NWCCU Reaffirms Whitworth University’s Seven-Year Accreditation, Gives Commendations
In its letter detailing their fall 2025 on-campus evaluation, commission members commended Whitworth on successfully instilling the ideals and values of its mission and core themes, saying they saw examples of how both were being embraced throughout the university by the administration, faculty, staff, and students. NWCCU evaluators also praised the university’s administration for creating a culture of mutual support and collegiality and recognized the university’s significant gain in fall-to-fall retention for its 2024 full-time, first-year class.
“This reaffirmation confirms Whitworth University’s continued fulfillment of the highest standards of academic governance, program quality and student achievement,” says Nick McKinney, assistant provost for academic administration and global affairs. “It reflects the collective work of faculty, staff and administrators to advance excellence in teaching, learning, scholarship and in our mind-and-heart education.”
During the evaluation last October, NWCCU representatives met with various faculty, staff, students, and members of the board of trustees over a three-day period. As part of its accreditation notice, the commission also offered recommendations on how Whitworth can continue to meet standards of excellence. The recommendations were welcomed and are closely aligned with goals already identified by Whitworth’s administration.
The NWCCU conducts a comprehensive site visit to institutions for accreditation every seven years. Prior to this year, the commission last reaffirmed accreditation of Whitworth in 2018. The university will participate in several virtual reviews over the next seven-year accreditation cycle, culminating in a final in-person full evaluation for the reaffirming of its accreditation in academic year 2032-33.
About NWCCU:
NWCCU is an independent, nonprofit membership organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the regional authority on educational quality and institutional effectiveness of higher education institutions within its jurisdiction.
About Whitworth University:
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Trisha Coder, associate director of media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu
