RANKINGS, RECOGNITION & ACCREDITATION
Learn what makes The River stand out.
We’re proud of our commitment to providing a high-quality education here at The River. You don’t just have to take our word for it – our consistent rankings, recognition, and accreditations show that we’re dedicated to excellence and your success. Find more details about the quality and affordability of our programs below.
Rankings and Awards
Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
We’re proud that Indian River State College was recognized as the winner of the prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence in 2019. This honor celebrates our outstanding quality in areas that matter most to our students, like graduation and transfer rates, career success after college, the quality of learning, and our commitment to equity. The River was also a finalist for the prize in 2017 and 2015.
Achieving the Dream—Leader College
In 2014, Indian River State College joined Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national, non-profit network of colleges working to achieve positive higher education reforms and data-driven institutional improvement. Within two years of joining, The River was invited by ATD to be a Leader College in the network as a result of our work to raise completion rates, close achievement gaps, and more.
U.S. Dept. of Education College Affordability and Transparency Center
Indian River State College is consistently one of the most affordable public, postsecondary institutions in the United States. The most recent data available for current and future students suggests that IRSC is the second-most affordable college of its kind in the nation.
SACSCOC Accreditation
Indian River State College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Applied Science degrees. Indian River State College may also offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Indian River State College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on the SACSCOC website.
When accreditation is awarded to an institution of higher education by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, it means that the institution has (1) a mission appropriate to higher education, (2) resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain its mission, (3) clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers, and that it is (4) successful in assessing its achievement of these objectives and demonstrating improvements. Accreditation by SACSCOC is a statement of the institution’s continuing commitment to integrity and its capacity to provide effective programs and services based on agreed-upon accreditation standards.
Frequently Asked Questions About Accreditation and SACSCOC
IRSC is a member of the 2024 Reaffirmation Class. Refer to SACSCOC’s Reaffirmation Process page for more information.
What Is SACSCOC?
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Latin America and other international sites approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees. The Commission also accepts applications from other international institutions of higher education.
What Is Accreditation?
Accreditation is intended to assure constituents and the public of the quality and integrity of higher education institutions and programs, and to help those institutions and programs improve. These outcomes are achieved through rigorous internal and external review processes during which the institution is evaluated against a common set of standards.
When accreditation is awarded to an institution of higher education by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, it means that the institution has (1) a mission appropriate to higher education, (2) resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain its mission, (3) clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers, and that it is (4) successful in assessing its achievement of these objectives and demonstrating improvements. Accreditation by SACSCOC is a statement of the institution’s continuing commitment to integrity and its capacity to provide effective programs and services based on agreed-upon accreditation standards.
What Are the SACSCOC Requirements?
SACSCOC accredits degree-granting higher education institutions and entities based on requirements in The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement. These requirements apply to all institutional programs and services, wherever located or however delivered. This includes programs offered through distance and correspondence education, off-campus sites, and branch campuses. Consequently, when preparing documents for the Commission demonstrating compliance with the Principles of Accreditation, an institution must include these programs in its “Institutional Summary Form Prepared for Commission Reviews” and address these programs in its analysis and documentation of compliance (See Commission policy Distance and Correspondence Education). SACSCOC applies the requirements of its Principles to all applicant, candidate, and member institutions, regardless of the type of institution: private, for-profit, private not-for-profit, or public. The SACSCOC Board of Trustees evaluates an institution and makes accreditation decisions based on the current edition of the Principles of Accreditation. The Commission’s philosophy of accreditation precludes denial of membership to a degree-granting institution of higher education on any ground other than an 8 institution’s failure to meet the above requirements in the professional judgment of peer reviewers, or failure to comply with the policies and procedures of SACSCOC.
Additional Information
- SACSCOC Frequently Asked Questions
- The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement
- AP-3.911 Substantive Change Procedures
- SACSCOC Substantive Change – March 2022
IRSC Substantive Change Policy
What Is a Substantive Change and How Should It Be Handled?
Substantive change is a significant modification or expansion in the nature and scope of an accredited institution. The types of substantive change and the procedures for addressing them appropriately may be found in Substantive Change for SACSCOC Accredited Institutions.
- Some changes, such as offering courses online that amount to less than 25% of the coursework needed to complete a degree, certificate or diploma, do not need to be reported to the Commission.
- Others, such as offering (for the first time) 25% to 49% of the coursework required for a program online, simply require that the Commission be notified in advance of the implementation of the change. The letter of notification should include the name of the actual change, implementation date, street address if it involves a new site, and the credential being offered.
- Larger scale changes, such as adding significantly different programs to the academic curriculum or offering a majority of the coursework needed to complete a degree, certificate or diploma on-line, may require written notification as well as advance approval of aprospectus; see the Substantive Change policy for details on due dates and on the content of the prospectus.
- Institutions seeking to offer coursework at a more advanced level than that for which they are currently approved must submit an application for level change. See the Substantive Change policy for due dates.
Prospectuses and applications for level change should include a faculty roster (Faculty Roster Instructions) presenting the qualifications of each faculty member in the program to teach the courses they are assigned.
It is expected that the CEO or a designated representative of an institution will notify the Commission President of substantive changes at that institution. Every institution has an Accreditation Liaison whose charge is to ensure compliance with accreditation requirements. The Accreditation Liaison should take the time to become familiar with the Commission’s policies and procedures, ensure that substantive changes are recognized and reported in a timely fashion, and consult with the institution’s SACSCOC staff member about any questions.
Certain types of substantive changes, such as adding branch campuses, level changes, mergers/consolidations, and changes in governance, require a visit by a substantive change committee to determine continued compliance with the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement. When a committee visit has been authorized by the President of the Commission, the institution will be asked to provide documentation of the impact of the change on selected requirements in the Principles of Accreditation.
Program Accreditations
Dental Hygiene
Commission on Dental Accreditation
Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-2678
Phone 312-440-4653
https://coda.ada.org
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP)
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 – 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone 727-210-2350
https://www.caahep.org
Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions
8301 Lakeview Parkway
Suite 111-312
Rowlett, TX 75088
Phone 214-703-8445
Fax 214-703-8992
http://www.coaemsp.org
Health Information Technology
Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)
200 East Randolph Street
Suite 5100
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone 312-233-1100
Medical Laboratory Technology
The Medical Laboratory Technology program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
5600 N. River Road
Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119
Phone 773-714-8880
Fax 773-714-8886
Email info@naacls.org
http://www.naacls.org
Medical Assisting
Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Curriculum Review Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (CRB-AAME).
Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 – 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone 727-210-2350
Nursing
The Associate Degree nursing program at Indian River State College at the Pruitt Campus located in Port St. Lucie, Florida is accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate Degree nursing program is continuing accreditation.
The RN-BSN nursing program at Indian River State College at the Pruitt Campus located in Port St. Lucie, Florida is accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the RN-BSN nursing program is continuing accreditation.
View the public information regarding these programs at http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm
Pharmacy Technician
The Pharmacy Technician Program is accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ashp.org) upon the recommendations of the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC).
4500 East-West Highway
Suite 900
Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone 1-866-279-0681
Physical Therapist Assistant
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22305-3085
Phone 703-706-3245
email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org
Radiography
Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
20 N. Upper Wacker Drive
Suite 2850
Chicago, IL 60606-3182
Phone 312-704-5300
Respiratory Care
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoArc)
Associate in Science in Respiratory Care
P.O. Box 54876
Hurst, TX 76054-4876
Phone 817-283-2835
Program #200380
https://www.coarc.com
Surgical Services Technology
The Surgical Services Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs https://www.caahep.org upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting ARC/STSA
19751 East Mainstreet, Suite #399, Parker, CO 80138
Phone 303-694-9262
http://www.arcstsa.org
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
9355 – 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone 727-210-2350
https://www.caahep.org
Additionally, IRSC Health Science Programs are approved by:
The Florida State Board of Nursing
The Florida Department of Health
Division of Emergency Preparedness and Community Support
Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight—EMS Program
