Before 2020, when the Department of Education reorganized accreditation, NWCCU was the regional authority on educational quality and institutional effectiveness of higher education institutions in the seven-state Northwest region of
Alaska,
Idaho,
Montana,
Nevada,
Oregon,
Utah, and
Washington. It establishes accreditation criteria and evaluation procedures by which institutions are reviewed. The commission is recognized by the
Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Commission oversees
regional accreditation for 156 institutions. Its decision-making body consists of up to twenty-six Commissioners who represent the public and the diversity of higher education institutions within the Northwest region. The NWCCU also accredits non-US institutions.
Capilano University,
Simon Fraser University, and
Thompson Rivers University of
British Columbia,
Canada received accreditation in 2013, 2015, and 2018, respectively. However, as of 1 April 2024, Capilano University is no longer accredited by NWCCU. ==History==