Diploma mills, also known as degree mills, are bogus universities that sell college diplomas—the piece of paper itself—rather than the educational experience. Diploma mills literally crank out paper diplomas to anyone who pays the requested "tuition.”

Many maintain impressive-looking websites. All of them advertise heavily online.

To protect yourself, you need to look behind the curtain. In other words, flip past the flashy graphics on the fancy website for the name of the school’s accreditation agency. Then, take the time to verify that the agency is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education.

If you remain suspicious, consult GetEducated.com’s Diploma Mill Police for a free accreditation report on your chosen institution.

•Your chosen university is not accredited.

Degree mills love to use official sounding terms to impress potential students. These terms often sound good, yet mean little in terms of educational quality. Be wary of these terms and phrases: “authenticated,” “verifiable,” “licensed,” “internationally approved,”” “notarized,” “recognized by the Pope” and “accredited by UNESCO.”

•Your chosen university is accredited … but NOT by an agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education.

The majority of Internet degree mills are "accredited." The problem is that they are accredited by bogus agencies that they themselves have created.

These bogus accrediting agencies—also known as accreditation mills—often have prestigious sounding names. They often claim to be “worldwide” or “international” agencies and therefore superior to any single agency operating in the United States. Contact CHEA for a list of the names of valid college accreditors in the USA.

• Admission criteria consist entirely of possession of a valid Visa or MasterCard.

Previous academic record, grade point average and test scores are deemed irrelevant. Telemarketers and spam emails promise "you cannot be turned down” for a degree.

• You are offered a college degree based on a "review" of your faxed resume.

Credit for career experience is a valid option at many universities that deal with adult learners. But the process of evaluating career experience for college credit is complex. No valid distance learning university in the U.S. will award a graduate degree (master’s or doctorate) based solely on a review of career experience.

• You are promised a diploma within 30 days of application regardless of your status upon entry.

Degree mills are in the business of selling paper. Ergo, they’ll get that piece of paper to you as quickly as possible.

• You are promised a degree in exchange for a lump sum—typically $2,000 for an undergraduate degree and $3,000 for a graduate degree.

Universities do not commonly charge flat fees. They typically charge per credit or per course tuition and fees.

• Your prospective online university has multiple complaints on file.

For trustworthy factual accreditation reports, visit GetEducated’s Diploma Mill Police.

• Your online "admission counselor" assures you that international online universities can’t be accredited in the United States by CHEA-recognized agencies.

This is a lie.

• The school’s website either lists no faculty or lists faculty who have attended schools accredited by bogus agencies.

• The university offers online degrees almost exclusively to U.S. citizens but is conveniently located in a foreign country, quite often a tiny nation that lacks any system of academic accreditation.

Alternatively, there has been a rise in the number of scams where the “university” claims to be located in the U.S., yet specializes in “evaluating” and “awarding” degrees based on an “international assessment process” specially designed to help immigrants wishing to enter the U.S.


Related Resources

Diploma Mill Police
Online Degree for Career & Life Experience: Is This a Scam?
Online College Degree Mills: What They Are & How They Work
Online College Degree Mills: How Prevalent Are They?
Regional v. National Accreditation: Which is Better?
Unrecognized, Fake and Dubious Online College Accrediting Agencies
Kitty Cat Earns Online MBA—With Honors


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