Accreditation

Plymouth State University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. (NECHE), the nationally recognized, nongovernmental organization whose mission is to evaluate the quality and integrity of educational programs. Institutions earning this accreditation are judged to be providing educational experiences that can be transferred to any other accredited college or university in the nation.

In addition to being accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, Plymouth State University is approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education–Division of Higher Education–Higher Education Commission. 

Program-specific accreditation includes the following:

  • Athletic training program by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
  • Nursing program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • Social work program by the Council on Social Work Education
  • The bachelor's degrees in accounting, business administration, finance, management, and marketing and the Master's degrees in accounting and general management by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
  • The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
  • The school psychology program by the National Association of School Psychologists
  • The school counseling program by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
  • The health education program by the Society of Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) and the American Association for Health Education
  • The mental health and school counseling programs by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs

Teacher certification programs are approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education, Nationally Accredited by the Counsel for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and/or the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Specialized Program Association (SPA) recognition is by program. PSU graduates from teacher certification education programs are eligible to apply for licensure in the state of NH. The US Department of Education maintains a contact database for state education agencies in all 50 US states for students seeking certification outside of NH.

  • PSU Initial Teacher Preparation (ITP) programs hold full national accreditation through June of 2026 by AAQEP.
  • PSU Advanced and Initial Teacher Preparation Programs hold full national accreditation through December 2024 by CAEP.