How do you tell or know if a school is accredited?

Answer 1

It isn't just if a school is accredited, it's also by whom. Often for profit universities are accredited by institutions that aren't generally accepted.

The accreditation that's generally accepted is called regional accreditation.

Regional accreditation, as the name implies is done by region. The link below will take you to a list of the regional accreditors.

These institutions accredit college and university higher education programs:

The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Accreditation of colleges in the middle states region (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico).

The New England Association of Schools & Colleges.

Accreditation of colleges in the New England region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont).

The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Accreditation of colleges in the north central region (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming).

The Northwest Association Of Schools And Colleges.

Accreditation of colleges in the north west region (Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.)

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Accreditation of colleges in the southern region (Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas , Virginia)

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Accreditation of colleges in the western region. (California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, Palau, and Northern Marianas Islands)

You can find out if the college or university you are interested in is regionally accredited by visiting the regional accrediting board Web site for the area the university is in and looking up the institution name.