About Accreditation

UC Santa Cruz has been fully accredited since 1965 by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).  Being accredited means the campus has met rigorous standards for quality, capacity and effectiveness.  Accreditation confers a variety of benefits, including access to federal financial aid resources.

Recent Accreditation Cycle

The most recent evaluation by WSCUC took place from 2013-16 and was guided by the standards described in the WSCUC 2013 Handbook of Accreditation.  In its revised process, WSCUC focused on retention and completion, quality of learning, and the meaning of the degree as a whole.  During their off-site review and the on-site visit, the visiting team looked for evidence that the campus has defined learning outcomes for each degree program, has assessment methods that provide evidence of achievement, and that programs are using the results to ensure quality and improve student learning. The campus was reaccredited in March 2016. 

Visit the 2013-16 WSCUC accreditation webpage for more information. 

Previous Accreditation Cycle

The campus’s accreditation was previously reaffirmed in 2005 following a multi-year, self-study process that formally engaged the campus in institution-wide reflection on capacity and educational effectiveness.  At that time, the WSCUC Commission requested a progress report about campus actions and developments on several issues identified in the 2005 visit. The report was submitted to the Commission in 2010. All documents from the 2000-2004 WSCUC accreditation process are archived on the following webpage