The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education is one of six accrediting agencies in the United States that provide institutional accreditation on a regional basis. Institutional accreditation evaluates an entire institution and accredits it as a whole. Other agencies provide accreditation for specific programs.
Accreditation is voluntary.
The Commission accredits approximately 950 institutions of higher education in a nineteen-state region. The Commission is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For the past two years, Northcentral University has been engaged in a process of self-study, addressing the Commission's requirements and criteria for accreditation. The evaluation team will visit the institution to gather evidence that the self-study is thorough and accurate. Written, signed comments must be received by January 5, 2001.