Beware of diploma mills

Many students interested in obtaining a thorough education and legitimate degree become victims of diploma mills. After paying hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, for what they hope will help them enter the next stage of their lives, these students receive a valueless piece of paper.

Diploma mills, also known as degree mills, are mainly for-profit companies disguised as higher education institutions. Though not recognized or accredited by authorized states or agencies, diploma mills continue to print and hand out fake degrees. In exchange for a fee, a college diploma mill will provide buyers with unofficial degrees and falsified transcripts after little or no effort from the student.

Diploma mills are becoming more common and harder to identify as the Internet has made it easier for them to proliferate and function. College diploma mills can quickly switch names and locations, and a thorough list of diploma mills is hard to compile.

Campus Direct wants to help protect you from diploma mills and ensure that your hard-earned money is put towards a genuine education and degree.

How to spot a diploma mill

Degree mills come in all shapes and sizes, but they do share some similar traits that make them identifiable. Below are some telltale signs that you may have encountered a diploma mill:

• No accreditation information is available or site lists illegitimate accreditation agencies (See Additional Resources below)
• Contact information is not readily available or only a PO box is listed
• Incorrect grammar and spelling
• Lack of information about faculty, courses, and programs
• The use of the word “purchase” rather than “enroll”
• Payment is based on a per-degree basis
• Extremely low prices and fees (while there are many affordable online courses and on-campus classes available, an authentic degree will not cost, for example, $100)
• Guarantees that you will receive an online degree in a short amount of time (example: an online MBA in 60 days)
• No selectivity when accepting new applicants (example: no transcripts, letters of recommendation, or test scores are needed to apply)
• Little time and effort required from the student before degree is granted

Additional Resources

• U.S. Department of Education’s accreditation database
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation
• Oregon Student Assistance Commission's Office of Degree Authorization’s web site contains detailed information about diploma mills and has a list of unaccredited colleges

Your thoughts: What are other ways to differentiate between a diploma mill and a legitimate higher education institution?