Accreditation

Marylhurst University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), one of six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Regional accrediting agencies provide the most highly respected type of accreditation for colleges and universities. Their role as non-profit commissions is to validate the quality of academically oriented, degree-granting colleges and universities.

NWCCU defines accreditation as "a process of recognizing educational institutions for performance, integrity, and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public." Accreditation is voluntary and involves a rigorous process of self-study and peer evaluation regarding NWCCU's five standards to ensure high quality.

What are the benefits of regional accreditation?

High Quality - Students are assured that their education is of a high quality because of the rigor of the accreditation standards.
Respected - Many employers respect an education received at a regionally accredited school.
Financial Aid - Schools that are accredited by agencies recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education are eligible to offer federal financial aid and to receive federal resarch grants.
Credit Transfers - Regionally accredited schools will be more willing to consider acceptance of transfer credits from other regionally accredited schools whereas credits earned at schools without regional accreditation will not usually be accepted.
Graduate School - Students who want to attend a regionally accredited graduate school will need to have earned their bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited school.

Accreditation Reports

Standard One Report (Fall 2011):
Mission, Core Themes and Expectations