How to Find Out if a School Is Accredited

If you're thinking of applying to a school, it's important to find out if the school is accredited. Otherwise, your diploma may be worthless. An accredited school meets the standards of a licensed accreditation agency. If the school is regionally accredited, you can transfer credits from it to another school.

Instructions

Regional Accreditation

1. Find out the region in which the school is located. The United States is divided into six regions: Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern and Western.

2. Go to the "Accreditation of Universities in the USA" website (see Resources).

3. Select the region in which the school is located. This will take you to the site for the specific regional accreditation agency.

4. Search for the name of the school. If it's accredited, it will be on the list.

Accredition in Specific Subjects

1. If you're interested in finding out whether the school is accredited in a specific subject, go to the "Accreditation of Universities in the USA" website (see Resources).

2. Click on the subject in which you're interested. The link will take you to a website for the organization that regulates the specific subject.

3. Search for the name of the school. If it's accredited, it will be on the list.

Elementary Schools and High Schools

1. If you want to know whether an elementary school or high school is accredited, go to the "International Registry of Accredited Schools" website (see Resources).

2. Enter the name of the school, and the name of the country and state where it's located.

3. The website will tell you whether the school is accredited.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Accreditation of Universities in the USA
• International Registry of Accredited Schools