What Is Accreditation?

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Thinking about earning your degree online? It’s important to make sure your university is accredited.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is a quality assurance process that ensures educational institutions or programs meet the highest standards and comply with federal and state regulations. Institutions must meet standards for academic offerings, student services, outcomes, faculty and administration and financial stability, among other things, to be accredited. Accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education conduct comprehensive evaluations to ensure federal and state regulations are met.

To maintain their accreditation, institutions or programs must also work continuously to improve the quality of their educational offerings and services.

What does it mean to be accredited?

Accreditation validates an institution’s quality and integrity and assures students and the public that it meets high standards and complies with all regulations.

Besides ensuring an institution’s quality and adherence to academic standards, accreditation also plays a role in:

• Financial aid: A school must be accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized agency to be eligible for federal and state financial aid programs.
• Credit transfers: Accreditation plays a major role in a school’s decision to accept credits transferred from another school.
• Job market: A degree from a respected and recognized school could help bolster your resume when searching for jobs.

What are the different types of accreditation?

Accreditation is either institutional or specialized:

• Institutional accreditation: This type of accreditation covers the entire institution.
• Specialized accreditation: This type of accreditation applies to individual programs, departments or schools within institutions. Pursuing a degree with specialized accreditation can be especially important if you’re considering a role that requires professional licensure, like nursing or counseling.
  • Learn more in a related article: The first thing to look for in a master’s counseling program

There are 19 institutional accreditors recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and there are many specialized accreditors.

Who provides accreditation?

There are several accrediting agencies for each of the different types of accreditations. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is the organization that evaluates and recognizes accrediting agencies in the U.S.

Accreditors recognized by CHEA are considered reliable authorities to evaluate the quality of education or training provided by colleges, universities and vocational schools in the United States.

How do you check if a school is accredited?

Use these trusted sources to find out which schools and programs are accredited:

• Council for Higher Education Accreditation
• U.S. Department of Education

Is Capella University accredited?

Yes. Since 1997, Capella University has maintained institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org). HLC is an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit degree granting colleges and universities. Many Capella programs have specialized accreditations, including programs in nursing, counseling, psychology, marriage and family therapy, social work, education, business, project management and IT.

Explore online degrees offered by Capella University, and learn more about Capella’s institutional and specialized accreditations.