The U.S. Department of Education and the accreditors it authorizes check the quality standards of all schools in the United States that apply for accreditation. Schools that pass this rigorous testing are accredited, and the degrees they issue come with substantially higher reputations than degrees from non-accredited schools. There are six approved college-level accrediting agencies, each responsible for schools within its territory. There is no difference in accreditation between online schools and traditional schools.

Accreditors

The five regional college-level accreditors are: North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA), Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA), Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SASC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The Distance Education Training Council (DETC) is a national accreditor that specializes in online schools. It is recognized by the Department of Education, but its credits may not transfer to schools accredited by other agencies.

Accrediting Standards

Accreditors check and certify curriculum, faculty qualifications and education quality the same way regardless of whether a school is online or has a campus.

Credit Transfer

Schools in the United States can choose whether or not to accept incoming credits from other institutions, accredited or not, and can decide not to accept transfers from online schools. Unaccredited schools' credits are rarely accepted for transfer, but even accredited schools' credits may not transfer.

Caveat Emptor

Check with a school's accrediting agency or the U.S. Department of Education rather than the school to ensure that it is properly accredited.

How To Check

The U.S. Department of Education's database of accredited post-secondary institutions and programs can be searched by school name and address or by accrediting agency.

Source:

U.S. Department of Education: Accreditation in the United States

U.S. Department of Education: Searchable database of accredited post-secondary institutions and programs