07-25-2010, 02:28 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-25-2010, 03:05 AM by daniellevine.)
Here's a little rundown about accreditation. When you get into graduate schools for specialized subjects, such as medicine or law, accreditation becomes much more black and white, and accredited schools become more expensive. Talking at an undergraduate level, I'll do my best to explain the types of accreditation.
Primary Terms and Accreditation for undergraduate degrees
Regionally Accredited. "RA" as some people call it, is the best type of accredited school you can find, and one of the most popular. RA is used for both online schools, state universities, community colleges, and Ivy League schools. To be regionally accredited, it means that you'll find a 100% legitimacy rate; everyone, employers, schools, etc.. recognize this as a true degree, although school quality and reputation will still matter. You might call this "the gold standard right now" at least for the legitimacy of a degree. No graduate school would throw away an applicant's undergrad transcripts from these schools, and all credits can be transferable to other schools. Here are a list of the six regional accreditation agencies, divided by regions in the US; look for these certifications and you'll be fine for legitimacy:
Regional Accreditation for Online Schools - The 6 Regional Accreditors
Nationally Accredited. These are schools accredited by the DETC, and sometimes referred to as "NA." This designation is generally is only given to legitimate schools that meet certain criteria and standards, and are otherwise not RA schools. DETC is mainly for online or distance learnring programs. There is considerable debate right now exactly what the value is for getting a DETC degree. Some argue that the standards are actually more progressive than RA schools and that eventually these schools will become 100% legitimate. The DETC standards for certifying an NA school are rigorous, and you won't find diploma mills here. Right now there are different interpretations as to how legitimate the degree is. For example, some graduate schools might not accept an undergraduate student with a DETC degree, and some employers might require a student under Tuition Assistance to find an RA school. Primarily the problems you can run into concerns applying for higher education and transferring, and in some cases, job credentials. DETC is definitely the second best certification, but due to its lack of universal acceptance, one must be sure they know of potential problems down the road. The pros are that these degrees are usually more affordable, the quality of education is great, and the teaching tends to be more progressive than RA schools.
Unaccredited. On an undergraduate level, I would characterize a school as "unaccredited" if it is not either RA or NA; it is sometimes referred to negatively as UA. There are tons of splinter organizations that claim to be legitimate. They use words like "International," "Global." "Association of Teachers," "US Council", etc., etc. Many of these schools might even offer a decent education but have failed to become RA or NA, so they are either third tier, or they are just a scam. You're likely wasting your time and money going to one of these schools, regardless of the education. You might refer to them as "fake schools" and many are "diploma mills. Many of them give online schools a bad name. Here is an example... check out the accreditation for MUST University, even though it says it's accredited.
Accredited Online University Distance Learning Programs ? Must University Accreditation
You'll notice heavy marketing, multiple "organizations" that accredit them, and usually ridiculously cheap deals. Legally, these universities are not always outright criminal endeabors, but they are definitely sketchy... some states list in their board of education the schools that are not legitimate. Many of these schools "accredited", but usually the accrediting agency is some scam or simply a logo. Other times they are wannabe accreditation agencies who in reality have no clout and bring no legitimacy to a degree, so the degree is worth little more than the diploma it's printed on. There are tons of these agencies all over the internet, looking to sucker people into a worthless degree. Unfortunately there is not much regulation, and almost anyone can claim their school has some type of accreditation, no matter how standard-less that is. The school I used as an example, MUST University, is a good example. I tried to contact them to find there are no teachers, as it's "all-automated", there is no campus, the "IAO" agency is a logo with some misspellings (there is a legitimate international agency called "IAU"- and this is clearly meant to mislead potential students), and I was falsely told that this degree could get me into Stanford law school... of course, I already knew this was false, but I wanted to see how badly they would lie to get my credit card. Usually these places are just diploma mills- you pay them money up front, they print a diploma, and you would hope no one checks on the real credentials of the program, which don't really exist.
Bottom line: If a school is RA, it is 100% legitimate, although the school's prestige can also play a big factor. But there is never any shame or doubt that your degree will be accepted. If a school is DETC, you might be okay, but it depends on your goals: you may have difficulty getting into some grad schools, transferring credits, or finding acceptance on the job market. I personally think DETC schools are excellent and it's a matter of time before they are universally accepted, but I am sticking with RA until that day comes. If you don't see one of the six RA accreditations or an NA accreditation (DETC), move on from that school, as it's likely a bad idea. Some lesser-known accreditation agencies might actually have good intentions and strong requirements for memberships, rather than being outright scams, but why gamble away your time, money, and reputation when there are so many great RA and NA schools that don't require rolling the dice?
Other undergraduate accreditations:
Some nursing schools require specific accreditation, in addition to being RA, in order to practice in some states.
Some business schools are considered more prestigious if they have AACSB accreditation. Schools like Harvard, Yale, and many more name-brand schools carry this designation, and it is the "gold standard" for undergrad business schools. ACBSP is not as prestigious, but is a second tier designation that carries some weight and is preferred over a school that is simply RA. Neither of these give the degree any legitimacy, but some give more prestige, and some graduate schools, such as Harvard Business, might require an undergrad degree from an AACSB-certified school.
Graduate School:
Education. Check with your state on what exact program and certification you'd need to become a teacher or work in education.
If you are considering a degree in psychology, check with your state for a list of state-recognized schools or programs that are necessary to continue education or a career. It is state-specific.
Business schools have the same type of accreditation as undergrad schools. RA is perfectly legitimate, but AACSB are the prestigious designations that would help with job prospects. ACBSP is not as prestigious, but it helps.
Law school. If you want to practice law in 48 states, your school must be ABA certified. You cannot become a lawyer if your law school does not have this designation. The only exception is California (and I believe 1-2 other states) which have alternative programs for becoming an attorney through a state-certified, but non-ABA school.
Medical school. I believe that non-accredited (non-RA) medical schools are banned, illegal, or just not as promulgated as other areas. I could be wrong, but I haven't seen any since most medical students aren't going to be suckered into a second-rate, worthless degree.
To answer your question, Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State College, Charter Oaks, and University of Phoenix are all regionally accredited, meaning they are all first-tier legitimate. Again, you would also have to weigh the school's reputation and prestige, but all are completely legitimate and cannot technically be disputed or thrown away as a false diploma. They are certified by the same agencies that would monitor and certify Stanford and Yale, but they do not guarantee a job or acceptance to higher education. If the school is legitimate, ask them their acceptance rate to grad schools and the average salary and job placement rate coming out of their school; real schools will provide that information.
Finally, here is a website that will tell you the accreditation of the school you are looking at. You can also find accreditation status on most school websites, usually under "Accreditation" or "About Us":
Search Institutional Accreditation System
Primary Terms and Accreditation for undergraduate degrees
Regionally Accredited. "RA" as some people call it, is the best type of accredited school you can find, and one of the most popular. RA is used for both online schools, state universities, community colleges, and Ivy League schools. To be regionally accredited, it means that you'll find a 100% legitimacy rate; everyone, employers, schools, etc.. recognize this as a true degree, although school quality and reputation will still matter. You might call this "the gold standard right now" at least for the legitimacy of a degree. No graduate school would throw away an applicant's undergrad transcripts from these schools, and all credits can be transferable to other schools. Here are a list of the six regional accreditation agencies, divided by regions in the US; look for these certifications and you'll be fine for legitimacy:
Regional Accreditation for Online Schools - The 6 Regional Accreditors
Nationally Accredited. These are schools accredited by the DETC, and sometimes referred to as "NA." This designation is generally is only given to legitimate schools that meet certain criteria and standards, and are otherwise not RA schools. DETC is mainly for online or distance learnring programs. There is considerable debate right now exactly what the value is for getting a DETC degree. Some argue that the standards are actually more progressive than RA schools and that eventually these schools will become 100% legitimate. The DETC standards for certifying an NA school are rigorous, and you won't find diploma mills here. Right now there are different interpretations as to how legitimate the degree is. For example, some graduate schools might not accept an undergraduate student with a DETC degree, and some employers might require a student under Tuition Assistance to find an RA school. Primarily the problems you can run into concerns applying for higher education and transferring, and in some cases, job credentials. DETC is definitely the second best certification, but due to its lack of universal acceptance, one must be sure they know of potential problems down the road. The pros are that these degrees are usually more affordable, the quality of education is great, and the teaching tends to be more progressive than RA schools.
Unaccredited. On an undergraduate level, I would characterize a school as "unaccredited" if it is not either RA or NA; it is sometimes referred to negatively as UA. There are tons of splinter organizations that claim to be legitimate. They use words like "International," "Global." "Association of Teachers," "US Council", etc., etc. Many of these schools might even offer a decent education but have failed to become RA or NA, so they are either third tier, or they are just a scam. You're likely wasting your time and money going to one of these schools, regardless of the education. You might refer to them as "fake schools" and many are "diploma mills. Many of them give online schools a bad name. Here is an example... check out the accreditation for MUST University, even though it says it's accredited.
Accredited Online University Distance Learning Programs ? Must University Accreditation
You'll notice heavy marketing, multiple "organizations" that accredit them, and usually ridiculously cheap deals. Legally, these universities are not always outright criminal endeabors, but they are definitely sketchy... some states list in their board of education the schools that are not legitimate. Many of these schools "accredited", but usually the accrediting agency is some scam or simply a logo. Other times they are wannabe accreditation agencies who in reality have no clout and bring no legitimacy to a degree, so the degree is worth little more than the diploma it's printed on. There are tons of these agencies all over the internet, looking to sucker people into a worthless degree. Unfortunately there is not much regulation, and almost anyone can claim their school has some type of accreditation, no matter how standard-less that is. The school I used as an example, MUST University, is a good example. I tried to contact them to find there are no teachers, as it's "all-automated", there is no campus, the "IAO" agency is a logo with some misspellings (there is a legitimate international agency called "IAU"- and this is clearly meant to mislead potential students), and I was falsely told that this degree could get me into Stanford law school... of course, I already knew this was false, but I wanted to see how badly they would lie to get my credit card. Usually these places are just diploma mills- you pay them money up front, they print a diploma, and you would hope no one checks on the real credentials of the program, which don't really exist.
Bottom line: If a school is RA, it is 100% legitimate, although the school's prestige can also play a big factor. But there is never any shame or doubt that your degree will be accepted. If a school is DETC, you might be okay, but it depends on your goals: you may have difficulty getting into some grad schools, transferring credits, or finding acceptance on the job market. I personally think DETC schools are excellent and it's a matter of time before they are universally accepted, but I am sticking with RA until that day comes. If you don't see one of the six RA accreditations or an NA accreditation (DETC), move on from that school, as it's likely a bad idea. Some lesser-known accreditation agencies might actually have good intentions and strong requirements for memberships, rather than being outright scams, but why gamble away your time, money, and reputation when there are so many great RA and NA schools that don't require rolling the dice?
Other undergraduate accreditations:
Some nursing schools require specific accreditation, in addition to being RA, in order to practice in some states.
Some business schools are considered more prestigious if they have AACSB accreditation. Schools like Harvard, Yale, and many more name-brand schools carry this designation, and it is the "gold standard" for undergrad business schools. ACBSP is not as prestigious, but is a second tier designation that carries some weight and is preferred over a school that is simply RA. Neither of these give the degree any legitimacy, but some give more prestige, and some graduate schools, such as Harvard Business, might require an undergrad degree from an AACSB-certified school.
Graduate School:
Education. Check with your state on what exact program and certification you'd need to become a teacher or work in education.
If you are considering a degree in psychology, check with your state for a list of state-recognized schools or programs that are necessary to continue education or a career. It is state-specific.
Business schools have the same type of accreditation as undergrad schools. RA is perfectly legitimate, but AACSB are the prestigious designations that would help with job prospects. ACBSP is not as prestigious, but it helps.
Law school. If you want to practice law in 48 states, your school must be ABA certified. You cannot become a lawyer if your law school does not have this designation. The only exception is California (and I believe 1-2 other states) which have alternative programs for becoming an attorney through a state-certified, but non-ABA school.
Medical school. I believe that non-accredited (non-RA) medical schools are banned, illegal, or just not as promulgated as other areas. I could be wrong, but I haven't seen any since most medical students aren't going to be suckered into a second-rate, worthless degree.
To answer your question, Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State College, Charter Oaks, and University of Phoenix are all regionally accredited, meaning they are all first-tier legitimate. Again, you would also have to weigh the school's reputation and prestige, but all are completely legitimate and cannot technically be disputed or thrown away as a false diploma. They are certified by the same agencies that would monitor and certify Stanford and Yale, but they do not guarantee a job or acceptance to higher education. If the school is legitimate, ask them their acceptance rate to grad schools and the average salary and job placement rate coming out of their school; real schools will provide that information.
Finally, here is a website that will tell you the accreditation of the school you are looking at. You can also find accreditation status on most school websites, usually under "Accreditation" or "About Us":
Search Institutional Accreditation System
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