Accreditation
WHAT IS ACCREDITATION?
Accreditation is both a process and a status. It's a careful review that ensures colleges
provide quality programs and services, maintain the resources to support them and
continuously focus on student learning and improvement.
When a college successfully completes this review, it earns accredited status — a mark of quality that assures students and the public that its degrees and programs have lasting value and meaning.
In the United States, accreditation isn't managed by the government. Instead, it's a peer evaluation process built on collaboration and trust among higher education professionals. This system protects the autonomy of colleges and universities while promoting excellence through shared standards and accountability.
WHAT IS A MIDTERM REPORT?
The Midterm Report is a required accreditation update submitted in year three of the seven-year cycle
to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). It outlines
the college's progress in addressing prior recommendations, sustaining compliance
with accreditation standards, and advancing institutional effectiveness and student
achievement. Unlike the comprehensive self-evaluation, the Midterm serves as a focused
progress checkpoint rather than a full review.
ACCREDITING COMMISSION
Citrus College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior
Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). ACCJC is an institutional
accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and
the U.S. Department of Education.
Each accredited college undergoes a comprehensive self-evaluation and peer review on a seven-year cycle to ensure continuous improvement and educational quality. Citrus College received reaffirmation of its accreditation in January 2022.
ACCJC REPORTS
The accreditation cycle for California community colleges under the ACCJC is as follows:
The Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER) is prepared for the comprehensive peer review and reaffirmation of accreditation.
Following commission action on that review, a Follow-Up Report may be required if the college must address specific findings or compliance issues.
None
Annual Reports are submitted every year throughout the cycle to provide required institutional data, regardless of accreditation status.
Midway through the typical seven-year cycle, the college submits a Midterm Report, which provides an update on institutional progress and any prior recommendations, before continuing with annual reporting until the next ISER begins a new cycle.
MIDTERM REPORTS AND CORRESPONDENCE
Midterm Report Correspondence, February 3, 2026 · letter from the ACCJC to Citrus College
Midterm Report, October 2025 · report submitted by Citrus College to the ACCJC
ACCJC Complaint Policy, Process
Students and members of the public who wish to file a formal complaint with the Commission
about one of its member institutions should first review the Commission's requirements
and procedures for submitting a complaint.
Additional information about accreditation, including the process for filing complaints against member institutions, is available at www.accjc.org.
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)
428 J Street, Suite 400
Sacramento, CA 95814
(415) 506-0234
accjc@accjc.org
COMMISSION WEBSITE LINKS
The PDF files offered on this accreditation site have undergone remediation to improve accessibility for users with disabilities, particularly those who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers.