Accreditation, Authorization, Affiliations, and Memberships

The College was chartered by the State of New Hampshire on November 14, 1962, under the provisions of Chapter 292 R.S.A. In 1965, the State Legislature granted the College statutory authority to grant baccalaureate degrees.

Franklin Pierce University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Associate of Schools and Colleges, Inc.), a non-governmental, nationally recognized organization whose affiliated institutions include elementary schools through collegiate institutions offering post-graduate instruction. Accreditation of an institution by NECHE indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer group review process. An accredited school or college is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. Accreditation by NECHE is not partial; it applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of the quality of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to the students who attend the institution.

Inquiries regarding the status of an institution’s accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact the New England Commission of Higher Education, 3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100, Burlington, M.A. 01803, (781) 425-7785, (855)886-3272, Fax: (781) 425-1001.
The University is approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Education.

The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) granted accreditation to Franklin Pierce University’s Master of Physical Therapy Program on April 24, 2002 with permission to advance the curriculum to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program as soon as all state and regional college accrediting agencies approved the move.

This accreditation occurred in April 2005. In 2010, CAPTE approved the expansion to Arizona. Both programs are accredited through 2026. Inquiries regarding the status of an institution’s accreditation by CAPTE should be directed to: CAPTE, 1111 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, V.A. 22314, (703) 706-3245 or email accreditation@apta.org.

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Franklin Pierce University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Franklin Pierce University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards. Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2027. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Franklin Pierce University Master of Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program sponsored by Franklin Pierce University. Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-franklin-pierce-university/ .

The R.N. to B.S., and Master of Science in Nursing programs are accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, G.A. 30326, phone: (404) 975-5000.

The undergraduate and graduate Business programs are accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), 11374 Strang Line Road, Lenexa, K.S., 66215, phone: (913) 631-3009.

Programmatic accreditation by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education is mission-driven and outcomes-based, and involves an independent, external evaluation of the business programs offered by an institution’s academic business unit. The effectiveness of the academic business unit is evaluated by reviewing the educational processes related to teaching and learning in the institution, and by an assessment of the outcomes of the teaching-learning process. IACBE partners with colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions to recognize business education excellence. https://iacbe.org/accreditation/

The University holds membership in the following organizations: