Tightening fiscal budgets and the growing emphasis on accountability has created a need to assess the value that programmatic accreditation provides. For degrees in engineering, ABET is the only organization recognized in the U.S. responsible for the programmatic accreditation. This research examines the costs and benefits of ABET accreditation to baccalaureate engineering programs in 4-year degree granting institutions. Engineering department heads, or a designee, completed an online survey containing Likert items, open-ended questions, and multiple-choice questions that addressed the costs and benefits of ABET accreditation. The greatest benefits in pursuing accreditation are the recognition and prestige programs receive and the increased career opportunities for graduates. The greatest costs are time, resources (human capital), and effort due to an over cumbersome process and ambiguous expectations. These factors likely cause programs to perceive the cost of ABET accreditation to slightly exceed the benefits. This research will further discuss the implications of the findings and propose areas for future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]