What is WBC/CBS doing to ensure your education is accredited?

As the only regionally Accredited Bible College in Maryland, we ensure that our students will receive the best education from top faculty who are dedicated to preparing men and women for local and worldwide service to God and humanity. 

Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE is an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). 

WBC/CBS is recognized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) and is authorized by that agency to confer degrees. The State Council for Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has certified Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary to operate in Virginia and has also approved the Master of Divinity and Master of Arts degrees to be offered in Virginia.

Washington Bible College is accredited by:

• The Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
• The Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). WBC Teacher Education and Music Education students graduate with ACSI certification. Counseling graduates receive certification by application with ACSI. Teacher education graduates may also apply for certification with the American Association of Christian Schools. 

Capital Bible Seminary is accredited by:

• The Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
• The Association of Theological Schools (ATS), an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

What is the difference between the accrediting agencies?

Regional accreditation is the form of academic accreditation that is universally recognized by colleges and universities throughout the United States. Regional accreditation confirms to students, parents, and the community the level of educational excellence and high level of accountability that Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary pursues.

There are many other types of professional and technical accreditation that are of value to both the institution and students. For instance, the college's program is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and the seminary's is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). The teacher education program is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). These are professional accreditations, recognizing the excellence of specific programs. We have held these professional accreditations for many years.

Further accountability has been provided to MHEC and SCHEV and through membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

Why is regional accreditation important?
Regional accreditation provides our students and community with the assurance that our institution pursues excellence and that programs will continue to improve. The institution has been visited by a professional team of experts from other regional schools. During the visit, the team evaluated WBC/CBS on our mission and vision, institutional resources and financial stability, governance and administration, integrity, assessment, educational offerings, faculty, admissions, and student services.

Regional accreditation provides additional benefits for our students including increased financial aid, ease of credit transfer from other regionally accredited schools, increased opportunities for study abroad programs, and recognition of bachelor's degrees for admission to graduate programs.

What are the different regional accrediting zones?
There are six regional agencies for institutional accreditation: Middles States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, and Western.

Middle States www.msche.org. MHEC www.mhec.state.md.us. SCHEV www.schev.edu. ABHE www.abhe.org. ATS www.ats.edu. ACSI www.acsi.org. US Dept of Ed www.ed.gov. ECFA www.ecfa.org. CHEA www.chea.org.]