North Central University, established in 1996 in Prescott, Arizona, is seeking accreditation for its distance learning programs at the Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degree levels in Psychology and Business Administration. 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 year and half, Northcentral University has been engaged in a process of self-study, addressing the Commission's requirements and criteria for accreditation.