Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) is an independent, non-profit membership organization recognized by the United States Department of Education since 1952 as the regional authority on educational quality and institutional effectiveness of higher education institutions in the seven-state Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. It fulfills its mission by establishing accreditation criteria and evaluation procedures by which institutions are reviewed. The commission dropped its association with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and as of May 2012, is not listed in CHEA's database of recognized accrediting agencies; it is shown as one that was formerly recognized. The agency is still the regional accrediting agency for the Pacific Northwest states, as CHEA recognition is not required in order for accrediting agencies to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.