What Are WASC, CIS, NEASC and COBIS? How to Read International School Accreditation

At a glance: the role of each body

It is not unusual for the same school to hold accreditation or membership from several bodies. For example, the school's own pages describe the BST Diploma at BST as WASC-accredited and the IBDP as IB-recognised; check the IB's school search for its current authorisation status. Each body looks at a different thing, so look at what each accreditation is for rather than counting them.

Membership, candidacy and accreditation are not the same

CIS describes membership and accreditation as separate schemes. To be accredited, a school must first be a CIS member. In other words, membership is a prerequisite for accreditation, not accreditation itself. CIS accreditation looks at three areas: Purpose, Practices and Planning; Guiding Principles; and Learning and Well-being. On CIS's accreditation page, more than 745 member schools are described as engaged with CIS International Accreditation.

ACS WASC distinguishes candidacy from accreditation. The status given after the initial review is either initial accreditation (for schools that already meet the criteria for full accreditation) or candidacy. Candidacy shows that a school is working towards accreditation and is different from accreditation; WASC says candidate schools are normally expected to apply for full accreditation by the third year of candidacy. Accredited schools then follow a multi-year cycle, with terms of up to six years (shorter where follow-up is needed) and a mid-cycle progress review.

NEASC's standards for international schools are made up of the structure of learning, the structure of governance, health, safety and security, finance, facilities and resources, and ethical practice (and standards for boarding where there is boarding). NEASC explains that the child-protection standards must be substantially met for a school to be eligible for accreditation.

COBIS offers two routes, Compliance and Accreditation. Compliance covers Standards 1-5 (and 6 if there is boarding), which look at safeguarding, student welfare, facilities, and governance and school ethos. Accreditation covers Standards 1-10, adding learning and teaching, leadership, communication, extracurricular activities and more, and is the full set of standards. Both are five-year memberships, shown as "COBIS Member (Compliance)" and "COBIS Accredited Member". When you see the COBIS logo, check which of the two it is. Examples of British-style schools are set out in our guide to British School in Tokyo.

IB authorisation is separate from school accreditation

According to the IB's explanation, only schools authorised as IB World Schools can offer IB programmes, and the candidate school stage does not guarantee authorisation. One school can be "IB-authorised and CIS-accredited". Schools that offer IB programmes throughout are collected in our article on IB continuum schools in Tokyo.

A school may have only IB authorisation, only whole-school accreditation, or both. Because their purposes differ, each status needs to be checked separately. The IB explains that the candidate school stage does not guarantee authorisation. There can also be a school that is authorised for the DP only, while the MYP is still in progress.

This is a separate matter from qualifying for university in Japan

A school's accreditation and each student's university entrance qualification are different questions. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) page (published June 2024; in Japanese) sets out a framework under which graduates of the 12-year course at educational institutions accredited by WASC, CIS, ACSI, NEASC, Cognia or COBIS are recognised as having a university entrance qualification (this includes accreditation by ECIS, the former name of CIS). COBIS is among these six.

The other route is based on qualifications. The same page lists the International Baccalaureate, Abitur, Baccalauréat, GCE A-levels, International A-levels, the European Baccalaureate and others as foreign university entrance qualifications. In other words, a student may be looked at as a graduate of an accredited school, or on the basis of a qualification such as the IB or A-levels, and which of these applies changes with your child's course.

It is not safe to assume that "because the school is accredited, my child can automatically apply to any university in Japan". You need to check both the school's accreditation status and which qualification or course the student themselves completes. Also check the final eligibility to apply in the latest admissions guidelines of the university you are aiming for. The difference between the IBDP and A-levels is also touched on in our comparison of the IBDP, AP and A-levels.

The page was published in June 2024, and the system may change. Before you apply, re-check the MEXT page and the university's admissions guidelines.

Accreditation is not a reason to stop checking

Accreditation shows that a school has undergone external evaluation against certain standards. However, it does not tell you the following.

• The actual quality of teaching in your child's grade or class
• Whether the school suits your child's English level or personality
• Whether the fees are in line with what you get (costs are compared in our fee comparison)
• Until when the accreditation is valid, and what was pointed out at renewal

Accreditation can be used as a first filter when choosing a school. For the final decision, you need visits, a look at lessons and the views of parents of current students.

How parents can check in five minutes

Do not rely on a school's promotional text alone; always check against official information. For the latest position before you apply, the official directory is the reference.

1. On the school's website, read the text explaining each logo. Check whether it says "member", "accredited", "authorized" or "candidate".
2. Search for the school name in the body's official directory. ACS WASC has the Directory of Schools, CIS has the Membership Directory, COBIS has a member search, and the IB has a school search.
3. Check exactly which status is shown: member, candidate or accredited.
4. If an expiry date or the timing of the next review is shown, note it.
5. Check IB programmes separately in the IB's school search, including whether it is the DP, MYP or PYP.
6. If you are thinking about university in Japan, check on the MEXT page and in the admissions guidelines of the university you are aiming for whether your child's course meets the conditions.