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What is accreditation?

Accreditation is a voluntary system of self-regulation, carried out by peer-review,  in which an institution or program is assessed against a set of standards.

Benefits of Accreditation

  • Represents the highest form of accreditation a university can achieve and communicates the value of Western's degrees and certificates to stakeholders, employers and the public.
  • Permits Western students to receive federal financial aid. 
  • Facilitates transfer between institutions. 
Fall leaves litter the sidewalk and lush grassy lawn in front of Western's library.

National Accreditation

Colleges and universities are authorized to award degrees by a nationally recognized accreditation agency. The Council of Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education recognize eight accreditation agencies with this authority (formerly known as regional accreditors before a recent rule change by the Department of Education).

Western is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).