North Idaho College is accredited and has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) since 1947. This accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education's Secretary for institutional accrediting bodies. The most recent comprehensive review, which focused on Mission Fulfillment and Sustainability, occurred in the spring of 2020. Following this review, the NWCCU reaffirmed the college's accreditation in June 2020.
The NWCCU Board of Commissioners issued a Warning Sanction to NIC on April 1, 2022. Later, in February 2023, it escalated the sanction to a Show Cause status due to concerns related to board governance and institutional integrity, particularly regarding the Board of Trustees. Federal regulations mandate that the college must address the issues that led to the initial Warning Sanction by April 1, 2025. A Show Cause sanction requires NIC to provide evidence explaining why NWCCU should not revoke NIC's membership.
On March 1, 2024, the NWCCU extended the Show Cause sanction, stating that the Evaluation Team's report from a special visit in Fall 2023 indicated the Board of Trustees had not adequately addressed previous recommendations from NWCCU action letters.
On February 24, 2025, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) modified the Show Cause sanction to Probation and granted North Idaho College (NIC) a one-year extension, until April 1, 2026, to address three non-compliant recommendations. The Commission noted the significant progress made by the Board of Trustees over the past seven months, during which they fulfilled six recommendations and moved two additional recommendations out of non-compliance.
The Commission affirmed that NIC qualified for this extension based on several factors:
- Previous reports indicate that student learning has remained unaffected.
- NIC has developed teach-out agreements and plans that comply with U.S. Department of Education guidelines and NWCCU policies.
- Significant improvements have been demonstrated in most non-compliant areas over the past seven months.
- NIC's robust board training and enhanced practices in recent meetings reflect a viable plan to achieve compliance with all NWCCU standards and eligibility requirements within the next year.
In addition to addressing the three non-compliance recommendations, NIC must also attend to two recommendations deemed "substantially in compliance but in need of improvement" by Spring 2027.
Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the NWCCU indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one that has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.
Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. Accreditation by the NWCCU is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.
An inquiry regarding North Idaho College’s accredited status by the NWCCU should be directed to the administrative staff of the college. Individuals may also contact:
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
8060 165th Avenue N.E.
Suite 200
Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 558-4224
www.nwccu.org
Accreditation Status
North Idaho College is a member institution with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). NIC’s accreditation status is Probation.
NWCCU is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Find more information about NIC's non-compliance review with the NWCCU from 2021 to present.
NWCCU Regular Review Reports
North Idaho College works collaboratively with the NWCCU throughout the accrediting body’s typical sever-year review cycle to maintain compliance with the NWCCU’s Eligibility Requirements and Standards.
Information about regular reviews and reports is posted below.
Find more information about the NWCCU’s non-compliance review of NIC.
The NWCCU reaffirmed NIC’s accreditation in July 2020 after a Mission Fulfillment and Sustainability Evaluation during the spring of 2020.
The NWCCU approved NIC’s Ad Hoc Report in July 2018.
The NWCCU approved NIC’s 2016 Mid-Cycle Report in July 2016. The Mid-Cycle Review is a progress report and does not result in recommendations or commendations.
The NWCCU approved NIC’s Year One Self-Study Report and Ad-Hoc Report in July 2014. There were no recommendations or commendations as a result of these reports.
The NWCUU reaffirmed NIC’s accreditation after the college’s Comprehensive Year Seven Evaluation in July 2013 with recommendations and commendations.