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Regional vs. National Accreditation: Which Is Better for Online Colleges?
Expert Advice  >  About Diploma Mills & Online College Credibility
By Vicky Phillips, Chief Education Analyst   
 
Question:

Help! Comparing online colleges is an overwhelming task. I have a list of more than twenty possible colleges. I’m favoring one online university that is accredited by the Distance Education & Training Council (DETC). Is the DETC a valid accreditor? Will my online degree be widely recognized? My career counselor told me national accreditation (like the DETC) is not as good as regional accreditation. Which is best when it comes to online colleges: regional accreditation or national accreditation? And does it really make any difference?

—Michael
Atlanta, Georgia


Answer:

The truth? One type of online college accreditation is not necessarily “better” than another if you take “better” to mean “better academically.” However, there are real benefits to attending a regionally accredited college versus a nationally accredited college.


Regional Accreditation

When people ask if you have attended an "accredited university" in the United States, they commonly mean a regionally accredited university. According to the U. S. Department of Education, more than 85 percent of all colleges in the United States are regionally accredited.

Not all online colleges are regionally accredited—though the vast majority are.


National College Accreditation

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation, CHEA, also recognizes a number of “national accreditation agencies.” These agencies are called “national agencies” because they aren’t organized by and limited to regional geographic areas. These national agencies have historically focused on approving career, vocational and trade schools.

The three most popular “national” college accreditation agencies recognized by CHEA are:
  • Distance Education & Training Council (DETC)
  • Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools (ACICS)
  • Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)

Regionally Accredited Online Colleges – Pros & Cons

Pros:
  • The gold standard of college accreditation; highest prestige
  • Most widely recognized type of college accreditation
  • Credits and degrees widely accepted in transfer
  • Eligible for all corporate tuition reimbursement plans
  • Usually provide instructor-led courses
Cons:
  • Often more expensive than nationally accredited options
  • Often require more liberal arts coursework
  • May offer less career-oriented programs
  • Often enforce more competitive admission standards

Nationally Accredited Online Colleges – Pros & Cons

Pros:
  • Often less expensive than regionally accredited counterparts
  • May require less liberal arts coursework
  • May offer more practical, career-oriented majors
  • May employ more relaxed admission standards

Cons:
  • Credits not widely accepted in transfer if you later attend a regionally accredited college
  • Coursework and degrees may not be widely accepted for professions that require licensing after degree attainment, which might affect those in licensed careers such as teaching, accounting, engineering and healthcare
  • Sometimes excluded from corporate tuition plans
  • Sometimes provide self-study courses without instructor-led course sessions

Online College Affordability: One Major Factor

Cost and degree affordability can be an important deciding factor. If “better” means more affordable, then nationally accredited online colleges are often the winners.

According to GetEducated.com’s National Survey of Online MBAs the average cost of a regionally accredited online MBA is $20,500. On the other hand, the average cost for a nationally accredited online MBA is only $12,700.

That’s a savings of about $8,000.

In addition, GetEducated’s national reviews of online colleges indicate that regionally accredited colleges often employ stricter admissions requirements, including higher entrance GPAs. They also are more likely to require standardized admission exams, such as the GRE or GMAT.

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Consumer Alert: The most common complaint GetEducated.com receives from online student who attend nationally accredited college degree programs is that their degrees do not meet with wide acceptance later when they return to advanced education or graduate school.
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College Transfer Credit Problem - Case in Point

In 2006, a 23-year-old woman, Latesha Gonzalez, enrolled with Crown College in Tacoma, Washington. At the time, Crown College was accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).

Latesha was assured when she enrolled with Crown that a local, regionally accredited college, Gonzaga University, would accept Crown courses as the equivalent of its own.

But when Latesha later attempted to transfer her courses from Crown to Gonzaga she was told by Gonzaga that it would not recognize credits earned from ACCSCT-accredited colleges.

Latesha sued Crown, as did a number of other disgruntled students. She eventually won the suit.

Note: The AACST changed its name to the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) in 2010.


Which Type of Online College Accreditation Is Best?

Nationally accredited online colleges score “better” on some criteria—degree affordability and ease of admission, most notably.

Regionally accredited online colleges score “better” on other dimensions, such as academic reputation, transfer of credit, and the widest possible acceptance by traditional residential universities.

Decide which factor(s) matter the most to you and choose your online college degree program accordingly.


Related Resources

Diploma Mill Police
Online Degree for Career & Life Experience: Is This a Scam?
Top Ten Signs: College Degree or Diploma Mill
Online College Degree Mills: What They Are & How They Work
Online College Degree Mills: How Prevalent Are They?
Unrecognized, Fake and Dubious Online College Accrediting Agencies


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