Accreditation FAQ

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Accreditation Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is accreditation?

A. Accreditation publicly demonstrates that an organization is of an acceptable institutional quality. Once an organization opens itself to outside examination, a regional or national accrediting body reviews specific standards and criteria and offers the institution opportunities for self-improvement. The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the United States Department of Education (USDE) evaluate and recognize all accrediting bodies.

Q: What is the difference between regional and national accreditation?

A. Regional accreditation is only available to select institutions in specific regions of the U.S. There are six regionally accrediting bodies. Regionally accredited courses meet a higher education standard, so they are accepted for transfer credits by most national colleges and universities. The majority of U.S. graduate programs will only accept applicants who have earned regionally accredited bachelor’s degrees.

National accreditation is available to any U.S. learning institution that requests to be reviewed. Nationally accredited courses are less likely to be accepted by a regionally accredited institution for transfer credits. Many graduate programs will not accept applicants who have earned nationally accredited bachelor’s degrees.