What Is College Accreditation & Why Does It Matter?

Updated on October 13th, 2022

When students begin exploring their options and preparing to make a college decision, it’s normal to focus on specific details. Students may seek out specific educational programs, certain kinds of environments or factor in the cost of their education. However, there’s one crucial point that many overlook: accreditation.

Once your student finds an accredited college, figuring out how to cover the cost is a common challenge. Fortunately, scholarships can help, and there are far more scholarships available than you might expect. If you and your student want to learn about scholarship opportunities, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Take a quick trip over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve a spot today.

Whether a college (or a specific program) is accredited has a major impact on any student’s future prospects. If you’re wondering what college accreditation is and why it matters, here’s everything you need to know.

What Is College Accreditation?

Whether your student has begun their college search or that is on the horizon, they may be wondering, “What does ‘accredited college’ mean?” When it comes to the college accreditation meaning, the simplest definition is that a college or program meets specific parameters that effectively ensures a quality education.

What Makes a College Accredited?

When it comes to the question, “How are colleges accredited?” the process is straightforward, though complex to execute for the organizations that handle accreditation for colleges. Essentially, college accreditation is a certification. An independent body verifies that the school or program adheres to specific standards. Only those that meet the academic requirements become accredited.

There are several agencies and private organizations that handle accreditation, each operating within a specific jurisdiction. Some accredit schools on a national or international level, while others focus on regions or specialized program categories.

If you’re wondering, “What accreditation do colleges need?” and “What is the best college accreditation?” The answer can vary. Physical locale may be a factor, as well as the programs offered. As a result, the best college accreditation for one school might not match what another university needs to secure.

It’s important to note that accreditation is technically voluntary. However, reputable colleges and universities typically subject themselves to the scrutiny, allowing them to demonstrate that their educational programs meet the strict standards set forth by the accrediting organization.

The Different Types of Accreditations

There isn’t just one type of college or university accreditation. Instead, there are three main accreditation categories, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.

As mentioned above, there isn’t a blanket “best type of college accreditation.” However, some may be more critical in certain situations. As a result, it’s wise for students to learn what the different accreditations mean, allowing them to focus on schools that will ultimately meet their expectations.

National

National accreditation agencies vet schools throughout the entire country. In most cases, these organizations focus on for-profit colleges and universities, as well as certain vocational or technical schools.

The US Department of Education recognizes ten organizations for national accreditations. Those include”

• Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)
• Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET)
• Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on Accreditation (ABHE)
• Association of Institutions of Jewish Studies (AIJS)
• Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, Accreditation Commission
• Council on Occupational Education (COE)
• Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
• Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Accreditation Commission (TRACS)

Generally, nationally accredited schools accept transfer credits from nationally and regionally accredited schools. As a result, transitioning into them tends to be simple. However, some feel that these boards don’t maintain the same standards when it comes to academics, leaving some viewing this option as the lesser of the two main choices.

Regional

As the name suggests, regional accreditation is location-specific. These accreditation organizations operate in a certain area, typically reviewing schools in specific states.

Many believe regional accrediting bodies are the most academically oriented, maintaining the toughest possible standards. Often, non-profit and state colleges and universities opt for this option. However, some for-profit schools may also venture down this path.

At the regional level, the seven accreditation boards recognized by the US Department of Education are:

• Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE)
• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

In many cases, regionally accredited schools accept transfer credits from other regionally accredited schools. However, they may or may not accept credits from nationally accredited schools, as they may feel those standards fall short of their own.

Specialized

With specialized accreditation, the boards focus on individual types of educational programs. For instance, nursing schools are evaluated by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). For law schools, the American Bar Association (ABA) is an accrediting authority.

With these, the goal is to ensure that a particular program meets the requirements to launch a career in the chosen field. As a result, these are far more common in programs involving public health, legal matters, and similar roles where employers – and often the public – have strict expectations regarding competency and performance.

Since these are program-specific, a college or university may have a national or regional accreditation along with specialized ones. However, it’s important to note that a national or regional accreditation does not substitute for a specialized one in programs where that matters.

Why College Accreditation Matters

College accreditation matters for several reasons. One of the biggest is it ensures a certain level of educational quality. Considering the financial investment involved in earning a degree, that’s a critical point for all students, regardless of major, targeted career path, or ongoing educational goals.

A lack of accreditation has actually led to the discharge of student loans for students who were deceived by their colleges regarding the value of their education from a career perspective. Mainly, this is because the program didn’t meet the requirements for graduates to get the jobs associated with the degree, making their education functionally worthless in the job market.

Related Video: What is College Accreditation & Why Does It Matter

Sometimes, a lack of accreditation leaves a person ineligible for their chosen field. This is more common in the legal and medical industries, where having a particular level of competency is a necessity.

However, that doesn’t mean other students aren’t impacted by unaccredited programs. A common issue occurs when students attempt to transfer credits from a non-accredited school to another institution. If there are questions about the validity of the college’s educational program, the new school may not accept those credits when a student transfers into one of its programs. As a result, the student must repeat those courses to ensure their experience meets the college’s standards.

Similarly, it may harm a transition from one program level to another. For example, if a student completes a Bachelor’s at an unaccredited college, they may not be eligible for a Master’s degree program at a different accredited institution. Again, the fear is that the education didn’t provide the student with the proper knowledge, skills, or tools to excel, causing them not to be eligible for the higher-level program.

A lack of accreditation may also limit a student’s access to financial aid. Generally, students can’t receive federal aid – such as Pell grants, federal student loans, or federal work-study – for non-accredited schools. Some scholarships also require students to attend accredited schools. As a result, students who pursue this option may only have access to private student loans.

How to Know If a College Is Accredited

Now that you and your student know the answer to “What does college accreditation mean?” and have a general idea of the college accreditation types, what they’re for, and why they matter, you may be wondering, “How do you find out if a college is accredited?”

In most cases, your best bet for how to check if a school is accredited is to start with the college or university’s website. Those who are accredited and schools with specialized accreditation generally list that publicly, allowing students to know they meet the standards.

However, it’s also wise to check university accreditation on your own. The US Department of Education has an online tool that allows students to look up schools on their own. There, students can find out about institutional accreditations, as well as individual program accreditations, giving them all of the information they need before selecting a college or a particular educational path.

If a school isn’t listed on the US Department of Education site, it’s often best to assume that the college lacks accreditation from an approved accrediting organization. In that case, students may be better off setting their sights elsewhere, ensuring they’ll get a quality education to help them launch their dream careers.

Once your student finds an accredited college, figuring out how to cover the cost is a common challenge. Fortunately, scholarships can help, and there are far more scholarships available than you might expect. If you and your student want to learn about scholarship opportunities, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Take a quick trip over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve a spot today.