Types of Accreditation
Accrediting agencies fall into two major categories: institutional and programmatic. There are just under twenty institutional accrediting organizations in the United States that accredit colleges and universities and approximately sixty programmatic organizations that accredit specific programs. These two groups can be broken down into four subcategories:
- Regional Accrediting Organizations
- National Faith-Related Organizations
- National Career-Related Organizations
- Programmatic Accrediting Organizations
Regional Accrediting Organizations
These organizations accredit colleges and universities within a designated region of the United States. For example, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is the recognized regional accrediting organization in eleven Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia). Regional accreditation applies to the entire institution, not just a particular program.
National Faith-Related Organizations
Just as the name suggests, this type of organization accredits faith-based institutions in the United States. Some accrediting bodies may focus on a particular type of faith-based institution, such as the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools Accreditation Commission, while others—like the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Accreditation Commission—have a much broader focus.
National Career-Related Organizations
There are accrediting organizations that concentrate on a particular type of career. Two examples include the National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences, Inc., and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools. One would focus on any schools that offer cosmetology programs, and the other would focus on health education programs.
Programmatic Accrediting Organizations
There are many accreditors that exist for the sole purpose of giving their stamp of approval on a certain type of program, regardless of the type of institution or its location. These organizations check the quality of programs such as Marriage and Family Therapy, Pharmacy Education, Aviation, Engineering and Technology, and Landscape Architecture. Because of the fine scope of each programmatic accrediting organizations, there are many more of these—more than the other three categories combined.
Due to the diverse offerings of higher education institutions, a one-type-of-accreditation-fits-all would not be enough to adequately address the quality of each institution’s various programs. If the school you have chosen has not been accredited by one of the accrediting organizations recognized by either the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE), you should be very careful. The school could potentially be considered a diploma mill or an unofficial school that will hand you a degree that will not carry any value.
