Riverside City College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (10 Commercial Boulevard, Suite 204, Novato, CA 94949, (415) 506-0234, accjc@accjc.org), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Riverside City College is approved under the regulations of the Board of Governors, California Community Colleges, by the Office of Private Postsecondary Education for the training of Veterans, by the United States State Department for nonquota immigrant students, and by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The University of California, the California State University and other colleges and universities give full credit for appropriate courses completed at Riverside City College within the Riverside Community College District.