Accreditation

Penn State is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Middle States Accreditation

Penn State has been accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a national institutional accrediting organization, since 1921. MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). MSCHE requires that member institutions meet rigorous and comprehensive standards for accreditation and requirements of affiliation addressed in the context of the institution’s mission and within the culture of ethical practices and institutional integrity expected of accredited institutions. The University’s current Statement of Accreditation Status can be found here.

MSCHE’s cycle of accreditation requires an Annual Institutional Update, a Mid-Point Peer Review every four years, and a University-wide self-study every eight years. The University’s last institutional self-study was in 2015, at which time MSCHE reaffirmed accreditation. A copy of Penn State’s 2015 self-study report – Penn State Self-Study: Living the Land Grant Mission in a Global Context (2015) –can be found here. Penn State’s 2023-24 self-study is currently underway, and information about the process can be found here.

While the University’s status as a member of MSCHE includes all Penn State programs, many programs have additional professional or programmatic accreditations, listed here: Penn State’s Professional Accreditations.

For questions about Penn State’s accreditation, please contact Marie Sullivan, Director of Accreditation, at mjs920@psu.edu.

For complaints or inquiries about the University, contact the Middle States Commission on Higher Education at compliants@msche.org or complete the online form for the submission of complaints on the complaints page of the Commission’s website

The Commission will accept complaints submitted through mail or other forms of effective delivery to the Commission’s physical address in limited circumstances and when warranted to ensure the opportunity for students who are incarcerated or for others who may have accessibility issues or challenges so long as they include: 1. The complainant’s name and contact information; 2. The basis of any allegation of noncompliance with Commission standards and procedures; 3. A brief description of the actions forming the basis of the complaint; 4. Copies of any evidence that supports the allegations; and 5. A release statement authorizing MSCHE to forward a copy of the complaint, including identification of the complainant(s) to the institution.

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The Commission encourages complainants to attempt to exhaust the institution’s complaint or grievance processes prior to submitting a complaint with the Commission. In cases where this has not been done, complainants must explain to the Commission’s reasonable satisfaction why pursuing the complaint through the institution is not feasible or reasonable.

NC-SARA

Penn State is a National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) – approved institutional participant. For additional information on NC-SARA, click here.

Professional Licensure and Certification

The University has created an interactive map and dashboard which provide information about state requirements and prerequisites to determine whether a program meets a state or territory’s requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to visit this dashboard. Information provided is updated annually in April of each year. To access additional information and the dashboard, click here.

Contacts

Marie Sullivan

Director of Accreditation

Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research

mjs920@psu.edu

Lance Kennedy-Phillips

Vice Provost

Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research

lck7@psu.edu