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.