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Accreditation in the United States is a voluntary, nongovernmental process, in which an institution and its programs are evaluated against standards for measuring quality.

Accrediting Agencies Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education

The Secretary of Education, through the U.S. Department of Education, recognizes select accrediting agencies, such as the New England Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Accreditation by a recognized accrediting agency is part of the requirements for institutions to participate in federal student aid programs. The Secretary and the Department are not responsible for accrediting institutions, such as the University of Connecticut. Accrediting agencies accredit institutions and programs.

Important: Accrediting agencies may voluntarily seek recognition from the Secretary only if the schools and institutions the agency accredits need the Secretary's recognition in order to participate in some federal program, such as the federal student financial aid programs.

Accrediting agencies recognized by the Secretary meet certain criteria, the institutions accredited by those agencies meet standards that address the quality of an institution and its programs. An accrediting agency that meets the Department's criteria for recognition is determined to be a reliable authority in measuring the quality of education or training provided by the institutions it accredits in the United States and its territories. Agencies that meet these criteria are placed on the Department's List of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies.

Council for Higher Education Accreditation

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a private, nongovernmental agency, which recognizes organizations that accredit institutions and programs. CHEA is the only nongovernmental higher education organization that scrutinizes the quality of regional, national, and specialized accrediting organizations. CHEA is a membership organization that works from within the higher education community to coordinate and improve quality review. CHEA exists for the purpose of coordinating and improving the practice of higher education.

CHEA recognizes many types of accrediting organizations, including some of the same accrediting agencies as the Department of Education. To be eligible for CHEA recognition, the accrediting organization must demonstrate that their mission and goals are consistent with CHEA and that a majority of the institutions and programs accredited by the organization award degrees. CHEA recognition is not attached to federal dollars as is recognition by the Secretary of Education. CHEA publishes a list of postsecondary institutions and programs that are accredited by accrediting agencies recognized by CHEA or by the U.S. Secretary of Education. The CHEA list may be found at www.chea.org/search/.

Unrecognized Accrediting Agencies

Unrecognized accrediting agencies have not had their accreditation standards reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. There are a variety of reasons why an agency is unrecognized, some agencies may be working towards recognition with the Secretary or CHEA and others may not meet the criteria for recognition.

Remember: Many employers in the United States only recognize degrees earned from institutions accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Secretary of Education. The federal government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has been involved with keeping diploma mill degrees from the federal workplace. "OPM has provided ongoing guidance to federal departments and agencies... making it clear that so-called 'degrees' from diploma mills will not be accepted for purposes of qualifying for federal positions, for student loan repayment, and for purposes of paying for employees to obtain college degrees."

Any institution can claim to be accredited. It is important that you, as a consumer, do your homework. For more information about recognized and unrecognized accrediting agencies, as well fraud, waste, and abuse related to accreditation, take a look at the U.S. Network for Education Information.

Accredited Institutions

Accredited institutions have agreed to have their institution and its programs reviewed to determine the quality of education and training being provided. If an institution is accredited by a recognized agency, its teachers, coursework, and facilities, equipment, and supplies are reviewed on a routine basis to ensure students receive a quality education and get what they pay for. Attending an accredited institution is often a requirement for employment and can be helpful later on if you want to transfer academic credits to another institution.

Unaccredited institutions

Unaccredited institutions are not reviewed against a set of standards to determine the quality of their education and training. This does not necessarily mean that an unaccredited institution is of poor quality, but earning a degree from an unaccredited institution may create problems for students. Some employers, institutions, and licensing boards only recognize degrees earned from institutions accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. With this in mind, it is recommended that students check with other institutions regarding the transfer of credit policy to determine if that institution would accept the degree and/or credits earned from any institution they plan to enroll in.

Remember: In some states, it can be illegal to use a degree from an institution that is not accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, unless approved by the state licensing agency.

It's important to determine if a degree from an unaccredited institution will allow you to achieve your career goals. To help you, take a look at a list of frequently asked questions about accreditation developed by Degree.net.