Accreditation of a College

In order to avoid fraudulent school practices and assure students are receiving a quality education, colleges are accredited by an agency of the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Accreditation affects several things about your distance learning experience, including:

• The ability to transfer hard-earned educational credits to another school or apply for higher learning in the future
• Ensure your current or prospective employer will recognize your degree
• Provide greater confidence that your investment will lead to a quality learning experience and return-on-investment

A college earns accreditation after an agency positively assesses the difficulty and merit of their education programs. The process typically involves members of current accredited schools evaluating the prospective school to make sure their educational standards are sufficiently on par.

There are two forms of accreditation available today: accreditation established by a regional accreditation agency (there are six major regional agencies), as well as national accreditation. Both forms of accreditation are considered reputable, however a student attending a school with regional accreditation will have an easier time transferring completed credits to another school who likewise has been accredited by a regional organization.  

National Accreditation

The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) is also known as the 'National Accreditation Agency.' They are a single organization of accreditation agencies focusing on accrediting distance learning schools throughout the United States. Established in 2006, they are still a relatively new accreditation organization. Unlike the six regional accreditation agencies, they do not offer accreditation to brick-and-mortar schools-only online learning.

According to a survey taken in 2006, 70% of DETC-certified transcripts were eligible for transferability to other schools, and acceptance rates continue to increase each year.

Regional Accreditation

Accreditation established by one of the six regional accreditation agencies is the most commonly accepted form of accreditation. Regional accreditation is available for both online and campus-based schools, so it carries greater merit when transferring between different types of schools or universities. Other schools are more likely to take transcripts from regionally accredited schools and employers are more likely to accept degrees from regionally accredited schools. The six regional accreditation agencies all recognize each other and work together in a network.

Transferability from a school verified by one of the six regional accreditation agencies is almost ensured.