The Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS) is a nonprofit membership association that provides accreditation, professional development and support services to over 110 elementary, middle, and secondary

independent schools A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their financial endowme ...

in Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. NWAIS is one of two major agencies that accredit private schools in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The other i
Cognia

Background

Formerly the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS), the NWAIS is a member of the

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, board ...

Criteria for accreditation

NWAIS develops

accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

standards in compliance with the Criteria for Effective Independent School Accreditation Practices, to foster collegial and ethical relations among its schools, and to safeguard and represent their interests. NWAIS is recognized as a member of th
International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation
(ICAISA), the international authority on independent school accreditation, representing thousands of schools in over 100 countries.

List of accredited schools

The Independent School Facts report published by NAIS for the Northwest Association of Independent Schools, provides statistical data on select schools that are members of NWAIS. Some of the accredited schools for NWAIS are: __NOTOC__

A

* The Adelson Educational Campus,

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

* The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain, Las Vegas * American Heritage School, Utah * Annie Wright School,

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

B

The Bear Creek School The Bear Creek School is a preschool through grade twelve private school in Redmond, Washington. Educating around 840 students, the school is a non-denominational Christian religious school, focusing on college preparation. It was established in ...

Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 73,256 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America. The city h ...

Bertschi School

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

Billings Middle School
Seattle * The Bush School, Seattle

C

Cascades Academy of Central Oregon
*

Catlin Gabel School The Catlin Gabel School (Catlin Gabel, Catlin, or CGS) is a private preschool–12 school located in West Haven-Sylvan - Compare to addresses and school attendance boundary maps. - Despite the "Portland, Oregon" address, it is ''not'' in the City ...

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

Charles Wright Academy Charles Wright Academy is a coed private college preparatory school in University Place, Washington, offering Preschool to Grade 12. CWA is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Northwest Association of Inde ...

, Tacoma * Sun Valley Community School,

Sun Valley, Idaho Sun Valley is a resort city in the western United States, in Blaine County, Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum in the Wood River valley. The population was 1,783 at the 2020 census. The elevation of Sun Valley (at the Lodge) is above se ...

D

* Delphian School,

Sheridan, Oregon Sheridan is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. Platted in the 1860s when it received a post office, Sheridan was incorporated in 1880. In 1913, much of the town burned in a fire and a flood covered much of the community in 1964. The ...

E

Eastside Catholic School Eastside Catholic School is a private Roman Catholic secondary school located in Sammamish, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle within the Archdiocese of Seattle. It has a faith-based educational program for students in grades 6 through 12. De ...

Sammamish, Washington Sammamish ( ) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 67,455 at the 2020 census. Located on a plateau, the city is bordered by Lake Sammamish to the west and the Snoqualmie Valley to the east. Sammamish is s ...

* Eastside Preparatory School,

Kirkland, Washington Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. A suburb east of Seattle, its population was 92,175 in the 2020 U.S. census which made it the sixth largest city in King County and the twelfth largest city in the state of Washington. ...

* Epiphany School, Seattle *

Eton School Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

Bellevue, Washington Bellevue ( ) is a city in the Eastside (King County, Washington), Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, located across Lake Washington from Seattle. It is the third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area, and the f ...

* The Evergreen School, Shoreline, Washington * Explorer West Middle School, Seattle

F

* Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Bellevue * French International School of Oregon, Portland * French American School of Puget Sound,

Mercer Island, Washington Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington. Mercer Island is in the Seattle metropolitan area, with Seattle to its west and Bellevue to ...

G

* Giddens School, Seattle

H

* Hamlin Robinson School, Seattle *

Holy Names Academy Holy Names Academy is a Catholic private all-girls college-preparatory high school, founded by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in 1880 and located on the east slope of Seattle's Capitol Hill. It is the oldest continually operati ...

, Seattle * Hyla School,

Bainbridge Island, Washington Bainbridge Island is a city and island in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is located in Puget Sound. The population was 24,825 at the 2020 census, making Bainbridge Island the second largest city in Kitsap County. The island is s ...

I

* The Island School, Bainbridge Island

J

* Jackson Hole Community School,

Jackson, Wyoming Jackson is a resort town in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 10,760 at the 2020 census, up from 9,577 in 2010. It is Teton County's only incorporated municipality and county seat, and it is the largest incorporated town ...

* Mountain Academy Teton Science Schools, Jackson, WY & Victor, ID

L

* Lake Tahoe School,

Incline Village, Nevada Incline Village is an upmarket census-designated place (CDP) on the north shore of Lake Tahoe in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The population was 8,777 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Reno− Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

* Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Seattle * Lakeside School, Seattle * The Little School, Bellevue

M

* McGillis School,

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

* The Meadows School, Las Vegas * The Meridian School, Seattle * Missoula International School,

Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five ...

N

* The Northwest Academy, Portland * The Northwest School, Seattle * NOVA School,

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. It had a population of 55,605 at the 2020 census, making it the state of Washington's 23rd-most populous city. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County, and the central city ...

O

* Oak Hill School,

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...

Open Window School Open Window School is an independent K-8 school for students who have been formally identified as intellectually gifted. Open Window School is located in Bellevue, Washington on top of Cougar Mountain, which is on the outer edge of the city acr ...

, Bellevue *

Oregon Episcopal School Oregon Episcopal School (OES) is an American independent, coeducational, College-preparatory school, college preparatory, day and Boarding school, boarding school in the Raleigh Hills area of Portland, Oregon. It was preceded by St. Helen's Hall, ...

, Portland * The Overlake School, Redmond

P

Park City Day School A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...

Park City, Utah Park City is a city in Utah, United States. Most of the city is within Summit County, Utah, Summit County, with some portions extending into Wasatch County, Utah, Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is sou ...

* The Perkins School, Seattle * Portland Jewish Academy

R

* Riverstone International School,

Boise, Idaho Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...

Rowland Hall Rowland Hall (formerly Rowland Hall-St. Mark's, RHSM) is an independent private school of roughly 1000 students from preschool to high school on two campuses in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 1867, Rowland Hall is the oldest school in Utah. O ...

, Salt Lake City

S

* Sage Ridge School,

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

* Saint George's School,

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

* Seabury School, Tacoma * Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences * Seattle Country Day School *

Seattle Girls' School Seattle Girls' School is an all-girls middle school located in the central district of Seattle at South Massachusetts and 24th Ave South. Seattle Girls' School (also known as SGS) is an accredited member of the Northwest Association of Independ ...

* Seattle Hebrew Academy * Seattle Jewish Community School * Spruce Street School, Seattle * St. Thomas School,

Medina, Washington Medina () is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States. The mostly residential city is on a peninsula in Lake Washington, on the opposite shore from Seattle, bordered by Clyde Hill and Hunts Point to the east a ...

T

The Sage School
Hailey, Idaho

U

* University Child Development School, Seattle * University Prep, Seattle

V

* Villa Academy, Seattle

W

Wasatch Academy Wasatch Academy is an independent, coeducational, university preparatory school, college preparatory boarding school for grades 8-12 and post-graduates located in Mount Pleasant, Utah, Mount Pleasant, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 ...

Mount Pleasant, Utah Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Utah. Located in Sanpete County, Mt. Pleasant is known for being home to Wasatch Academy. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 3,260. History In the spring of 1852, Latter-Day Saint c ...

* The Waterford School,

Sandy, Utah Sandy is a city in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 96,904 according to the 2020 United States census. Sandy is home to the Shops at South Town shopping mall; the Jord ...

* Westside School, Seattle * Woodinville Montessori School,

Woodinville, Washington Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is east of Bothell. Woodinville has waterfront parks on the Sammamish River, a win ...

References

External links

Northwest Association of Independent Schools
(official website) Private and independent school organizations in the United States School accreditors {{US-edu-stub