Accreditation

The Community College of Rhode Island is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), one of seven regional higher education accrediting bodies in the United States. NECHE is recognized by both the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as a reliable authority on the educational quality provided by degree-granting institutions. 

In 2014, the Community College of Rhode Island was granted continued accreditation by NECHE in response to the college’s decennial self-study and site visit. A “continued accreditation” designation indicates that the college meets the commission’s Standards for Accreditation and complies with its policies, providing the public with assurances of institutional educational quality.  Additionally, the Community College of Rhode Island submits NECHE Annual Reports and Interim Fifth-Year Reports between decennial self-studies, with the next self-study scheduled for 2024. 

Specific inquiries pertaining to the accreditation status of the Community College of Rhode Island should be directed to the college’s administration. Inquiries may also be directed to:

New England Commission of Higher Education 
3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100 
Burlington, MA 01803-4514 
781-425-7785

In addition to its institutional-level accreditation, several academic programs at the college have received specialized accreditations (listed below). Information pertaining to these specialized accreditations can be obtained directly from the agencies’ websites.   

Institutionwide Accreditation

• New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

Specialized Accreditations include:

• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
• Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
• Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
• Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
• Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA)
• Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT)
• Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS)
• National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS)
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)