How to Determine if an Online School is Accredited

There are over 50 organizations that provide online schools’ accreditation, based on requirements that the school must meet. The requirements vary, depending on the type of school applying for accreditation. Accreditation makes it possible for your future employer to ensure that that the degree you obtained from an online institution meets standards.

1. You should obtain information about the online school you want to research. You will need to ensure that the spelling of the name is correct and if the degree program you are planning to study is an undergraduate program or a graduate program.


2. There are two websites you will need to start your search from: U.S. Department of Education and Council for Higher Education.


3. Locate the search page on one of the websites. Type in the name of the online school you are looking into and click “search.”


4. Click on the name of the online institution located on the results page and you will be taken to their accreditation page, where you can view the school’s history.


5. The status will typically state that the school is accredited and list the agency name or that no accreditation is found.