Regional vs. National Accreditation: What’s the Difference?
When it comes to choosing a college, you've got a lot to consider.
There's academic rigor. There's the quality of the curriculum. There are the professional credentials of the professors. There's tuition, transfer-ability of credits and availability of courses. And there are all of the intangibles, which play important roles in determining what type of overall educational experience you'll enjoy.
And then there is the one thing that takes all of these issues—and more—into consideration and gives you an idea about a school's overall quality.
It is, of course, accreditation.
What Is Accreditation?
Accreditation is a process that ensures colleges and universities meet standards related to everything from an educational institution's mission, strategic plan, academic program, faculty, buildings, technological resources, finances and more.
There are two types of accreditation—regional and national—and both are designed to let students and prospective students know that they are attending a reputable college or university.
That's pretty straight forward and easy to understand.
Where accreditation gets a little confusing is when it comes to deciding which type is more important. The answer depends on what you, as a current or prospective student, value the most.
Here is a look at regional accreditation and national accreditation as well as what each means to you and your educational journey.
Regional Accreditation
Regional accreditation is the more common of the two types of accreditation for colleges and universities. According to the United States Department of Education, 85 percent of all colleges and universities in the U.S. have achieved regional accreditation.
One of the reasons more colleges and universities seek regional accreditation is that it is widely considered to be the gold standard of college accreditation. Regional accreditation is more widely respected by the academic elite, employers, and the various magazines and websites that rank organizations in the education industry.
Students typically prefer to attend regionally accredited colleges and universities for two main reasons:
- First, they prefer regional accreditation because the schools' credits are more portable; they are more widely accepted by other schools when students wish to transfer or to continue their education at another educational institution.
- Second, students who attend regionally accredited institutions are typically eligible for all corporate and government financial aid programs.
To achieve regional accreditation, a college or university is evaluated by one of six organizations—each endorsed by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and responsible for a separate region of the country. Each of the regional accrediting agencies evaluates the applicant school to ensure that it meets standards created to ensure quality.
Courses at colleges and universities that achieve regional accreditation are usually instructor-led, have certain components that are focused on the liberal arts, and designed to lead to bachelor and advanced degrees.
National Accreditation
National accreditation is most often sought by colleges and educational programs that have academic programs focused on specific industries, vocations, and trades.
These schools typically have fewer liberal arts requirements than those that seek regional accreditation and often, they provide more self-study courses. But that doesn't mean they are necessarily of lesser quality. In fact, many schools that seek and achieve national accreditation offer exceptional graduation rates, lower tuition, and opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through courses designed to provide practical coursework that mimics what students will find in the real world.
Three agencies are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation that award schools national accreditation. Many colleges that cater to non-traditional students seek national accreditation. These schools are often less expensive and easier to get into than colleges and universities that are regionally accredited.
Which Accreditation is Right for You?
In many instances, and especially where your concern is transfer-ability and financial assistance, you may be better off going to a college or university that has achieved regional accreditation. In addition, it is important to look at whether a university has achieved state licensure, which means that the university meets both the high standards endorsed by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the states from which many of its students matriculate.
In general, the more accreditation, licenses, and approvals a college or university has—both for the overall academic institution and its specific programs—the better the quality of its education.
To learn more about the role accreditation can play in your academic journey, contact the admissions professionals at ECPI University. We’re happy to help you determine which college, university, or academic accreditation is right for you.
"ECPI University is the best decision anyone can ever make."
— Yann Chemali (@Yannothan) February 27, 2015
DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.
For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.