National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences

The National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences, NACCAS, previously known as the Cosmetology Accrediting Commission is a non-profit, independent accrediting agency that was formed in 1981 through the merging of two different organizations that were both offering accreditation. Although not government run, the NACCAS is recognized by the United States Department of Education and currently accredits approximately 1000 schools of cosmetology and related subject areas across the United States.

For schools wishing to be accredited through NACCAS there are opportunities provided by the agency to attend one of the accreditation workshops that are hosted in major metropolitan areas across the United States. These workshops provide school accreditation teams with the knowledge and information they will need to carry out the accreditation process. Since much of accreditation is self-evaluation and self-directed, having a complete and accurate understanding of both the process as well as the expected outcomes to achieve accreditation is critical. Accreditation through NACCAS is entirely voluntary, however it does provide schools with the recognition as educational programs in the cosmetology field that are practicing the highest quality of education as per the accreditation guidelines. Schools that are accredited have to continue to uphold this high level of education and accreditation is reviewed on an ongoing basis. Emphasis is placed on involving administration, faculty and staff, students and current cosmetology professionals in the community in the accreditation process and in ongoing educational programs and enhancements.

The NACCAS has in depth information on their accreditation process that can be reviewed at http://www.naccas.org/. The website is very informative, listing schools that are accredited, candidate schools that are working through accreditation, and even sample reports and programs that schools have used in the past. Included on the website are sites of interest including licensing, financial aide and tuition information for students and member schools. It is important to keep in mind that accreditation does not mean that all schools will be exactly the same or will offer specific programs, rather it means that the school adheres and practices professional and educational standards within their programs that meet the expectations of the accrediting commission. Accreditation also requires an on-site visit that is conducted like a peer review. This provides a third-party report that is presented to the commission along with the school's self-evaluation on all aspects of the school and program. These two components are considered by the commission when granting or denying accreditation.