Whatcom Community College (WCC) is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). NWCCU's most recent action on WCC's accreditation status was to reaffirm accreditation on July 12, 2019. In April 2026, WCC will have its year 7 evaluation of institutional effectiveness visit. NWCCU is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Want to know more about accreditation? This is a great place to start!

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is a formal recognition process that certifies educational institutions that meet certain quality standards and eligibility criteria.

It allows:

1. Colleges to participate in federal financial aid programs.
2. Students to transfer credits from WCC.

Accreditation by NWCCU indicates WCC 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.

Accreditation by NWCCU applies to the institution as a whole. It provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates.

What is involved?

To maintain accreditation, all colleges submit annual reports throughout a 7-year cycle. They also submit major reports in years 3 (mid-cycle), 6 (policies, regulations, and financial resources), and 7 (evaluation of institutional effectiveness). Years 3 and 7 include in-person college visits by NWCCU evaluators.

WCC is currently preparing its year 7 report and will host NWCCU evaluators. In the year 7 report, WCC needs to provide evidence that it…

1. Uses information for planning, institutional effectiveness, and resource allocation.
2. Uses student achievement data to improve student success and close equity gaps.
3.  Uses assessment information to improve student learning.
4. Knows to what extent it is fulfilling its mission and uses this information to improve student success and close equity gaps.

Ongoing through fall and winter quarters – The assessment and institutional research (AIR) office will work with the entire campus on the 7 year report.

February 10 – A final draft of the year 7 report will be submitted to NWCCU.

February 17 – Professional development day for faculty and staff, including a celebration of progress, and final preparations for the visit.

March 5 – Mock visit. Three independent evaluators will come do a mock evaluation to help prepare the college for the accreditation visit. This will include interviews and feedback to help everyone get ready for the actual visit in April.

April 3  – WCC and NWCCU invite public comment concerning the College’s qualifications for accreditation. All comments must be submitted in writing, signed by the author(s), and received by Friday, April 3, 2026.

Comments should be sent directly to:
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Attn: Third Party Comment
8060 165th Ave NE, Ste. 200
Redmond, WA 98052

Visit the NWCCU website to learn more about the Commission's policy on public notification and third-party comments or to submit a public comment electronically.

April 15-17 – NWCCU accreditation visit. The evaluators will speak to faculty, staff, and students about their experiences at WCC. On the morning of April 17, the evaluators will present draft recommendations for improvement and commendations.

For more details see the AIR accreditation resources webpage.

Student Complaints

Student complaints and inquiries regarding WCC’s accredited status should be directed to WCC's accreditation liaison officer, Dr. Anne Marie Karlberg (amkarlberg@whatcom.edu) or the NWCCU:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
8060 165th Avenue NE, Ste. 200
Redmond WA 98052

phone: 425.558.4224

NWCCU complaints