StudentReady Guide to Accreditation

The United States does not have a centralized government organization that accredits colleges and universities. Instead, schools voluntarily seek accreditation from regional or national bodies that ensure minimum standards of quality are met. Students should ensure that their college or university, whether online or campus, is accredited by a recognized agency.

What's so important about accreditation?

Since there is no government agency in charge of judging colleges and universities, there is a wide range of quality among institutions. Students need a way to tell whether their degree will be accepted by other schools or by future employers. The recognition by other schools is especially important if you want to pursue another degree in the future or if you would like to transfer your credits to another college or university in order to finish your degree.

Another reason why accreditation is important is that a school must be accredited by a recognized agency in order for its students to be eligible for federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and federal work study programs, among others. Federal financial aid is the best and cheapest student aid available, so missing out on it would be costly to students.

What is a "recognized" accreditation agency?

Let's start with the definition of an accreditation agency. It is a nongovernmental, private body that conducts peer reviews of member colleges and universities. Typically the accreditation body works with its members to develop academic standards. The college or university must conduct a self-analysis and a team from the agency makes an on-site visit to determine if the institution measures up to the academic standards set. if so, the agency grants the accredited status to the college, monitors the college for continued compliance, and periodically conducts more thorough reviews.

There are two main categories of institutional accreditation agencies: regional and national. The vast majority of colleges and universities are accredited by regional bodies, though national accreditatation agencies are subject to the same standards as regional.

The U.S. Department of Education reviews accreditation bodies and determines whether they are "reliable authorities" when it comes to judging the quality of education at the schools they certify. Once the Secretary recognizes an agency, it is listed in a database run by the Office of Postsecondary Education.  The colleges and institutions accredited by the agency are also listed. You can search for a college's accreditation status by clicking here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Index.aspx. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation also has a database of institutions at http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp; its aim is to ensure continuing quality improvement in courses, programs and degrees.

What if a college's accreditation agency is not recognized?

Beware -- one common tactic among schools which are diploma mills is to establish an accreditation agency and then accredit themselves. This is why it is so important that the agency is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the CHEA. Otherwise, you have no idea what standards the organization is using to deem a college as acceptable. The whole accreditation could be rigged in the college or university's favor to make it sound more legitimate for potential students.

If a college or university claims to accredited by the USDE or the CHEA, be sure to check to make sure they are listed on those websites. If the school says its accreditation status is "pending" it is meaningless.

There is no comprehensive list of schools that have been determined to be diploma mills, but Consumer Fraud Reporting has developed a list of schools that have been in trouble. Remember that just because a school is not on this list, it is not necessarily legitimate. Check out http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/Education_Degree_Scams_Unaccreddited.php.

The legitimacy of your degree is essential to your future success

You will spend a lot of time, hard work, and money on your degree. Make sure you are getting your money's worth at a legitimate institution.