What an accrediting agency does
An accrediting agency is an organization whose job is to evaluate schools against a set of published standards. It writes those standards, trains the educators who carry out its reviews, sends teams to visit schools, and decides whether each school meets the bar. Schools that do are accredited for a defined period, report back in between, and go through the full review again when that period ends.
The agency's work is only as meaningful as its standards and its follow-through. Two schools can both say they're accredited and have gone through very different reviews, which is why it's worth knowing who the accreditor is and how that accreditor itself is held accountable. If you're new to the topic, our guide to what private school accreditation is covers the basics.
The main types of accrediting agencies
There's no single official list of categories, but most private school accreditors fall into a few recognizable groups. Many agencies fit more than one.
- Regional associations. These are long-established accreditors that historically served schools in a defined part of the country, such as the Middle States Association (MSA), the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), and Cognia. Many of them now accredit schools well beyond their original region.
- Faith-based associations. These accredit schools that share a religious tradition and write standards that include the school's spiritual mission alongside academics and operations. Examples among NCPSA's members include the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), the Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, National Lutheran School Accreditation, and Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation.
- Educational philosophy and model networks. Some agencies accredit schools that follow a particular approach, such as Montessori, classical, or Charlotte Mason education. The American Montessori Society, the International Montessori Council, the Association of Classical Christian Schools, and the Charlotte Mason Institute are examples.
- State-level organizations. Some accreditors focus on private schools in a single state and often work closely with that state's education agencies and scholarship programs. Examples include the Association of Independent Schools of Florida, the Kentucky Non-Public School Commission, and the Virginia Council for Private Education.
- National and international agencies. Other accreditors serve schools across the country or around the world, including schools that operate outside the United States or teach online.
- Early childhood accreditors. Preschools and child care programs are often reviewed against standards written specifically for young children. Our guide to early childhood program accreditation explains how that differs from K-12 review.
None of these categories is better than the others. A small Montessori school and a large college-preparatory high school need different standards, and the variety of accreditors exists so that each kind of school can be reviewed by people who understand it.
Who recognizes private school accreditors
A common assumption is that the federal government approves school accreditors. For K-12 private schools, it doesn't. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes accrediting agencies for colleges and universities, largely because that recognition determines access to federal student aid, but it doesn't review or recognize the agencies that accredit elementary, middle, and high schools.
That leaves two main sources of outside validation for a K-12 accreditor:
- States. Some states name the accreditors they accept for specific purposes, such as school choice scholarship eligibility, athletic association membership, or the transfer of credits into public schools. Those lists vary widely from state to state, and our guide to accreditation and school choice programs explains how to find the rules that apply where you live.
- National recognition bodies. NCPSA, founded in 1993, works at this national level. It reviews accrediting agencies themselves, using peer evaluation, so that states, schools, and families have an independent way to judge whether an accreditor's standards and process are sound.
How to evaluate an accrediting agency
Whether you're a parent comparing schools, a school leader choosing an accreditor, or a state official deciding which accreditations to accept, the same questions tell you a great deal about an agency:
- Are its standards published? A credible accreditor makes its standards available so schools and the public can see what's being measured.
- Does it visit schools? Real accreditation includes an on-site review by trained evaluators, not just a form and a fee.
- Is there a self-study? Strong processes ask the school to examine itself against the standards before the visiting team arrives.
- Is accreditation time-limited? Accreditation should expire and be renewed on a defined cycle, with reporting in between.
- Can it say no? A meaningful review process includes the possibility that a school won't meet the standards the first time.
- Is it transparent about the schools it accredits? You should be able to confirm with the agency whether a specific school holds current accreditation.
- Is the agency reviewed by anyone else? Recognition by a body such as NCPSA means other accreditors have examined how the agency applies its standards.
An organization that sells accreditation quickly, doesn't visit schools, or can't explain its standards is a warning sign. Families can use our guide on how to check if a private school is accredited to confirm both the school's status and the agency behind it.
Where NCPSA fits
NCPSA doesn't accredit schools. It recognizes the associations that do, which is why its work is often described as accrediting the accreditors. An accrediting agency seeking recognition completes a self-study, goes through peer evaluation that includes a site visit by reviewers from other recognized associations, and, once recognized, submits an annual report and completes a full re-evaluation every five years.
NCPSA recognition doesn't change what an association believes or teaches. Member associations keep their own missions, standards, and approaches. What recognition confirms is that the agency's standards are rigorous and that it applies them with integrity. Our guide to what NCPSA recognition means goes into more detail, and the full list of recognized associations is on our page for accreditors.
Choosing an accreditor as a school
For school leaders, the right accreditor is the one whose standards fit the school's mission and whose accreditation carries weight with the families, receiving schools, and state programs the school depends on. Before applying, it helps to ask whether the agency's standards reflect the kind of school you are, whether its accreditation is accepted by your state's scholarship or choice programs, what the timeline and costs look like, and whether the agency is recognized at the national level.
Our guide on how a private school gets accredited walks through the process from eligibility to the site visit and renewal.