Frequently Asked Questions

In 2024-25, Northwestern will undergo its 10-year comprehensive review for re-accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). There are several elements of the comprehensive review, which culminates in a peer review site visit to take place in April 2025. These FAQs shed light on some of the key aspects of the process.

Why is accreditation important?

Institutional accreditation is one indicator of the educational quality of Northwestern’s academic programs and helps to ensure regulatory compliance and accountability across American colleges and universities. Importantly, institutional accreditation also establishes Northwestern’s eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs.

Engaging in a 10-year review cycle through the HLC’s Open Pathway also provides Northwestern with opportunities to reflect on and showcase how we manifest our institution’s commitments to excellent teaching, innovative research, and the personal and intellectual growth of our students in a diverse academic community.

What is the Higher Learning Commission?

Per the HLC website, “The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of seven regional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the United States. HLC is as an institutional accreditor, accrediting the institution as a whole.” The HLC was previously known as the North Central Association.

How does institutional accreditation relate to program- or school-level accreditation?

While Northwestern is accredited at the institutional level by the HLC, many academic programs, units, and schools are also accredited by specialized accrediting agencies. These specialized accrediting bodies typically have specific and prescriptive requirements that pertain to a particular field or discipline.

Schools and units may find that materials they have prepared for a previous review for specialized accreditation can be repurposed for Northwestern’s 10-year review with the HLC. However, rather than providing a detailed account of every individual academic program at Northwestern, the re-accreditation report for the HLC will provide a higher-level argument (35,000 words or less) about the University overall, along with hundreds of evidence documents that help to demonstrate how Northwestern meets the HLC’s criteria for accreditation.

How do members of the Northwestern community get involved?

A core team within the Office of the Provost will manage all components of the re-accreditation process and engage University leaders, faculty, staff and students in the assembly of re-accreditation materials and preparation for the peer review visit. While many faculty and staff will be engaged throughout the process of gathering evidence and compiling information for the re-accreditation report, the campus site visit (April 28-29, 2025) will give the peer review team the opportunity to speak directly with faculty, staff, students and University leadership. Students will have an additional opportunity to engage in the re-accreditation process via the HLC’s Student Opinion Survey. Further details about the survey and opportunities to engage with the peer review team will be shared as they become available.

Where should questions or feedback be directed?

A core team within the Office of the Provost is managing all components of the re-accreditation process and engage University leaders, faculty, staff and students in the assembly of re-accreditation materials and preparation for the peer review visit.

Any questions about the 2024-25 re-accreditation can be directed to:

When and how does HLC announce the results of the review?

The peer review team will draft its report within four to six weeks following the campus visit in April 2025. In the months following the visit and receipt of the peer review team’s report, the HLC will notify the University President and Northwestern’s Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) with the results of review.