Admission Policy — Equivalency Exemption for Internationally Accredited High School Certificates
Applicants who have graduated from high schools accredited by recognized U.S. regional or national accreditation bodies—whether the institution is located within the United States or operating internationally—are exempt from the equivalency certification requirement. Eligibility may be confirmed through either of the following:
- An official accreditation certificate or verification letter issued directly by the accrediting body, or
- Confirmation that the school is currently listed as active/in good standing on the accreditor’s official public directory or website.
Recognized accreditors include, but are not limited to:
- Cognia (formerly AdvancED/AGNA, incorporating SACS CASI, NCA CASI, and NWAC)
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) — Middle States Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools
- SACS/Cognia — Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and SACS CASI
- WASC — Western Association of Schools and Colleges, including ACS WASC (Accrediting Commission for Schools)
- NEASC — New England Association of Schools and Colleges (New England Commission of Higher Education)
This exemption also extends to graduates of schools accredited by any other national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education, provided the applicant submits official accreditation verification or the school appears in the accreditor’s public directory.