How Can I Determine if a School is Accredited?

Are you ready to take advantage of opportunities that are available to individuals with a college degree? If you have finally decided what you would like to do with your future, you are one step closer to making your dreams become a reality. The next step will be to take action by enrolling in an accredited program that is recognized by both the Federal government and by employers internationally. Accreditation proves to outsiders that the program or the school where the degree was earned meets the higher education standards set by an evaluating accrediting body. If you are trying to locate schools with an accreditation, or determine if s specific school is accredited not, read on and learn what you need to know.

Determining if a School is Accredited on the Official Website

If you are very interested in attending a specific school, it can help you to visit the school’s official website to determine whether or not the school or colleges hold any specific regional, national or specialized bodies. A school can only claim accreditation if it is currently in good standing with an accrediting body, but if the school is on warning or probation this must be disclosed to students. You can locate the school’s distinctions by visiting the about us page, or by visiting each college for a department description. By going here, you can find out if the school is regionally accredited and if the program has a specialized programmatic accreditation in the field you plan on studying.

Checking For Accreditation With Agencies Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education

There is another way to locate schools with accreditation if you are not sure which school you would like to attend. If you would like to create a long list of different schools to research, but you want the list to only include schools with accreditation, you can check the U.S. Department of Education’s online database where you can find all of the post secondary institutions that are accredited by agencies that are recognized by the department. You can search the database to narrow down the options by institution and by accredited agency.

Once you enter into the database to begin your search, you must select a state or sift through national, regional or programmatic agencies. The results will show you a long list of programs that match your search. You can also find out when the school was accredited, and other accreditation types that the school possesses through the database. If you want to find the information in one location, looking through the database is the better option.

Online programs, traditional degree programs and even vocational programs can be accredited, but be sure to check for legitimate accreditation before you make any final decisions. By choosing programs that have earned accreditation after being thoroughly evaluated, you can invest in a degree that will take you places throughout your career as a professional or expert. Compare different degree options that are available to you, consider the job stability and salary potential in the field, and you can make and educated decision about your higher education and your future occupation.