose student loans, for most colleges that means you’re done.”

A White House official told CNN: “The Executive Order directs the attorney general and the secretary of education to investigate and terminate unlawful discrimination by American higher education institutions, including law schools and medical schools.”

What Happens Next

Given the nature of the executive order, legal challenges are almost certain to follow. Universities, accrediting bodies, and civil rights organizations may sue, arguing that the order exceeds executive authority or undermines educational standards.

Update 04/23/25, 5:44 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.