Professor teaching in a classroom

Pacifica Graduate Institute

As an accredited institution, Pacifica Graduate Institute is committed to high standards of quality, integrity, capacity, and effectiveness. Pacifica’s academic programs are subject to review and approval on multiple levels:

  • WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
  • State of California Board of Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE)
  • U. S. Department of Education (ED)

The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) is an institutional accrediting agency serving a diverse membership of public and private higher education institutions throughout California, Hawaii, and the Pacific as well as a limited number of institutions outside the U.S. Through its work of peer review, based on academic standards agreed to by the membership, the Commission encourages continuous institutional improvement and assures the membership and its constituencies, including the public, that accredited institutions are fulfilling their missions in service to their students and the public good.

WSCUC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) as certifying institutional eligibility for federal funding in a number of programs, including student access to federal financial aid.

WSCUC is reviewed periodically for renewal of recognition by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Accredited membership in WSCUC is achieved and maintained after an institution undergoes a series of self-studies and peer reviews by educators from member schools. These reviews are planned periodically to ensure that each institution is achieving its mission, educational purposes, and other academically-oriented standards of quality, integrity, capacity, and effectiveness.

WSCUC Accreditation Status

In June 2019, Pacifica’s accreditation was re-affirmed.

Current Accreditation Status: ACCREDITED

First Accredited: June 30, 1997

For standards of accreditation and information regarding the WSCUC, including information about policy and process for compliance complaints, visit: http://www.wascsenior.org, or contact WSCUC:

WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100
Alameda, CA 94501
telephone: (510) 748-9001
fax: (510) 748-9797

To comply with new ED requirements for proprietary schools, Pacifica Graduate Institute applied to the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) and in April 2014 was approved to operate by means of accreditation.

Any questions a student may have regarding this catalog that have not been satisfactorily answered by the institution may be directed to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education at 2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95833 or P.O. Box 980818, West Sacramento, CA 95798-0818, www.bppe.ca.gov, (888) 370-7589 or by fax (916) 263-1897.

This approval to operate signifies that an institution is in compliance with state standards as set forth in the Private Postsecondary Education Act.

WSCUC Accreditation Documents