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Institutional Mission
A clear educational mission that defines the institution’s purpose, guides operations, and is reflected in programs and services.
NACCUA Accreditation Standards
Accreditation Standards for Institutional Quality.
NACCUA accreditation standards define the principal areas used to evaluate educational quality, institutional integrity, student protection, responsible operation, and continuing improvement. Institutions are evaluated against published requirements and documented evidence appropriate to their mission and accreditation scope.
How the standards are used
How NACCUA accreditation standards are applied.
The accreditation standards define what NACCUA evaluates. The form and volume of evidence may vary according to institutional size, mission, educational level, delivery method, complexity, stage of development, and accreditation scope.
NACCUA does not require documentation merely for volume. Evidence must be current, relevant, authentic, representative, and sufficient to support a reliable accreditation judgment.
A small school, career institution, online college, multi-program university, or graduate institution may demonstrate conformity differently. The underlying quality requirement remains meaningful even when the appropriate evidence differs.
Reviewers may request additional information when necessary to resolve a material question, verify a representation, evaluate an identified risk, or determine conformity with a published requirement.
Core accreditation standards
Fifteen accreditation standards for institutional review.
These accreditation standards are considered together. Accreditation is not earned by averaging unrelated strengths and weaknesses; material deficiencies must be resolved or addressed through an authorized accreditation decision.
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Governance
Qualified, responsible, and ethical governance and administration with sufficient authority, integrity, legal standing, and continuity.
III
Institutional Planning and Effectiveness
Organized planning, meaningful performance information, periodic review, and documented improvement of institutional operations.
IV
Academic Achievement
Defined learning outcomes and appropriate methods for evaluating whether students achieve the educational results represented by the institution.
V
Academic Program Requirements
Coherent programs with appropriate structure, content, workload, completion requirements, and educational or credential level.
VI
Curriculum Development
Controlled development, approval, maintenance, and review of curriculum through qualified academic oversight.
VII
Learning Materials, Resources, and Research Support
Access to learning materials, academic resources, library or research support, technology, and other resources appropriate to the programs offered.
VIII
Academic Delivery
Educational delivery that supports student learning, meaningful interaction, academic integrity, reliable technology, and effective access to instruction.
IX
Academic Leadership and Staffing
Qualified academic leadership, faculty, and support personnel in numbers and roles sufficient for the institution’s programs and students.
X
Academic Policies
Clear and consistently applied policies governing grading, progress, integrity, transfer or prior learning where applicable, records, and other academic responsibilities.
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Recruitment and Enrollment
Truthful, ethical, and appropriate recruitment, advertising, admissions, enrollment information, agreements, and financial representations to prospective students.
XII
Student Support Services
Accessible academic, administrative, advising, technology, accommodation, and communication support appropriate to the student population and delivery model.
XIII
Fair Practices
Responsible treatment of students and the public, including privacy, complaints, refunds, nondiscrimination, transparency, and accurate accreditation representations.
XIV
Finance
Financial capacity, management, records, sustainability, and student-account practices sufficient to support the institution’s educational commitments.
XV
Facilities and Records Maintenance
Adequate facilities, equipment, technology, security, recordkeeping, continuity, and operational control over the resources necessary to support accredited activities.
Supplemental requirements
Additional requirements may apply by educational level or delivery model.
NACCUA uses one common institutional framework and supplements it where a materially different educational level or delivery model requires additional safeguards or expectations.
Primary and Secondary Schools
Additional expectations may address age-appropriate educational programs, student progression, attendance or participation, parent or guardian communication, safeguarding, personnel suitability, and school records.
Higher Education
Additional expectations may address credential integrity, academic level, program structure and length, admissions alignment, faculty qualifications, academic policies, records, outcomes, and credential disclosures.
Graduate and Doctoral Education
Additional expectations may address advanced academic level, faculty competence, advanced inquiry, scholarship, culminating requirements, student supervision, research, and academic integrity.
Distance and Online Education
Additional expectations may address academic equivalence, learning platforms, faculty-student interaction, student identity, privacy, online support, digital resources, and technology continuity.
Evidence and judgment
Accreditation standards are supported by evidence.
Institutions are expected to explain how they satisfy the applicable accreditation standards and identify the records, policies, data, systems, personnel, and other evidence supporting those explanations.
NACCUA may use document review, interviews, demonstrations, record sampling, observation, remote activity, site activity, or other appropriate verification methods.
No hidden criteria
Accreditation standards are published and controlled.
NACCUA reviewer guidance may clarify how a standard is commonly applied, but it may not create undisclosed mandatory accreditation criteria.
Material changes to standards are controlled and should include an effective date and, where necessary, transition treatment for institutions already in process or currently accredited.
External quality assurance context
Published accreditation standards support transparent review.
A credible accreditation system should make its substantive expectations visible so institutions can understand what is being evaluated and reviewers can apply the same controlled framework to comparable cases.
The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) publishes International Standards and Guidelines addressing transparency, credibility, review practices, and continuous improvement in external quality assurance.
NACCUA applies its own accreditation standards, evidence requirements, review procedures, and decision rules. The INQAAHE resource is provided only as an external reference on quality-assurance practice and does not establish or replace NACCUA requirements.
The purpose of the standards is to support a credible institutional judgment — not to make unlike institutions look identical.
Before applying
Start with eligibility.
Eligibility determines whether an institution may enter the NACCUA accreditation process. Eligibility does not itself establish conformity with the standards or guarantee accreditation.
Questions about scope
Contact NACCUA before submitting materials if your institution has an unusual structure or scope.
NACCUA can clarify whether the institution, educational level, delivery model, or requested scope falls within the accreditation framework and what supplemental requirements may apply.