What Accreditation Means
The overriding purpose of NWCCU accreditation is to assure stakeholders that an NWCCU-accredited institution has been rigorously evaluated and that it meets or exceeds the criteria required to maintain accreditation. In addition, the accreditation process is designed to build a culture of evidence, promote a commitment to continuous institutional improvement, validate institutional integrity, and provide opportunities for feedback that improves the accreditation process.
Accreditation status granted by NWCCU is recognition that an institution’s own purpose and mission are soundly conceived, that its educational programs promote student success and help close equity gaps, and that its structure, resources, and programs support and result in achieving the institution’s stated mission and purpose. When granted or reaffirmed, accreditation applies to the entire institution at the time of the most recent evaluation. It indicates that the institution as a whole has been evaluated and has been found to be substantially fulfilling its mission and substantially meets NWCCU’s expectations for compliance with the accreditation standards.
Accreditation History & Status
Effective Sept. 1, 2016, the NWCCU granted initial accreditation to CWI at the associate degree level. CWI is now in a seven-year accreditation cycle, which includes periodic evaluations and site visits from the NWCCU.
Transcript & Credit Information
Due to our previous accreditation partnership with the College of Southern Idaho (CSI), credits, certificates, and degrees earned from January 2009 through August 2014 appear on both CSI and CWI transcripts. Credits, certificates, and degrees earned from August 2014 to present appear on CWI transcripts.
Why This Matters
CWI's accreditation helps protect your investment in your education. Because of accreditation, credits, certificates, and degrees earned at CWI are transferable to four-year institutions, subject to the specific policies of those institutions. Standards of accrediting associations are used to check and accept college-level credits and grades earned by students transferring to or from CWI.
Additional Accreditation Information
Supporting documents for CWI’s accreditation reports are available by clicking on links throughout the reports. While every effort has been made to ensure that links are up-to-date and in working order when the report is published, several are housed by agencies outside of the College and may change at any time without warning. Should you need assistance accessing any of the information below, please contact communications@cwi.edu.
- 2009 Application for Consideration Report
- NWCCU Approval Letter
- 2011 Comprehensive Self Evaluation Report
- 2012 Year One Self Evaluation Report
- 2013 Special Year One Report
- 2014 Year Three Self Evaluation
- 2016 Year Seven Self Evaluation Report
- 2017 Initial Accreditation Letter
- 2017 Year One Self Evaluation Report
- Mid-Cycle Evaluation – August 2019
- Policies, Regulations, & Financial Review Report – September 2022
- Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness Report – October 2023
Several of the College's programs are also accredited by the appropriate accrediting agencies, and graduates are eligible to take the qualifying examinations of the respective state and national licensing or registration bodies and join professional organizations.
Questions?
Any inquiries regarding CWI’s accreditation status by the NWCCU should be directed to the administrative staff of the College. Individuals may also contact:
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
8060 165th Avenue NE, Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052-3981
nwccu.org