Accreditation is a voluntary process through which an independent accrediting organization recognizes that a school meets established standards of educational quality. Accreditation is based on peer review and is intended to support continuous school improvement, effective governance, and high-quality educational experiences for students. 

Many accredited schools list their accreditation on their website. You can also ask the school if and how it is accredited, then contact the accrediting body to confirm its accreditation (see Who accredits Washington schools?). 

Because accreditation is not required by the state, there is no statewide list of accredited schools

Washington public and private schools may voluntarily seek accreditation through recognized accrediting bodies or Educational Service Districts (ESDs). 

Washington's nine ESDs, through the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), have designed a collaborative accreditation process that combines internal and external review of a public school's improvement planning and activities.

SBE recognizes the following accrediting bodies"

• Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools (AAA)
• Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD)
• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
• American Montessori Society (AMS)
• Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)
• Christian Schools International (CSI)
• Cognia (formerly AdvancED or Northwest Accreditation Commission)
• National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA)
• Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS)
• Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA)

An accrediting body must already meet the criteria in WAC 180-55-017 and demonstrate that its standards for student living accommodations examine criteria comparable to those established in the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) rules implementing RCW 74.15.325. 

To learn more about residential private school accreditor approval, visit the Residential Private School Accreditor Approval webpage. 

Private schools must document annually that they meet minimum requirements for health and safety, total instructional hours, certified teachers, 180-day school year, and instruction designed to meet minimum state graduation requirements. Private school approval procedures are detailed on the SBE Private School Webpage.

Private schools that have been approved may seek accreditation. The annual approval process is simpler for accredited schools than for non-accredited schools, since accreditation attests that the school has met some of the requirements for approval.

Approval and accreditation are separate processes that serve different purposes. Approval is required by Washington state law and verifies that a school meets the state's minimum operating requirements. Accreditation is a voluntary process that recognizes a school's commitment to continuous improvement and educational quality. 

Private schools must be approved by the State Board of Education before they may seek accreditation.  

For more information about private school approval, including requirements and the approval process, please visit the Private School Approval page and the Private School Approval FAQs. 

A searchable list of currently approved private schools is available on the SBE Private Schools webpage. 

Additional questions may be directed to the Private Schools Manager.