This "Almanac" provides an overview of the external quality review process, its practice and structure, its participating organizations and agencies, and its role in the self-regulation of higher education in the United States. It presents information about all the major participants in external quality review and documents the range and capacities of existing assessment procedures. An overview discusses recognized accreditors and the state and federal roles in the quality review of higher education. A section on "CHEA Information" describes the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and its operations. The "Directories" section contains information about accrediting agencies, grouped into: (1) regional accrediting organizations; (2) national accrediting organizations; (3) specialized and professional accrediting organizations; and (4) state agencies and accrediting organizations recognized for special purposes. Also included are a directory of state higher education executive officers and a directory of ranking services. (SLD)