WASHINGTON — Hundreds of for-profit colleges could close, leaving up to 600,000 students scrambling to find other schools, after the Education Department withdrew recognition of the nation’s largest accreditor of for-profit schools.

The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools said it would appeal Thursday’s decision to Education Secretary John King Jr.

In a statement, ACICS Interim President Roger Williams said the council would “continue diligent efforts to renew and strengthen its policies and practices” to meet the department’s criteria for accreditors.

The accrediting agency has been accused of lax oversight of its schools, which included those once owned by the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges and the recently shuttered ITT Technical Institute.

The department’s decision was announced in a blog post on its website. In a letter to the council released later Thursday, Emma Vadehra, King’s chief of staff, wrote that “ACICS’ track record does not inspire confidence that it can address all of the problems effectively.”

If ACICS loses its appeal, hundreds of schools would be forced to find a new accreditor within 18 months or lose their ability to participate in federal financial aid programs, such as student loans and Pell Grants. About 600,000 students attend ACICS-accredited institutions.