Accreditation is the most commonly accepted means to verify that a college or university has a purpose appropriate to higher education as well as the qualified faculty, academic programs, student and academic services, and resources sufficient to accomplish and sustain its educational mission. St. Andrews currently operates with five different accreditations.

St. Andrews holds dual accreditation as an institution of higher education – regionally from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and nationally from the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE). Each of these agencies is authorized in the same fashion by the U. S. Department of Education to confer accreditation and thereby provide student access to Title IV financial aid funds.

St. Andrews Presbyterian College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, telephone 404-679-4500) to award baccalaureate degrees. The Commission on Colleges is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states.

St. Andrews Presbyterian College is also accredited by The American Academy for Liberal Education, located at 1050 17th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D. C. 20036. The Academy’s telephone number is (202) 452-8611.

The College will be preparing an institutional self-study, and hosting a site visit team from the Academy during the spring 2010 semester for the purpose of extending its accreditation status for another 10 years.

St. Andrews was awarded educational program accreditation from the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE) in December 2008, and was granted institutional preaccreditation in October 2009. AALE is a national accrediting body which accredits outstanding liberal arts institutions and programs under the authorization of the U. S. Department of Education.

In addition to these institution-level accreditations, the Elementary Education program at St. Andrews is accredited by both the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). And the Therapeutic riding program has been granted Premier Accredited Center status by NARHA (the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association).

St. Andrews and many of its faculty and staff are also members of nearly 100 professional organizations related to higher education and/or their disciplines and interests:

St. Andrews Professional Affiliations