Accreditation Statement

Holyoke Community College (HCC) is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. (NECHE), a non-governmental membership association that serves as an institutional accreditor and promotes educational excellence and quality assurance to its member institutions.  NECHE is one of seven accrediting commissions in the United States that provide institutional accreditation on a regional basis. Accreditation is voluntary and applies to the institution as a whole. The Commission, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, accredits approximately 200 institutions in the six-state New England region and across the globe.  HCC has been accredited by the Commission since 1970.

Accreditation of an institution by NECHE indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer group review process. An accredited school or college is one that has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purpose through appropriate education 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 NECHE is not partial, but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of the quality of every course or program offered.

Questions regarding the status of HCC’s accreditation may be directed to kcholeva@hcc.edu

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