Accreditations

Authorization and Accreditation

Bismarck State College (BSC) is authorized to operate by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) under SBHE Policy 301.1 - Organization & Titles of Institutions Governed by the State Board of Higher Education, with the authority granted under North Dakota Century Code section 15-10-01.

BSC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The college has been accredited since 1966, with the most recent reaffirmation of accreditation received in August 2019. The HLC's next Reaffirmation of Accreditation review for BSC is scheduled for 2028-2029.

HLC accreditation ensures that BSC meets high academic standards and continuously improves its educational offerings. As part of this accreditation, BSC submits an annual Institutional Update, providing data on financial and non-financial indicators to ensure compliance with HLC policies and maintain accountability.

For comments or inquiries regarding BSC's accreditation, please contact:

Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411
Phone: 800.621.7440 or 312.263.0456
Email: info@hlcommission.org

In addition to institutional accreditation, several academic programs at BSC hold special or program-specific accreditations. For a current list of these programs, visit BSC's Accreditation webpage.