Why Pursue ACSI Accreditation?

Accreditation with ACSI engages schools in a vigorous, holistic process of organizational appraisal and improvement that engages every school constituent. Our program is a highly regarded Christian program for member schools. We have partnerships with all of the U.S. regional accreditation agencies and offer joint accreditation with numerous accrediting organizations. Every step in our accreditation process is designed to be useful for driving improvement in private schools so they can truly flourish. If you are striving for excellence based on a solid Christian philosophy of education, consider exploring our program.

We are please to announce our finalized ACSI Inspire accreditation protocol. Please visit our NEW Accreditation Documents page for the most up to date information.

Accreditation is a great way to assess your school’s performance in foundational areas of Christian education:

• Bible Knowledge and Biblical Worldview
• Academic Excellence
• Life Skills and Practical Application of Knowledge
• Character building and Spiritual Formation.

Key Benefits of Accrediting Your School through ACSI:

• Parents seeking the best Christian education for their children know your school is committed to excellence.
  
• Accredited Christian schools may receive state funding (state laws vary).
  
• Students graduating from accredited Christian schools qualify for admission to most colleges and universities, and credits transfer between schools nationally and internationally.
  
• The accreditation process (and annual renewals) employ both self-assessment and peer reviews to help you evaluate whether your school is fulfilling its mission and meeting academic standards established by the international school community.
  
• Instruction at your school will improve through a continuous process of self-assessment designed to result in increased student achievement.

ACSI’s internationally recognized accreditation program is designed to assist schools in obtaining widely recognized accredited status. The following are some of the benefits of being an ACSI accredited educational institution:

• Accredited membership status in ACSI and a listing as such in the online directory.
• Approval by the U.S. Department of Education for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), I-20 and I-17 forms.
• Various U.S. state and several national recognitions for credits/athletics.
• Endorsement to administer College Board/ACT exams on the school site.
• Eligibility for joint accreditation status with the following:
  • Cognia (North Central Association, Southern Association, and Northwest Association accrediting organizations).
  • New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
  • Middle States Association (Elementary and/or Secondary).
  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
• Recognition of early education accreditation status in several states, allowing the program to receive higher reimbursement rates for subsidized children. (E-mail earlyeducation@acsi.org to receive information on the state approval process).

Interested in learning more about the accreditation process for EE-12 schools? Take our Accreditation Quiz to cover items of initial eligibility and set up a consultation with your divisional accreditation team