Accreditation
Shoreline Community College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Shoreline Community College is a Member institution with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). NWCCU is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities 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 which 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 the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.
Inquiries regarding an institution’s accredited status by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities 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
Accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities refers to the institution as a whole. Therefore, statements like “fully accredited” or “this program is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities” or “this degree is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities” are incorrect and should not be used.
Shoreline Community College’s accreditation status is Non-Compliance Warning. The NWCCU’s most recent action on the institution’s accreditation status on February 27, 2023 was to warn the institution (see below for details).
Accreditation Documents
Below are links to the college's recent accreditation reports and action letters.
- 2023 Ad Hoc Response from NWCCU
- Ad Hoc Evaluation Report 10.14.22 Full Draft[87]
- 2022 Ad Hoc Visit Delay
- 2021 Report Response from NWCCU
- 2020 Peer Evaluation Report
- 2020 Mission Fulfillment and Sustainability Report
- 2020 Ad Hoc Response from NWCCU
- 2019 Ad Hoc Self-Study
- 2018 Ad Hoc Response from NWCCU
- 2018 Ad Hoc Self-Study
- Core Theme Substantive Change Acceptance Letter
- Core Themes Follow-up Report
- Core Themes Substantive Change
- 2015 Mid-Cycle Self-Study and Appendices
- 2013 Year One Self-Evaluation Report
Programmatic Accrediting Agencies
Programmatic accrediting agencies accredit individual educational programs within an institution with regard to program-specific standards and have specific definitions of eligibility and operating procedures. Shoreline Community College offers the following educational programs that are accredited by programmatic accrediting agencies:
