Emerson was re-accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.) in 2023, with the next comprehensive evaluation scheduled for Fall 2032.
The NECHE letters and reports may be accessed by clicking the reaccreditation letter below (after logging into your Emerson College Gmail account with your username and password).
*Note: The 2022 NECHE Reaccreditation Self-Study Report utilized many links from Box, which was retired in August 2023. The links in the document will appear broken. The Emerson College community may view the documents that were linked by visiting the Virtual Repository workroom (Emerson log-in will be required).
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 220 institutions in the six-state New England region as well as several American-style institutions overseas.
Emerson College has been accredited by the Commission since 1950 and was last reviewed in 2023. Its accreditation by the Commission encompasses the entire institution.
The re-accreditation process involves review, reflection, assessment, and planning by administrators, faculty, students, and members of the professional community.
A five-year review, which is customary, will be completed by August 2027.
Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the Commission should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact:
New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place
Suite 210
Wakefield, MA 01880
781-425-7785
info [at] neche.org (info[at]neche[dot]org)
Emerson is a private, independent, nonprofit college fully accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) [formerly by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC)] as recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Emerson is also accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (for its Master of Sciences in Communication Disorders (M.S.)), and the Massachusetts Department of Education (education preparation programs in the Departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Performing Arts).
NECHE Reaccreditation
Emerson College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education for the institutions it accredits. NECHE is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), affirming that its Standards and processes are consistent with the quality, improvement, and accountability expectations that CHEA has established.
Accreditation of an institution of higher education by Commission indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied though a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which 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 Commission 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.
Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the Commission should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact:
New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place
Suite 210
Wakefield, MA 01880
781-425-7785
info [at] neche.org (info[at]neche[dot]org)