Sources & Methodology

Last reviewed August 13, 2026

We believe prospective healthcare students deserve clear, verified information without guesswork. This page explains how we research, verify, and maintain the data on CAA Guide.

Our Source Hierarchy

When compiling state laws, requirements, and statistics, we prioritize primary sources in the following order:

1. Primary State Law: Official state legislature databases, statutory codes, and medical licensing board rules.
2. Accrediting & Certifying Bodies: Official publications from CAAHEP, NCCAA, ARC-AA, and CASAA.
3. Direct University Publications: Program catalogs, admissions requirements, prerequisite course lists, and cost-of-attendance disclosures.
4. Professional Associations: Guidelines and maps published by the AAAA and ASA.
5. Market Datasets: Aggregated job board postings and reported compensation surveys (always clearly labeled as market estimates).

Verification & Maintenance

We regularly audit state legislation and university admissions deadlines to keep our directory current. Every state and program page displays a Last Verified date showing when its information was last reviewed against primary sources. Any updates or corrections are recorded in our public changelog.

Suggesting Corrections

If you spot an outdated statute, a newly passed bill, or an updated prerequisite requirement, please reach out to [email protected] with a link to the primary source.

Credits: US map geometry adapted from a public-domain (CC0) Wikimedia Commons base.