A school with a full academic program and located within the United States may join NWAIS only if it commits to pursuing NWAIS accreditation and abides by the NWAIS Core Values and Essential Characteristics. In pursuing NWAIS accreditation, we recognize that schools will be at various stages of development.

To assist schools in mapping where the association expects them to be in their developmental stages relative to each NWAIS affiliation category we have created the NWAIS Accreditation Rubric. In seeking to move from one category of affiliation to another, the school should be meeting all of the expectations outlined in its current category of affiliation and almost all of the expectations of the category into which they wish to move before gaining that affiliation status.

Download the NWAIS Accreditation Rubric here.