Compliance With State Requirements

As a ministry of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs, CCGS Bible College is an independent, religious-exempt institution under CEC Section 94302(w)(5), qualifying it to grant degrees in Theology and Biblical Studies. CCGS Bible College confers degrees and awards diplomas and certificates by exemption as a religious institution in the State of California, and operates under the Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, Education Code (CEC) Section 94874(e)(1-5) of the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE).

Accreditation

A school is accredited when it has been investigated and found worthy of approval by an accrediting agency. Accreditation alone (or the lack of it) does not determine whether or not a school is legitimate or credible, since not all accreditation is equal. Some accrediting agencies are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, but others are not. Also, some schools are based outside of the U.S. and are accredited by standards which differ from those of the recognized agencies in the United States. Prospective students should be aware of these important distinctions.

CCGS Bible College is not currently accredited and for two main reasons. First, we wish to continue having local pastors teach Bible classes. Some of these pastors – although called by God, gifted, and experienced in teaching – do not have formal academic degrees, which accrediting agencies might require. Second, since accreditation can be quite expensive, we want to keep the cost of our education affordable so that more students have the opportunity to study and remain free from school debt. But though we have chosen to remain unaccredited, we seek to demonstrate the credibility of our college through compliance with generally accepted accreditation standards, through articulation agreements with other accredited colleges, and especially through the spiritually fruitful lives of our students.

Many opportunities are available for students who are called to pursue education beyond CCGS Bible College, even though academic degrees are not the main goal of our program. Although we are not accredited by a government-recognized accrediting agency, a growing number of accredited colleges will transfer CCGS Bible College courses, and the Bachelor of Biblical Studies degree has been accepted by some of the finest schools in the nation. If you have specific questions about transferability of credits, please contact the Registrar’s Office of the institution you desire to attend.