Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

What is Middle States?

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence and quality across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources. MSCHE is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and conducts accreditation and pre-accreditation activities for institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and any other geographic areas in which the Commission elects to conduct accrediting activities, including the evaluation of distance education and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions. 

Nassau Community College (NCC) of the State University of New York has been accredited by MSCHE since 1967. MSCHE accreditation assures our students and the public of the educational quality of the college. NCC reaffirms its accreditation every 8 to 10 years.

For comprehensive information about Middle States accreditation, please visit: www.msche.org

Middle States Accreditation

Nassau Community College (NCC) of the State University of New York has been accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) since 1967. MSCHE is an institutional accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education that serves as an independent voice in higher education.

Middle States accreditation assures our students and the public of the educational quality of NCC. An institution is accredited when the educational community has verified that its goals are achieved through self-regulation and peer review. Accreditation reviews typically occur on an eight-year cycle, during which MSCHE evaluates the College’s quality and compliance with established standards. During this process, NCC conducts a Self-Study in an effort to seek reaffirmation of accreditation as part of the College’s ongoing commitment to continuous self-improvement.

For comprehensive information about Middle States accreditation, please visit: www.msche.org

2025 Reaccreditation

In Fall 2022, the NCC Middle States Steering Committee drafted a Self-Study Design with input from community stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The NCC 2024-2025 Self-Study Design document was approved by Middle States, through its designee, Dr. Robert Bonfiglio, on May 30, 2023.

View Approved Self-Study Design

Following approval of the Self-Study Design, the College engaged in the comprehensive and rigorous self-evaluation process in preparation for the site visit by Middle States representatives in Spring 2025. A preliminary report was shared by the MSCHE evaluation team on the final day of the visit in March 2025, to which the College provided an official institutional response.

On June 26, 2025, the preliminary report was officially approved as submitted by MSCHE and the College’s accreditation was reaffirmed through 2032–2033. The official announcement from the Commission may be read here.  

Thank you to the NCC community for your involvement and engagement during this process!

NCC Strategic Planning 2023–2028

Concurrent with the Middle States Self-Study Design process, Nassau Community College developed a five-year strategic plan tentatively titled, “NCC 2028: Building Connections to Our Students, Community and Future.” In October 2022, the College’s Institutional Planning Committee (IPC) embarked on the rigorous process of developing the plan, which included affirmation of the College’s mission, values, goals, and institutional priorities as well as the development of seven discrete plans that will guide NCC’s strategic vision to transform lives through a quality, affordable, public community college education.