Accreditation History

SJSU was first accredited in 1949. Since that time, reviews for re-accreditation have occured at least once every 10 years. The most recent review period began when the campus submitted its institutional proposal in 2014.

The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) accredits institutions, not individual programs. Therefore, in addition to assessing the academic quality and educational effectiveness of institutions, the Commission emphasizes institutional structures, processes, and resources. Following acceptance of an institutional proposal framing the review, SJSU prepares for two separate visits from WSCUC. The first is referred to as the Preparatory Review and the second is the Educational Effectiveness Review.

• Historical Overview

  • San José State is a major, comprehensive public university located in the center of San José and in the heart of Silicon Valley. SJSU is the oldest state university in California. Its distinctive character has been forged by its long history, by its location, and by its vision, a blend of the old and the new, of the traditional and the innovative. Among its most prized traditions is an uncompromising commitment to offer access to higher education to all persons who meet the criteria for admission, yielding a stimulating mix of age groups, cultures, and economic backgrounds for teaching, learning, and research. SJSU takes pride in and is firmly committed to teaching and learning, with a faculty that is active in scholarship, research, technological innovation, community service, and the arts. 

    Today the 23 campuses of the CSU system include comprehensive and polytechnic universities, and, since July 1995, the California Maritime Academy, a specialized campus. The SJSU campus alone is composed of 33,000 students and over 3,500 faculty and staff. The information SJSU prepares for its reaccreditation review provides an excellent  data view of SJSU. 

    To nurture the continued development of strong academic programs and services to support student development and success the campus is fully engaged in a strategic planning process intended to help San José State University prepare for the future. It helps us serve our mission, reach our vision and guide resource allocation. 

    The campus is located in downtown San José, the site of the oldest civil settlement (established in 1777) in California. The city of San José is the 11th largest city in the United States and the third largest in California with a population of 926,200. Known as the “Capital of Silicon Valley,” San José was called the “epicenter of information technology” by Fortune magazine. 

    The education level of the San José metropolitan area workforce is one of the highest in the country; 67 percent of the workforce has some post-secondary education, and 48 percent have earned a college degree. The city also has the lowest crime rate of any major city (those with populations of 500,000 or more) in the United States.

• Historical Timeline

  • 1857: San José State is founded as a Normal School and becomes the first institution of public higher education in the state

    1935: Renamed San José State College

    1949: SJSU accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WSCUC)

    1960: The individual California State Colleges were brought together as a system by the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960

    1972: The system becomes California State University and Colleges

    1974: Renamed San José State University

    1982: The system becomes the California State University (CSU)

    2012: First joint doctorial program with California State University, Fresno - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

    2015: WSCUC Accreditation Visit - reaffirmation of accreditation for 7 years

    2017: WSCUC Special Visit - next review November 2021

• Core Commitments

  • The Core Commitments express the values underlying WSCUC accreditation. WSCUC calls on institutions to ground their activities in three Core Commitments. By affirming these Core Commitments and taking ownership of the accreditation process, institutions create learning environments that continuously strive for educational excellence and operational effectiveness in order to serve both students and the public good.

• Core Commitment to Student Learning and Success

  • The institution has clear educational goals and student learning outcomes. The institution collects, analyzes, and interprets valid and reliable evidence of learning as a way of assessing student achievement and success. The institution supports the success of all students and seeks to understand and improve student success.

• Core Commitment to Quality and Improvement

  • The institution is committed to high standards of quality in all educational activities and utilizes appropriate evidence to improve teaching, learning, and overall institutional effectiveness. Through strategic and integrated planning, the institution demonstrates the capacity to fulfill its current commitments and future needs and opportunities.

• Core Commitment to Institutional Integrity, Sustainability, and Accountability

  • The institution recognizes that the public has entrusted it with the critical responsibilities of upholding the values of higher education and contributing to the public good. It engages in sound business practices, demonstrates institutional integrity, operates in a transparent manner, and adapts to changing conditions.