At its meeting on December 9, 2008, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaffirmed the accreditation of Palm Beach Atlantic University through 2018.

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is one of six regional accrediting bodies in the United States that provides a quality assurance process whereby an external group of peers evaluate the services and operations of an educational institution. The evaluators report to a trained staff of accreditors who review and provide final accreditation. Regional accreditation provides oversight to assure the college adheres to all state and federal regulations required by the Department of Education. 

“Our PBA team of faculty and staff did an excellent job of preparing for this 10 year reaccreditation review,” said University President Dr. David W. Clark. “It involved rethinking the learning outcomes of every course in the curriculum and devising appropriate assessments of these outcomes. This process has not only improved our curriculum and teaching, but resulted in a new university-wide emphasis on critical thinking and effective writing. I believe the university has benefited by this rigorous process.”

Regional accreditation is the highest level of approval an American institution of learning can attain. This credential is sought by colleges and universities as a means to enable transfer of course credits and to attract particular types of financial aid for its students.