Institutional Accreditation

West Virginia State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a regional accreditation agency that accredits degree-granting institutions of higher education located in the 19-state North Central region of the United States. Regional accreditation validates the quality of an institution as a whole and evaluates multiple aspects of an institution, including its academic offerings, governance and administration, mission, finances, and resources.  Institutions that the HLC accredits are evaluated against the Commission’s Criteria for Accreditation a set of standards that must be met in order for the institution to receive and/or maintain accredited status. The HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation reflect a set of guiding values.  Accreditation is largely a peer-based review and evaluation process. HLC decision-making bodies are comprised of institutional representation from colleges and universities accredited by the Commission; public members are also sometimes involved.

The website provides information on the institutional reaffirmation processes and status.  For questions or comments regarding the University’s reaffirmation of accreditation process or the Self-Study Report, please send all inquiries and information to reaffirmation@wvstateu.edu or call (304) 204-4300.