AUK First in Kuwait to Earn MSCHE Candidacy for Accreditation

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) has been granted Candidate for Accreditation Status by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) on March 12, 2026. The decision publicly announced by MSCHE.

MSCHE is one of the leading institutional accrediting agencies recognized by the United States Department of Education and accredits over 500 institutions of higher education, prestigious and Ivy league universities such as Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, New York University, and the American University of Beirut.

Achieving candidacy affirms AUK’s commitment to the highest standards of academic quality and positions the University on a clear path toward accreditation. For AUK students, this milestone reflects concrete progress toward ensuring their education meets internationally recognized standards of excellence.

This achievement follows an evaluation conducted by an MSCHE peer review team in November 2025, where AUK met all seven accreditation standards, and received zero requirements—the strongest possible outcome at the candidacy stage. In addition, AUK earned four commendations recognizing its transparency, collaborative institutional culture, quality of general education, and strong student support services.

AUK is the first institution in Kuwait to achieve MSCHE candidacy. As such AUK joins a select group of 16 institutions outside the United States affiliated with MSCHE. It is also the first new MSCHE candidate in the Middle East in over two decades, joining the American University in Cairo, the American University of Beirut, and the American University of Sharjah, in holding active MSCHE accreditation or candidacy status.

AUK already holds six U.S. programmatic accreditations, including AACSB, ABET, AALE, CEA, and one NASAD Substantial Equivalency recognition, spanning business, engineering computing, liberal education, English language, and design. In addition to the existing Private Universities Council institutional accreditation, MSCHE candidacy adds international institutional accreditation endeavors to this portfolio.

Dr. Aseel Alawadhi, President of AUK, stated:
“This candidacy reflects what AUK has built over the past two decades: strong academic programs, dedicated faculty, and a genuine commitment to our students. As the first institution in Kuwait to reach this stage with MSCHE, we are proud of what this achievement says about the quality of our Liberal Arts education at AUK.”