By DeVry University
July 9, 2020
8 min read
July 9, 2020
8 min read
Starting on a new academic journey can be the first step toward a rewarding and dynamic future. But first, you have to decide which university you will attend. In today’s world, there’s no shortage of options.
Whether you’re looking at certificate, associate, bachelor’s or master’s programs, you’ll find an almost overwhelming number of universities to choose from. But aside from typical criteria like program area and tuition costs, what else should you look for? And how do all of these universities measure up?
One factor that can help you narrow down your options is accreditation. You’ve probably heard people talk about this, and you know it’s important. But exactly what is accreditation and why does it matter?
In this article, we’ll break down the college accreditation types, how colleges qualify for accreditation and the benefits in detail to help you in your university selection process.
Institutional accreditation
Specialized or programmatic accreditation
When selecting a university, it is important to make sure that their accrediting agency is recognized by the USDE. If it is not, it may be in your best interest to choose a different school.
DeVry University, for example, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Our Keller Graduate School of Management is included in this accreditation. While each accrediting institution is different, they are all required to meet the education standards set forward by the USDE.
A complete list of programmatic accreditors can be found at CHEA.org.
First, the school requests to receive an evaluation for accreditation. Schools do this task voluntarily, and the agency that visits has standards that the school needs to meet if it wishes to receive accreditation. Before a school chooses an agency, administrators will educate themselves on their standards, so they can prepare to meet the requirements of the individual governing agency.
Next, the agency will come in and look at the facilities overall. If it’s an institutional accrediting agency, they will look at everything, including the programs offered, the number of resources available for students, extracurricular activities, cocurricular activities, as well as advanced learning tools such as labs and tutors. If the agency is accrediting a specific program, they will focus more specifically on the resources and tools available within the degree or certificate program(s).
Once they’ve checked everything above, the members of the accreditation agency will look to the educators at the university and review their previous experience, their education and their students’ results. During this process, they will ask questions and review evidence of quality student outcomes.
After the review is complete, the agency will determine if the university meets its requirements, and it will either grant or deny the accreditation.
Accreditation is an important factor that students can use to rate the quality of a school. Remember that universities go through the challenging process of receiving accreditation for a reason, and it can potentially result in benefits to you both during and after your education.
At DeVry University and our Keller Graduate School of Management, we’re proud to be institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and also hold several programmatic accreditations. For a complete list of our accreditors, click here. To learn more about how our programs can help you reach your goals, contact us.
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In New York, DeVry University operates as DeVry College of New York. DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), www.hlcommission.org. The University’s Keller Graduate School of Management is included in this accreditation. DeVry is certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Arlington Campus: 1400 Crystal Dr., Ste. 120, Arlington, VA 22202. DeVry University is authorized for operation as a postsecondary educational institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, www.tn.gov/thec. Naperville Campus: 1200 E. Diehl Rd., Naperville, IL 60563. Unresolved complaints may be reported to the Illinois Board of Higher Education through the online compliant system http://complaints.ibhe.org/. View DeVry University’s complaint process https://www.devry.edu/compliance/student-complaint-procedure.html Program availability varies by location. In site-based programs, students will be required to take a substantial amount of coursework online to complete their program.
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