Accreditation

Southwestern College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). Accredited colleges are recognized by the United States Department of Education (DOE) as providing educational programs, services, and training that meet acceptable levels of quality.

Southwestern College has maintained its accredited status since it opened in 1961.

The accreditation process assists colleges in improving institutional effectiveness to ensure colleges offer high quality educational programs and services. During the 2015-2022 Accreditation Cycle, Southwestern College continues its focus on providing the community with high quality educational programs and services. Areas of particular focus include:

• Supporting Student Learning Outcome (SLO) assessment and the use of SLO results to make improvements
• Bolstering Distance Education (DE) offerings and services
• Maintaining an environment that promotes inclusivity, civility, and diversity
• Southwestern College has maintained its accredited status since it opened in 1961.

View the Statement of Reaffirmation issued by ACCJC on June 15, 2023.

View the Follow-Up Report submitted to ACCJC on February 28, 2023.

View the Statement of Accreditation Status (SAS) issued by ACCJC on January 27, 2022.

View the Peer Review Team Report for the results of the virtual visit to Southwestern College on October 12, 2021.

You can learn more about accreditation on the ACCJC website, and the Department of Education website.

Third-Party Complaints

Members of the Southwestern College community, including students, may make a formal complaint to the ACCJC regarding the College on issues related to accreditation standards. The Commission maintains the ACCJC Complaints Process website with web forms for submitting complaints against a member institution, like Southwestern College, or a complaint against the Commission itself. While students and the community are free to use this option to register a complaint, we encourage students to use existing complaint processes found on the Office of Student Services website, which includes an online Incident Report Form.