About NEASC

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) partners with schools to co-create the future of education through purposeful accreditation focused on high-quality learning for all students. Focusing on levels PK to grade 12, we provide a relevant, future forward framework for meaningful, ongoing whole school improvement through accreditation, professional assistance, and pursuit of best practices. Founded in 1885, NEASC has a long tradition and proven reputation for quality assurance in education. 

NEASC is an independent, voluntary, nonprofit organization whose membership represents a broad array of diverse educational institutions unified in their commitment to improvement and growth. More than 1500 public, independent, and international schools in the United States and in over 90 countries around the world are NEASC Members, Candidates for Accreditation, or have achieved Eligibility for Accreditation. A globally recognized standard of excellence, NEASC Accreditation attests to a school’s high quality and integrity.

As a deeply mission-driven organization, NEASC is guided by key priorities that include promoting innovation and excellence in education, advancing equity, and empowering students. NEASC does not compare or rank schools, but rather establishes rigorous standards of quality for all accredited schools, centers, and programs while respecting the unique culture and context of each institution it supports. 

NEASC's purposes are exclusively educational. It serves the public interest, the educational community, and the students within the educational system by:

• establishing and maintaining high standards of educational excellence
• providing a framework for institutional self-reflection and objective peer review
• serving as a professional resource and providing support

Drawing upon its considerable experience, NEASC serves as a public policy resource on issues related to the condition of education in New England, the United States, and in the international learning communities it serves. The Association is a private, nonprofit corporation that adheres to fundamental principles of fairness and non-discrimination, thus NEASC is uniquely positioned to work in partnership with other organizations on a regional, national, and international scale as it works to sustain and advance the quality of education for all students.

Founded by leaders from Harvard, Yale, Wellesley College and other esteemed institutions, NEASC was born out of a desire to create a professional organization that could assess and ensure the quality of higher education. Though the organization has since expanded to include Pre-K through secondary schools, NEASC and its membership continue this historic pledge to ensure that all children receive the highest quality education. Imbued with the culture of excellence and scholarship of the original Association, NEASC's mission has never wavered from our founding principles of quality assurance in education and a commitment to ongoing institutional improvement and growth.

Formed as an educational entity in 1885, NEASC received tax exempt status pursuant to 1954 Code section 501(c)(3) or its predecessor Code Section (July 1944, U.S. Department of the Treasury) and was incorporated as New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (changing the name from “New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, Inc.”) under Articles of Amendment, General Laws, Chapter 180, Section 7, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, filed December 10, 1971.

Founders of NEASC include:

Charles W. Eliot, President of Harvard University (1869-1909), was a key spokesperson during the Association’s early years. His leadership from 1885 to 1926 was instrumental to the Association’s growth.

Alice Freeman Palmer, President of Wellesley College (1881-1887, as Alice Freeman), was one of the founding committee of five members of the Association in 1885.

Helen Magill, Director of Howard Institute in West Bridgewater, MA, was elected Secretary of the Association in 1885. She was the first woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. and the first woman to serve as an officer of the Association.

Noah Porter, President of Yale College (1871-1886), presented the address for the first meeting of the Association, “How Can the Preparatory Schools Cooperate More Effectively with the Colleges?”