The New School’s accreditation status is reaffirmed after previously receiving a non-compliance warning in December 2025.

On Nov. 20, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) reaffirmed the university’s accreditation, stating on its website that TNS now meets Standard V (Educational Effectiveness Assessment) and Standard VI (Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement). 

The accreditation process ensures that higher education institutions are providing quality education, and allows the allocation of federal financial aid. 

TNS will be required to submit another monitoring report on March 1, 2026 that demonstrates “sustainability of implemented corrective measures,” according to the MSCHE website.

The report also requires the university to demonstrate the sustainability of implemented corrective measures by submitting assessments evaluating student achievement in relation to degree and program goals, documentation of an implemented institutional assessment process, and evidence that the university’s financial, administrative, and physical infrastructure adequately supports university program operations.

In a university-wide statement, Assistant Provost of Compliance and Accreditation Prisca Wood said, “The reaffirmation of our accreditation goes beyond a mere regulatory milestone. It validates the quality of our education, instills confidence in our governance, and underscores the deep professional expertise staff and faculty bring to our institution.”

The non-compliance warning issued in 2024 came after MSCHE found that TNS failed to comply with two of the seven commission standards, Standards V and VI, during a peer review. 

Standard V specifies that the institution or program must clearly demonstrate educational goals and evaluate if students are learning and meeting the goals. 

Standard VI specifies that institutions’ “planning processes, resources and structures are aligned with each other” to fulfill their missions and goals. The criteria to fulfill this standard include clearly stated institutional goals for institutional effectiveness and improvement, record of established financial control and management, and well-communicated “planning and improvement processes that provide for inclusive constituent participation.”

The reaccreditation comes in after the submission of an MSCHE-requested monitored report on Aug. 1, 2025. The report required evidence that all locations of the university complied with both standards. Additionally, the university hosted a peer evaluation team to conduct a report, according to Wood. MSCHE reviewed the reports in November and fully reaffirmed the accreditation. 

November 2024 was not the first time TNS faced trouble with accreditation. According to Wood, TNS received their first warning for not meeting MSCHE standards in 2013. 

Then, due to the part-time faculty strike in fall 2022, MSCHE examined the university’s compliance with Federal Student Aid requirements and other MSCHE standards. After supplemental information reports were provided in March 2023, MSCHE found them in compliance.  

The next scheduled evaluation visit is for the 2031-32 school year.