Southwestern was accredited by the Commission from 1922-l934, and from 1950 to the present. Its accreditation is at the master's degree level with an approved doctor's degree for pharmacy. Degree sites are located at Weatherford and Sayre. 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 a half, Southwestern has been engaged in a process of self-study, addressing the Commission's requirements and criteria for accreditation.