As you consider the colleges and universities you wish to attend, you may want to find out if the school is accredited. Accredited online colleges are important in some fields, especially if you plan to pursue a career in an area that requires a license. Take the time to learn about each of the colleges you plan to enroll in to find out if they have proper accreditation before getting started.
What Is Accreditation of a College?
College accreditation is a process that some colleges and universities go through as a way to show their course material and educational methods are on par with certain standards. An accrediting agency provides the accreditation. Each agency sets its own requirements and expectations for the school. In short, the agency provides recognition for those institutions that maintain a certain level of standard in their educational methods.
What Types of Accreditation Is Applicable?
There are two types of accreditation in colleges. The first is institutional. It applies to the entire institution and indicates that each component of the school contributes to the school’s objectives. This type of accreditation does not mean that all parts of the school provide the same level of education. The second type is a programmatic accreditation. This type typically applies to specific programs, departments, or smaller entities that are within a larger college or university. A unit may receive accreditation, in this case.
What Are Accrediting Agencies?
Accrediting agencies are those organizations that are established to issue accreditations. These are typically organizations made up of educational professionals. Those people typically establish the operating standards for professional and educational institutions. They then determine if a school meets those standards. After determining that, they publicly announce their findings when issuing the official accreditation.
Various bits of information come together to determine if a school receives accreditation. That may include whether the school meets the standards the agency set based on if the students who graduate from the school go on to gain accreditation for professional practice.
How to Find Accreditation Information
Online colleges may receive accreditation. You may find these as national or regionally accredited online universities. Below are some of the colleges and universities that have this type of accreditation, along with the agency that provides it. As you consider where to go to college, you may wish to factor in this aspect as you compare accredited online colleges. It may be one factor that matters to you when pursuing your education and career.
| School Name | Accreditations |
| Western Governors University | Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) |
| Ivy Tech Community College | Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona | Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
| Grand Canyon University | Higher Learning Commission |
| The Pennsylvania State University | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
| Liberty University | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
| Southern New Hampshire University | New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion | Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| University of Southern California | Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) |
| University of Central Florida | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| Valencia College | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges |
| New York University | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
| University of Florida | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
| Miami Dade College | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
| Florida International University | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| The University of Texas at Austin | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| University of South Florida | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Higher Learning Commission Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) |
| University of California-Los Angeles | WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
| University of California-Berkeley | Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC) |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) |
| Michigan State University | Higher Learning Commission |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Higher Learning Commission |
| Walden University | Higher Learning Commission |
| Broward College | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| Dallas College | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| American Public University System | Higher Learning Commission |
| University of Georgia | The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| Florida State University | Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Boston University | New England Commission of Higher Education |
| Chamberlai n University-Illinois | Higher Learning Commission |
| Purdue University-Main Campus | Higher Learning Commission |
| University of Maryland-College Park | Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) |
| Capella University | Higher Learning Commission |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | Higher Learning Commission |
| University of California-Irvine | Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | Higher Learning Commission |
| California State University-Fullerton | Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) |
| University of California-Davis | Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) |
| University of California-San Diego | WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) |
| University of Houston | Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |
| California State University-Northridge | WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) |