Whittier, California – Río Hondo College received a four-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) on Jan. 16, highlighting the College’s commitment to excellence in institutional effectiveness and ensuring a high-quality education for its students.

The ACCJC accreditation process assures the public that colleges are engaged in continuous quality improvement efforts and working to close institutional equity gaps. It also enables institutions to receive federal funding, distribute federal financial aid to its students and ensure students’ credits are transferred easily to other accredited institutions.

The ACCJC, a division of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), announced Río Hondo College’s reaffirmation after a comprehensive review from a peer-review team that included two site visits where they examined evidence and interviewed Río Hondo College representatives.

During the ACCJC’s visit, the commission found that Río Hondo College went beyond the minimum standards of compliance to improve assessment of learning outcomes across the institution. In its report, the ACCJC found that faculty across disciplines were using student learning outcomes (SLO) and SLO assessment to collaborate on efforts to improve teaching and learning.

While the accreditation runs through 2028, Río Hondo College will submit a midterm report to the ACCJC in March 2026. The College’s next comprehensive review with the ACCJC will begin in the fall term of 2028, which includes a focused site visit in spring 2029.

“This reaffirmation is a testament to the hard work of our faculty and staff in ensuring academic excellence, student success and continuous improvement,” Superintendent/President Dr. Marilyn Flores said. “While we celebrate this achievement, we are unwavering in our commitment to providing an educational environment where all students can thrive and championing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism.”