So who Accredits the Accreditors?
One thing you need to know is that not all accreditation associations are legitimate. It is not uncommon to see a diploma mill creating its own accrediting authority and then granting itself "Accreditation". This is an important issue to look at before you settle for the claim that your college is accredited.
How do you know whether a college or university is accredited by a legitimate authority? You should be able to tell that very easily because in the United States, there are two organizations that accredit the accreditors. These are:
- The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) which is a voluntary nongovernmental organization
- The United States department of Education
Over 70 accrediting associations in the United States are recognized by either CHEA or the U.S Department of Education. Sometimes the college or university may be recognized by both.
Established in 1976 CHEA was established through the efforts of a group of college and university presidents and it is accountable to its member institutions of higher learning. It also acts as a clearinghouse on accreditation for the higher education institutions.
For Canadian accreditation, all the schools are regulated by provincial governments as well as some agencies that perform this function for professional programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. If a college or university is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, then it is assumed that the institution is providing acceptable and credible education.
So before you assume a college or university has the right accreditation, confirm with the respective accrediting authorities.
