There are many, many colleges and universities in the United States. There are four year colleges, two year colleges, community colleges, state colleges, the Ivy League colleges, liberal arts colleges, online colleges and so on and so forth. With such a wide range of choices, it can be a little mind boggling for the aspiring college students to decide on a college. One very useful technique of filtering out colleges in your college search is to see if the college or university is accredited by an approved accrediting agency.

What is university accreditation?
The purpose of accreditation is to make sure that higher education institutions maintain an acceptable level of quality. Accrediting agencies, which are private associations, develop criteria and standards that must be followed by an educational institution in order to receive accreditation from that agency. Institutions and/or programs that request an agency’s evaluation and that meet an agency’s criteria are then “accredited” by that agency.

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So what are the benefits of attending a nationally accredited university over an university that has no accreditation? The benefits of studying at a nationally accredited university are many.

• You can be sure that you are following an approved curriculum that meets or exceeds national standards
• Your completed credits will be transferable to other accredited universities.
• Your degree will be recognized at other universities when you apply for a Masters or Doctoral program
• Your degree will be recognized by employers

How can you check that the universities you are considering applying to are accredited? The Council for Higher Education Accreditation maintains a searchable database of nationally accredited universities on their website. You can also use the database to search for accredited programs in your area of interest. To access the database, go here.

Below is a list of major national and regional accrediting agencies in the United States.

• Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
• Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
• Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training
• Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
• Council on Occupational Education
• Distance Education and Training Council, Accrediting Commission
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education
• Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Technical and Career Institutions
• New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of Education
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission
• North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, Board of Trustees
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
• Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Accreditation Commission
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Schools
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities

Further reading: Graduate Teaching Assistantship: Your Ticket to Free Tuition