Understanding the Types of Accreditation and Agencies
When evaluating a U.S. school's accreditation, it is helpful to understand the different types of accreditation given to schools and the types of agencies that give the accreditations. Federal and state financial aid is impacted by a school's accreditation and when it comes time to find a job or transfer credits to another school, the type of accreditation may affect the outcome.
Recognition of accrediting agencies
Accreditation agencies that are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education are referred to as "nationally recognized" agencies. Schools accredited by these agencies are universally recognized in the U.S. as quality higher-education institutions. Only schools that have this type of accreditation may offer federal financial aid. Many employers and schools also consider schools accredited by agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as legitimately accredited schools. The agencies recognized by the two bodies overlap each other significantly.
Institutional vs. specialized (a.k.a. programmatic) accrediting agencies
Institutional accrediting agencies are those that accredit an entire institution, including all programs that are offered at the school. Specialized accreditation agencies have a more limited scope and only accredit specific programs or departments within a school or an entire specialized school, if it falls within the scope of the agency. In fields that are regulated or require a license such as medicine, dentistry, law and some engineering fields, a degree from a program with a specialized accreditation is a requirement for licensing and employment.
Regional vs. national institutional accrediting agencies
Academically-oriented, non-profit, degree-granting schools usually have regional accreditation. For-profit, vocational, technical and career schools typically have national accreditation. Many schools with regional accreditation will only accept transfer credits and graduate students from other schools with regional accreditation. Although the criteria for recognition of the two types of agencies are the same, many regionally accredited schools view the nationally accredited schools as offering a different type of education that is not comparable to their own.
Accrediting agencies recognized for their pre-accreditation categories
Some agencies are authorized to give pre-accreditation status to schools that are becoming accredited for the first time. One difference between pre-accredited status and accredited status is that the school will need to be re-accredited sooner than they will once they have accredited status. Also, only non-profit pre-accredited schools are able to offer federal student aid. Schools cannot be pre-accredited for more than five years as they are expected to have reached accredited status in that time.
International accreditation
Most countries have their own accreditation or quality assurance processes. Additionally, some U.S. accreditation agencies accredit foreign schools but it is not within the authority of the U.S. Secretary of Education to recognize these accreditations. U.S. schools often accept credit transfers from accredited foreign schools on a case-by-case basis.
For foreign medical schools, the U.S. Secretary of Education appoints members to the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation. When a foreign school requests it, this committee has legal responsibility for reviewing the standards that foreign countries use to accredit medical schools. International medical schools that are viewed as comparable to U.S. schools may be able to offer federal loans to their U.S. students.
Resources
U.S. Department of Education: Accreditation in the United States.
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation. Find the path to yourOnline Course Finder
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