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Regional Accreditation vs. National Accreditation: Best Accredited Online Colleges

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Regional Accreditation vs. National Accreditation: Best Accredited Online Colleges

Regional and national accreditation are techniques of ensuring that an entire institution, such as a university, college, community college, or trade school, is providing high-quality education to its students. This is a voluntary quality assurance program where schools have an outside entity review their programs and policies to guarantee that students receive a worthwhile and useful education. So start finding the best accredited online colleges today!


Accreditation aids the public in avoiding cons such as diploma mills and poor educational programs. It's a major red flag if a school you're contemplating isn't institutionally accredited.


Regional accreditation is a sort of institutional accreditation that is older, more established, and more regarded. Nearly all public and nonprofit private institutions are regionally recognized, whereas trade, career, and for-profit schools are often nationally accredited. Although national accreditation may be more prestigious, the contrary is true. National accreditation requirements are less stringent than regional accreditation standards. Thus national certification is less relevant when moving institutions.


We're talking about institutional accreditation, which should be a requirement for all higher education institutions. Certain degree programs also require content-specific programmatic certification. Several programmatic accreditation bodies exist for veterinary programs, legal education, arts education, and specialized professional categories, among other fields of study and professions. Programmatic accreditation would be in addition to institutional accreditation, although programmatic accreditation is not required in all disciplines of study in online colleges.


Regional Accreditation


When individuals in the United States inquire if you've attended an "accredited institution," they usually imply a regionally recognized university. According to the US Department of Education, more than 85 percent of all institutions in the United States are regionally recognized. Although there are many regionally accredited online universities, not all of them are. 


Pros and Cons of Regional Accreditation


Pros:

  • The pinnacle of college accreditation; the greatest honor.
  • The most well-known sort of college accrediting
  • Transfer credits and degrees are generally recognized.
  • All corporate tuition reimbursement plans are available to you.
  • Typically, they provide instructor-led classes.


Cons:

  • When compared to nationally approved universities, they are frequently more expensive.
  • More liberal arts courses are frequently required.
  • Programs that are less career-oriented may be available.
  • Admissions requirements are frequently enforced to be more competitive.


National Accreditation


The Council recognizes several “national accrediting agencies” for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the US Department of Education (DOE). Because they are not structured by and restricted to regional geographic boundaries, these agencies are referred to as "national agencies."


National Accreditation – Pros & Cons


Pros:

  • When compared to regionally accredited competitors, they are frequently less expensive.
  • It's possible that fewer liberal arts coursework will be required.
  • Majors that are more practical and career-oriented may be available.
  • It's possible that admissions rules may be loosened.


Cons:

  • If you later attend a regionally accredited college, your credits may not be generally accepted in transfer.
  • Coursework and degrees may not be generally accepted for occupations requiring licensure following completion of a degree, which might impact persons working in licensed professions, including teaching, accounting, engineering, and healthcare.
  • Corporate tuition plans are sometimes excluded.
  • There are instances when self-study courses are offered instead of instructor-led workshops.


Why Should You Care About Your School’s Accreditation?


When you're looking for a school that'll be reasonable, fit your schedule, and provide the courses you want to study, accreditation may be the last thing on your mind. However, it is a critical consideration when selecting a program to help you achieve your long-term objectives.


Suppose you attend a nationally accredited school today and decide to continue your education in five years. In that case, your credits are less likely to transfer than if you attended a regionally accredited institution. You may have to retake classes. If you want to locate the regionally accredited online universities, go to the Unigo website.

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