Plymouth State University is 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.).
Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Commission indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through 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 also may contact:
New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210, Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 425 7785
E-Mail: info@neche.org
VIEW THE NECHE COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION Materials (2023)
In addition to being accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, Plymouth State University is approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education–Division of Higher Education–Higher Education Commission.
Program-specific accreditation includes the following:
- Athletic training program by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
- Nursing program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Social work program by the Council on Social Work Education
- The bachelor's degrees in accounting, business administration, finance, management, and marketing and the Master's degrees in accounting and general management by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
- The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
- The school psychology program by the National Association of School Psychologists
- The school counseling program by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- The health education program by the Society of Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) and the American Association for Health Education
- The mental health and school counseling programs by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
Teacher certification programs are approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education, Nationally Accredited by the Counsel for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and/or the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Specialized Program Association (SPA) recognition is by program. PSU graduates from teacher certification education programs are eligible to apply for licensure in the state of NH. The US Department of Education maintains a contact database for state education agencies in all 50 US states for students seeking certification outside of NH.
- PSU Initial Teacher Preparation (ITP) programs hold full national accreditation through June of 2026 by AAQEP.
- PSU Advanced and Initial Teacher Preparation Programs hold full national accreditation through December 2024 by CAEP
