Gonzaga University is accredited, as an institution, by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation is a judgment by a regional accreditation body that we are carrying out our mission.  Internally, it is a process that helps us to identify our successes and our failures with the goal of continuous improvement in serving our students and our other constituents.  It is recognized as a public indicator of institutional value and essential for receiving federal financial aid.  In addition to institutional accreditation, Gonzaga participates in more specialized accreditation for various programs, listed below. 

The School of Business is accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a specialized accrediting board recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

The School of Law is accredited by Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association (ABA).  The U.S. Department of Education has recognized the Council as the national agency for the accreditation of programs leading to the first professional degree in law.

Programs in English as a Second Language are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Teachers and Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), a specialized accrediting board recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Programs in the Department of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), a specialized accrediting board recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Programs in Civil, Electrical, Computer, and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET), a specialized accrediting board recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Programs for the certification of elementary, secondary, and Special Education teachers at the bachelor’s level; and Special Education, Initial Teaching (elementary and secondary levels), Principal and Superintendents (Leadership Formation), at the graduate level; and for the certification of post-licensure teachers and administrators (i.e., “professional certification”), are accredited both by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), a specialized accrediting board recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, and by the Washington State Board of Education through its Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

The School Counseling and Counseling Psychology master’s programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Program (CACREP), a specialized accrediting board recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

The Special Education, Sports Management, and Physical Education bachelor’s programs, and the Special Education, Sport & Athletic Administration, Leadership & Administration, Master of Teaching At-Risk Youth, Counseling Psychology, Reading & Literacy, and Anesthesiology Education master’s programs, are accredited both by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), a specialized accrediting board recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, and by the Washington State Board of Education through its Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

The Anesthesiology Education master’s program is accredited by the Council of Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs (COA), part of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).  The Council is a specialized accrediting board recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.