Overview
Accreditation is a form of independent review designed to establish and maintain the uniform quality of educational programs and institutional effectiveness. It includes an important process of self-assessment that allows an institution to reflect on its programs, policies, and procedures as well as its strengths and weaknesses in accomplishing its educational mission.
Olympic College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities (NWCCU), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the United States Department of Education. As an accredited school, Olympic College is allowed to provide financial aid to qualifying students, thereby giving more people access to strong, valuable education programs.
Inquiries regarding an institution's accredited status by the NWCCU should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact:
Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities
8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052
425-558-4224
NWCCU Website
Accreditation by the NWCCU refers to the institution as a whole. Therefore, statements like 'fully accredited' or 'this program is accredited by the NWCCU' or 'this degree is accredited by the NWCCU' are incorrect and should not be used.
Current Status
Olympic College's accreditation was reaffirmed in January 2019 based on its 2018 evaluation. OC is preparing its report for Year Seven Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness with the visit scheduled for April 15-17.
Mission Fulfillment
As a mission-focused institution, Olympic College monitors annual progress toward the fulfillment of our mission in alignment with the standards of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). To achieve this, we establish specific outcomes, objectives and data indicators to track trend lines over time and accomplishment of specific benchmarks. Mission Fulfillment Indicators are being updated to align with key performance indicators from OC’s Strategic Plan, 2024-2028 and peer institutions.
Peer Comparisons
Peer Comparison Data is available for our regional peers - Pierce College, South Puget Sound Community College, Skagit Valley College. These peers were selected based on their relative size, demographics, and service area.