Jessica Blake
July 23, 2026
Stripping the accreditor’s recognition could upend cosmetology programs reliant on federal aid. The final decision rests with senior leaders at the Education Department.
The National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences—one of the nation’s largest cosmetology and massage therapy accreditors—shouldn’t be recognized by the federal government, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity said Wednesday.
In a 9-to-3 vote, the committee that advises on accreditation issues recommended that the Education Department deny NACCAS’s petition for renewed recognition “on the grounds that the agency does not comply” with several federal policies. Department staff and members of the advisory committee raised several concerns with the accreditor, including: