Eastern Washington University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), one of the six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. EWU has been continuously accredited by NWCCU since 1919, as indicated here.
Accreditation of an institution of higher education by NWCCU indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality, evaluated through a peer-review process. An accredited college or university is one that has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.
Accreditation by NWCCU is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. Consequently, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered or of the skill or competence level of individual graduates. Rather, accreditation offers reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.
Inquiries about an institution’s accreditation by NWCCU should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact:
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 558‐4224
www.nwccu.org
To learn more about institutional, also known as regional, accreditation, go to How College Accreditation Works or Regional Accreditation: What it Is and Why It's Important When Choosing a College.
Follow the links below for relevant documents from NWCCU that affirm the accreditation of EWU and detail the standards by which institutions are assessed, as well as a presentation of the current NWCCU president's perspective on accreditation, delivered to EWU community members in 2019. An archive of EWU reports to and correspondence with NWCCU is also available.