Accreditation shows that an educational institution or program meets standards set by a reliable accrediting agency. Some education programs claim to be accredited by agencies that aren't recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. Keep reading to learn how you can verify the accreditation of an education program.
Types of Accreditation
There are two types of accreditation:
- Institutional accreditation applies to a whole college or university. Examples of agencies that provide institutional accreditation include the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, and the Distance Education and Training Council Accrediting Commission.
- Programmatic accreditation applies to specific education programs or departments, indicating that the particular program or department is of the highest standards. Agencies that grant program accreditation include the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation and the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, among many others.
<h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutAccreditedEducationPrograms">Important Facts About Accredited Education Programs</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><td>Institution Types </td><td> Public, private for-profit, private non-profit,</td></tr>
<tr><td>Programs </td><td> 4-year, 2-year, <2-year</td></tr>
<tr><td>Search Criteria </td><td> Campus setting, % of applicants admitted, extended learning opportunities</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---ConfirmingAccreditation">Confirming Accreditation</h3><p>Prospective students can check a school's website, marketing materials or course catalog for information about institutional and program accreditation. If those methods fail, they can call a college or university directly to inquire about its accreditation.
</p><p>Information on institutional and program accreditation also is available through the National Center for Education Statistic's College Navigator website at <i>www.nces.ed.gov</i>. This site only provides profiles of colleges and universities that have institutional accreditation. Additionally, each school's profile features a section that details individual program accreditation.
</p><h3 id="section---ReliableAccreditation">Reliable Accreditation</h3><p>There are many agencies that accredit education programs; however, the U.S. Secretary of Education only acknowledges programs that meet certain requirements. The U.S. Department of Education publishes a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies on its website at <i>www.ed.gov</i>. Students should make sure the accrediting agency of any educational institution and/or program they are considering is on the list of reliable accrediting agencies.</p>
