Accrediting Organizations – What You Need to Know

Accrediting organizations are independent, non-profit entities whose only function is to ensure the quality of post-secondary programs and institutions both in a traditional setting and online. Accrediting organizations are regulated by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Accrediting organizations accredit institutions such as colleges and universities, and they also accredit professional programs including nursing, law, social work, medicine, and journalism. There are three types of accrediting agencies:

• Regional Accreditation Agencies- focus on both public and private institutions that offer two- and four-year programs and are either for-profit or not-for-profit.

• National Accreditation Agencies- focus on more specialized public or private institutions, which includes faith-based institutions and distance learning.

• Specialized Accreditation Agencies- focus on specialized programs and schools such as law and those in health related disciplines.

An accrediting organization is “recognized by either the United States Department of Education (USDE) or by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This means that the quality and effectiveness of the accrediting organizations have undergone a process of review.

The USDE is primarily concerned with the quality of the education that federal student aid is paying for. The recognition given by the USDE is based on ten standards which include recruitment and admissions practices, fiscal and administrative capacity and facilities, and student achievement. Federal financial aid is only available to students attending an institution accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the USDE.

CHEA is a private organization and it is primarily concerned with academic quality and the ongoing quality improvement in courses, programs, and degrees or diplomas. Recognition from CHEA is based on five standards, including advancing academic quality and encouraging needed improvement. In order to qualify for recognition from CHEA, more than half of the post-secondary institutions reviewed by the accrediting organization must be degree-granting.

Not all accrediting organizations will be recognized by both the USDE and CHEA, but as long they are on at least one of these lists they are considered legitimate. Lists of recognized accrediting organizations are available through both the USDE and CHEA and if an organization fails to appear on one or both of these lists it is possible that it is an accreditation mill, a bogus institution representing a diploma or degree mill.

The USDE and CHEA both keep databases of the programs and institutions that are accredited by the recognized accrediting organizations. They also work to inform the public of the dangers of diploma mills, which lures students into paying for useless degrees or diplomas that will not be recognized in the professional or academic world, and accreditation mills, which are often created by the diploma mills to ensure that they appear to be accredited.

The USDE and CHEA are the foundation in the quality control of post-secondary educational programs and institutions. Their work ensures that the public is informed and protected against the fraudulent acts of those bogus institutions that exist only to strip students of their money in exchange for a useless degree or diploma. It would be wise to make use of the services and information available through the USDE and CHEA, whenever you are in doubt about the educational institute of your choice.

Postsecondary Educational Institutions and Programs Accredited by Accrediting Agencies and State Approval Agencies Recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education

CHEA Database of Institutions and Programs Accredited by Recognized United States Accrediting Organizations

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