Why is accreditation important in online learning?

Accreditation (read the definition of accreditation) is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing an online college, and it may also be the most overlooked.

Colleges can enroll students and hand out diplomas regardless of whether they have been accredited by a legitimate agency, and, unfortunately, they do. Diploma mills have racked in millions of dollars from the U.S. education market (read about diploma mills and learn how to identify them). And while not all of these unaccredited colleges are necessarily degree mills, the diploma and education hold no value to you, other schools, and employers unless the college has undergone the accreditation process.

Accreditation is practiced in the United States because here, no single government entity oversees all higher education institutions. Instead, states are given the choice of exercising control over colleges, leaving many institutions to operate freely. Because of this, the quality of education provided by schools varies greatly.

So what does this mean for students? Without accreditation agencies, students may not be certain that the tens of thousands of dollars they’re paying for college will result in a high quality education that is recognized by those who are important to the student. Luckily, these agencies exist and act as a watchdog for those interested in obtaining an education.

Accreditation agencies are private organizations that conduct peer evaluations of institutions and programs to ensure a basic level of quality. Once a school volunteers to undergo the process, it will be reviewed by the agency and accredited if it meets the strict standards established by agencies and other institutions. Once a school is regionally or nationally accredited, not only can it guarantee that it has met the quality assurance standards, but it is also eligible for federal financial assistance. The school is then monitored until its accreditation expires at which time it has to resubmit itself for evaluation.

Accreditation agencies also go through their own review process; the U.S. Secretary of Education must publish a list of nationally recognized distance learning accreditation agencies.

For additional information, take a look at the Department of Education’s thorough overview of accreditation in the United States and at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s site for informing the public about accreditation.