RALSTON COLLEGE ADVANCES TO NEXT STAGE OF FEDERAL ACCREDITATION PROCESS

New liberal arts college in Savannah, Georgia declared Candidate for Accreditation 

SAVANNAH, Ga., May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ralston College today reaches a major milestone in its growth as a new university, becoming a Candidate for Accreditation from a federal accreditation body. Although the College has awarded graduate degrees since 2022, federal accreditation is a necessary step towards admitting international students, and enabling students to apply for financial aid and transfer credits between colleges.

The New England Commission of Higher Education, based in Wakefield, MA, has authorized the College to publish the following statement: 

"Ralston College has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.). Candidacy for Accreditation is a status of affiliation with the Commission which indicates that the institution has achieved initial recognition and is progressing toward accreditation. 

Candidacy is not accreditation nor does it assure eventual accreditation. Inquiries regarding the status of an institution affiliated with the Commission should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact: New England Commission of Higher Education, 301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210, Wakefield, MA 01880, (781) 425 7785, E-Mail: info@neche.org."

This major news arrives just days after the College's third graduation ceremony, when 26 students were admitted to their Master of Arts in the Humanities degrees. Founding President Stephen Blackwood says: 

"We are delighted to have received candidacy status from NECHE, and at a moment when a humanities education has never been more important. To win this commendation from a commission that accredits so many distinguished institutions, and to secure the approval of our peers in just our third year, gives us great confidence in our educational mission."

Highlighting the central importance of generous donors and courageous students, he added:

"We are extremely grateful to the many philanthropists on whose generosity and vision Ralston College depends. It is heartening that Ralston's fundamental commitment to truth, freedom, beauty, and fellowship resonates so deeply and widely.

"Yet at the very heart of our success lie our students: their maturity, curiosity, and courage have driven their study of the humanities from the heroic age of Homer through the next three millennia of western civilization. As a result, dozens of our graduates have gone on to careers in sectors where knowledge of the greatest works of art and intellect, and of the conditions for human flourishing, matters so much—in teaching, medicine, law, journalism, architecture and the arts, technology, and artificial intelligence.

"We look forward to working with the Commission on our journey to full accreditation as we continue to promote, as widely as we can, the transformative power of the humanities."

About Ralston College:

The mission of Ralston College is to revive the conditions of a free and flourishing culture by providing a transformative, rigorous education in the humanities. The College is currently admitting the fourth cohort to its Master of Arts in the Humanities program. This intensive one-year graduate program traces the development of Western civilization from ancient times to the present, beginning with a two-month immersive term in Greece, followed by three terms in Savannah, Georgia. Founded in 2010, Ralston College is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit institution; the College is devoted to freedom of thought and speech and has no political or religious affiliations. In addition to its degree program, the College also hosts free, public lecture series, which have welcomed more than 3,000 guests since 2022. In addition, the College's podcasts and online lectures—also available for free—have reached many millions. Visit our website to learn more and to support our mission.

Media Contact: Katie Rook
Ralston College
katie.rook@ralston.ac

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SOURCE Ralston College