Accredited Colleges
Debate about the quality of online colleges has brought the topic of accreditation to the forefront. When applying to traditional colleges accreditation is often an after thought. Acceptable accreditation is a matter of course with most established colleges. However, though the advent of the online college has expanded postsecondary prospects, distance learning has also opened students up to new and unfamiliar for-profit colleges that are not always upfront about the quality of their coursework. The first step to evaluating an online institution is its accreditation.
Accredited colleges must meet the educational standards set by accrediting agencies. Most traditional colleges like Harvard University or Pennsylvania State University have a regional accreditation. Regional accreditations are assigned by the six accrediting associations recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a “reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education.” The six regional accreditation associations include the following:
- The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- The New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- The Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Accredited colleges may be backed by other agencies in addition to the above accreditations. For example, specialized and professional accreditations for departments like Business Management or Engineering may build on the credentials of an accredited college. However, these national accreditations are only worthwhile if a regional accreditation has been acquired. Without this accreditation there is no way for an online college to prove it offers programs comparable to its brick-and-mortar counterparts. Likewise, accreditation makes it possible for graduates to use their degrees with the same efficacy and prestige as a traditional degree.
It is also important to note that certain scholarships and loans require admittance into an accredited college.
The following colleges offer the flexibility of online coursework along with the respectability of a regionally accredited college:
- Western Governors University
- Jones-International University
- Mountain State University
These online accredited colleges have extended quality higher education across the globe. By achieving the same standards met by traditional colleges, online colleges have made long strides in closing the perceived gap between online colleges and their brick-and-mortar counterparts. When researching online colleges checking for accreditation is the first step to beginning a worthwhile college experience.