Accreditation is a voluntary process with two main purposes: educational quality and improvement. More information about the role and value of accreditation is available from The New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The NEASC's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education is the body which accredits Wellesley College as well as other colleges in the six New England states.

There are eleven standards which the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) uses to assess an institution's effectiveness. Each standard encompasses a major area of institutional activity. These areas include: mission and purpose, planning and evaluation, organization and governance, programs and instruction, faculty, student services, library and information resources, physical resources, financial resources, public disclosure, and integrity. The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education's Standards for Accreditation are available online as well as Wellesley's self-study chapters .

The accreditation process consists of three components: self-study, on-site evaluation and review and action. Typically lasting between 12 and 18 months, the self-examination encourages an institution to identify and evaluate its achievements and areas for improvement. The on-site evaluation, usually lasting three days, is conducted by faculty and administrators from other accredited institutions. During the visit, the team of peer evaluators assess the institution based on its self-study and against the to the Commission They draft a written report of their findings and present it The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the country's oldest regional accrediting agency, which accredits institutions of higher education through the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

The Commission then reviews the institution's self-study, the peer evaluators' report, and meets with the institution's chief executive officer and committee chair. After careful consideration, the Committee makes a decision about accreditation status and cites areas in which the institution could make improvements. Further details on the accreditation process are available from the CIHE.