Accreditation

Bottom Line
It is generally advised to attend a regionally-accredited school so that one will not have to worry about acceptance if your situation changes in the future. However, a degree from a nationally accredited school may work for someone who knows he or she will always be in the private sector or federal government, never wants to go to graduate school, is fine with the limited number of graduate schools that will accept one's degree, does not plan to transfer or is satisfied with the transfer options available to NA students, and will never need a license that requires a degree earned from a regionally-accredited school.

Regional Accreditation (acronym: RA)
Regional accreditation is a type of institutional accreditation. Regional accrediting organizations accredit schools in a specific region. Generally, if a school accepts transfer credits, they will accept credits from a regionally-accredited school depending on how the transfer credits fit the new school's degree requirements and if they are a close match to what the school offers. Regional accreditation is considered the gold standard of institutional accreditation because it is the most widely accepted when it comes to transferring, going to graduate school, employment, and obtaining an occupational license.

National Accreditation (acronym: NA)
National accrediting organizations accredit schools nationwide and are a type of institutional accreditation. They vary in the types of schools they accredit. For example, ACCSC and ACICS accredit schools that primarily offer vocational/technical programs. DEAC (formerly DETC) accredits schools that primarily offer distance learning programs. TRACS and ABHE accredit religious schools.

Credits earned from NA schools are typically more difficult to transfer than credits earned from RA schools. Some graduate schools may not accept undergraduate degrees earned at NA schools. Also, some public employers and licensing agencies may not recognize degrees earned at NA schools.

Note:  If you have credits from a nationally accredited school, then there are some regionally-accredited schools that may accept your credits. Liberty University, Western Governors University, and the American Public University system are just a few RA schools that treat NA and RA credits/degrees the same. Excelsior College may consider accepting NA credits. Charter Oak State College and Thomas Edison State College do not accept credits earned at NA schools. However, if any of your courses have been recommended for credit by ACE or NCCRS, then COSC and TESC might accept them if they fit into your degree plan.

Types of accreditation

 * Institutional Accreditation: Accredits an institution as a whole, not a specific degree program. Both Regional and National Accreditation are forms of Institutional Accreditation.
 * Programmatic Accreditation: Accredits a specific degree program at a particular school, but not the entire institution. Examples include: ABET (accredits computer science and engineering degree programs), AACSB and ACBSP (rival business program accreditation bodies), CAEP (consolidation of NCATE and TEAC and accredits teaching programs), etc. Sometimes, programmatic accreditation is needed for licensure i.e. CCNE or ACEN for nursing licensure. Sometimes, programmatic accreditation just simply means that a program has met more rigorous standards than what's required by institutional accreditation. If you want to become a business professor at an AACSB-accredited school, then you may need a doctorate earned from a school that is accredited by AACSB, EQUIS, or AMBA.