WSCUC Accreditation for West Coast Bible Colleges and Seminaries

Christian schools in the WSCUC region

Fuller Theological Seminary, Biola University and Talbot School of Theology, Azusa Pacific University, Westmont College, Point Loma Nazarene, The Master's University and Seminary, and Vanguard University all hold WSCUC accreditation. The seminaries among them typically hold ATS as well.

California is also the state where accreditation vigilance matters most. Its regulatory environment has historically allowed a large number of unaccredited religious institutions to operate legally, which means "state-approved" appears on more school websites here than anywhere else in the country.

The California state-approved trap

California law provides a religious exemption allowing certain schools to grant degrees without accreditation. Those schools are operating legally. They are not accredited, their credits generally do not transfer, and their degrees do not qualify for federal financial aid.

If a California school's website says "approved by the State of California" or "religious exemption" and does not name a recognized accreditor, treat that as the answer to your accreditation question.

Verifying WSCUC accreditation

Search the WSCUC institution directory for accredited status and the approved degree levels, then cross-check DAPIP. For seminaries, separately verify the graduate degree in the ATS directory.