Many students use accreditation status as a way to validate the caliber of a prospective university. However, just as many are unclear about what accreditation actually means for them as a student.
Terry Grant, director of enrollment management at the online American Public University System (APUS), explains that accreditation is a voluntary process in which every aspect of a university is analyzed by an outside review body — academics, administration, support services, operations and more.
“Regional or national accreditation ensures that a school delivers and can continue to deliver what it promises,” she says. “Accreditation is an important differentiator — and an indicator of a commitment to quality and improvement on all fronts.”