It’s common for students to concentrate on specifics as they start considering their alternatives and getting ready to choose a college. Students may look for particular educational opportunities, certain types of settings, or consider the price of their education. There is one important factor, nevertheless, that many people ignore: certification.
Any student’s future prospects are significantly impacted by the accreditation status of an institution (or a particular program). Here is all the information you need to know about college accreditation and why it matters.
CONTENTS
1 What Is Accreditation for Colleges?
2 What Characterizes an Accredited College?
3 The Various Forms of Accreditation
Regional, National, and Specialized
4 The Importance of College Accreditation
5 How to Determine a College’s Accreditation
HOW DO YOU GET A COLLEGE ACCREDITED?
Your kid could be thinking, “What does ‘accredited college’ mean?’ whether they have already started looking for colleges or not.” The simplest explanation of what “college accreditation” means is that it means an institution or program satisfies certain requirements that effectively guarantee a high standard of education.
WHAT DETERMINES COLLEGE ACCREDITATION?
The answer to the question “How are colleges accredited?” is simple, yet the organizations in charge of college accreditation find it difficult to carry out. Accreditation from a college is essentially a certification. An impartial organization checks to see if the program or school follows the required requirements. Accreditation is only granted to those who fulfill the academic standards.
Accreditation is handled by a number of public and commercial bodies, each of which operates in a distinct jurisdiction. While some concentrate on specific regions or niche program categories, some accredit institutions on a national or international level.
What type of accreditation are colleges need to have? and “Which colleges have the best accreditation?” The response can differ. The physical location as well as the programs on offer might be a consideration. The greatest college accreditation for one institution might not be the same as what is required for another university to obtain.
It’s significant to remember that accreditation is formally optional. However, reputable colleges and universities usually submit to the scrutiny, giving them the chance to show that their educational programs adhere to the stringent criteria established by the accrediting body.
THE VARIOUS KINDS OF ACCREDITATIONS
Accreditation for colleges and universities comes in a variety of forms. Instead, there are three basic forms of accreditation, each with advantages and disadvantages.
There isn’t a universally accepted “best type of college accreditation,” as was already stated. Some, though, might be more important in specific circumstances. As a result, it is advisable for students to understand what the various accreditations signify in order for them to concentrate on universities that will finally satisfy their expectations.
NATIONAL
National accreditation organizations evaluate schools around the nation. These companies typically concentrate on for-profit colleges and universities as well as particular technical or vocational schools.
Ten organizations are recognized by the US Department of Education for national accreditations. These consist of:
- Career Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission (ACCSC)
- Continuing Education and Training Accrediting Council (ACCET)
- Commission on Accreditation for the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE)
- Association of Jewish Studies Institutions (AIJS)
- Accreditation Commission for the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools
- Occupational Education Council (COE)
- Commission for Distance Education Accreditation (DEAC)
- Accreditation Commission for the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS)
Generally speaking, transfer credits from regionally and nationally accredited institutions are accepted by nationally accredited institutions. As a result, moving inside them is frequently straightforward. However, others believe that these boards don’t uphold the same academic standards, making them believe that this option is the inferior of the two primary options.
REGIONAL
Regional accreditation is location-specific, as the name implies. These accreditation agencies work in a particular region and often evaluate institutions in particular states.
Many people think regional accrediting organizations are the most academically focused and uphold the highest standards. Non-profit and public schools and universities frequently choose this route. However, some for-profit institutions might follow this route as well.
The seven accreditation organizations that the US Department of Education recognizes at the regional level are:
- Commission on Higher Education Institutions (CIHE)
- Additional Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Higher Education Commission (MSCHE)
- New England Association of Colleges and Schools (NEASC)
- NW Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC)
- Senior College and University Commission (WASC) (WSCUC)
Regionally approved colleges frequently accept transfer credits from other colleges with the same accreditation. They might or might not, meanwhile, accept credits from institutions with national accreditation if they believe those criteria fall short of their own.
SPECIALIZED
The accreditation bodies that specialize in particular educational program kinds concentrate on those. For instance, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing assesses nursing schools (ACEN). The American Bar Association (ABA) is a body that awards accreditation to law schools.
With these, it is hoped to confirm if a certain program satisfies the criteria for beginning a career in the desired field. As a result, they are much more prevalent in programs involving public health, law, and other fields where employers, as well as frequently the general public, have high standards for competence and performance.
A college or university may have a national or regional accreditation in addition to specialized ones since these are program-specific. In programs where it matters, it’s crucial to remember that a national or regional accreditation does not replace a specialized one.
HOW COLLEGE ACCREDITATION IS IMPORTANT
The importance of college accreditation cannot be overstated. The assurance of a specific level of educational quality is one of the largest benefits. That’s a crucial point for all students, regardless of major, intended professional route, or ongoing educational objectives, given the financial commitment required to get a degree.
Students whose institutions misled them about the worth of their degree from a career viewpoint have had their student loans discharged as a result of a lack of accreditation. This is mostly due to the fact that the program did not exceed the standards necessary for graduates to obtain the positions linked with their degrees, rendering their education essentially useless in the labor market.
A person may occasionally be ineligible for their chosen field due to a lack of certification. This happens more frequently in the legal and medical fields where a certain level of proficiency is required.
But that doesn’t negate the fact that unaccredited programs have an effect on other students. When students try to transfer credits from a non-accredited school to another organization, problems can arise. When a student transfers into one of its programs, the new school might not recognize those credits if there are concerns about the legitimacy of the college’s educational program. In order to ensure that their experience matches the standards of the college, the student must repeat those courses.
A shift from one program level to another could also suffer from it. For instance, if a student earns a Bachelor’s degree from an unaccredited college, they might not be qualified for a Master’s program at another accredited university. Once more, the concern is that the education did not provide the learner with the necessary information, abilities, or resources to succeed, making them ineligible for the higher-level program.
The ability of a student to receive financial help may be hampered by a lack of accreditation. Federal aid, like Pell grants, student loans, and work-study programs, are typically not available to students attending unaccredited institutions. Some scholarships also demand that recipients attend institutions of higher learning. Therefore, students who choose this course of action might only be eligible for private student loans.
UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE ACCREDITATION
Now that you and your student are aware of the definition of “college accreditation,”
You could be thinking, “How can you find out if a college is accredited? ” and have a rough understanding of the college accreditation categories, what they’re for, and why they matter.
In most circumstances, starting with the college or university’s website is your best option for determining whether an institution is accredited. Students can learn whether a company or institution has been accredited by looking at the public listing of accredited organizations and schools.
It’s a good idea to independently verify a university’s accreditation, nevertheless. Students can search for schools independently online thanks to a service provided by the US Department of Education. Students can learn about institutional accreditations as well as program-specific accreditations there, providing them with all the knowledge they need to choose a college or a specific educational route.
The wisest course of action is frequently to presume that a college lacks accreditation from an authorized accrediting organization if it isn’t listed on the US Department of Education website. In that scenario, it could be best for students to look elsewhere, where they can be sure they’ll receive a top-notch education that will help them start their ideal jobs.