King’s College Earns Reaccreditation from Middle States Commission on Higher Education

The accreditation status of King’s College was just extended by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) through the 2031-32 academic year following a thorough examination of its fiscal health, enrollment operations, academic offerings, and student success rates.

 According to a report issued in June 2024, the College meets all of MSCHE’s 15 affiliation requirements and seven accreditation standards. The evaluation is based on a rigorous self-study developed over a two-year period by a steering committee and working groups comprised of 75 faculty members and employees.

The review included an April 2024 site visit by the accreditor’s evaluation team, which conducted interviews with more than 100 members of the campus community.

The College’s reaccreditation coincides with improved admissions figures over the last few years as it works to be both a first-choice institution for Northeastern Pennsylvania students and an increasingly attractive destination for out-of-state residents.

“We’re preparing to welcome our largest and most academically selective class in the past five years, which includes students from California, Maine, Florida, Texas, Virginia, and 11 other states,” said Chris Dearth, vice president of enrollment management and marketing. “Despite the challenges in higher education over the last few years, our enrollment trends, new programs, and reaccreditation for the rest of the decade solidify our position as a reliable, innovative, and attractive destination for students in Pennsylvania and beyond.”

As part of the self-study process, the College evaluated priorities from its 2021-24 strategic plan against the MSCHE accreditation standards, including cultivating student academic success, optimizing recruitment, improving the student experience, developing new programs, enhancing teaching and mentorship excellence, strengthening collaboration across campus, and securing the institution’s financial future.

The College’s accreditation steering committee was led by co-chairs Neal Bukeavich, associate vice president for academic affairs, and Jeremy Simington, director of the athletic training program.

“By way of a rigorous self-evaluation conducted across nearly two years, and equally rigorous peer-review by a MSCHE evaluation team, we successfully verified that King’s College is fulfilling its teaching and learning mission and we have verified our ongoing commitment to excellence in all our curricular and co-curricular endeavors,” said Bukeavich.

“While the feedback we received was laudatory on multiple levels, I was overwhelmed by the visiting team’s affirmation of the depths to which dedication to our mission pervades every sector of our campus community,” said Rev. Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D., president of King’s College. “Our reaccreditation is a clear testament to our faculty and staff’s tireless commitment to this institution and the students we serve.”