CoA Accreditation Status

College of Alameda is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Institutions of higher education in the U.S. participate voluntarily in self-evaluation and external peer review with the aim of maintaining educational integrity and quality and institutional effectiveness. The ACCJC accreditation process offers assurance that accredited member colleges meet standards set by the Commission. This validates that degrees, certificates, and credits earned are of value to the student who earned them.  Employers, trade or profession-related licensing agencies, and other colleges and universities can accept a student’s credential from accredited member colleges as legitimate.

About the ACCJC

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC) accredits community colleges and other associate degree granting institutions in the Western region of the U.S. The ACCJC is one of seven regional accrediting commissions in the U.S. The ACCJC is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education through the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

Accreditation Process

College of Alameda maintains accreditation by meeting standards established by the ACCJC. Over the course of the (previously six-year) now seven-year accreditation review cycle, the College engages continuously in internal, mission-driven evaluation processes. These are accompanied by regular external peer evaluation and Commission evaluation. Together, these result in continual institutional self-improvement.  Documents produced during this cycle include: a comprehensive Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER), external evaluation report, midterm report, annual reports, and annual fiscal reports.

College of Alameda completed an ISER during the 2020-21 year after a yearlong college wide process. The Commission will conduct a site visit in spring 2021 comprising of external peer evaluators under the leadership of the ACCJC.  The 2021 site visit will be conducted virtually. Faculty, classified staff, administrators, and students contributed to the gathering of evidence, writing of the ISER, and preparation for the site visit.

Third Party Comments

ACCJC provides a process for third parties to comment on an institution’s compliance with accrediting standards. More information is available at the ACCJC Third Party Comment website.