Most community colleges and universities are regionally accredited, which means that one of six regional accreditation agencies have evaluated and accepted the college's programs. The regional accreditation agency that evaluates the college is determined by the college's location. The six regional accreditation agencies are: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
In addition to obtaining regional accreditation, colleges and universities can obtain national accreditation as a way of receiving recognition for programs of study that do not fit traditional college program norms. National accreditation is meant to recognize colleges and universities with distinct degree programs, schools or certificates, for example. It also allows nontraditional schools, such as online universities and trade schools, to be compared against similar institutions, no matter their location.
The type of accreditation your community college or university has can affect your chances of getting into the graduate school of your choice if you plan to earn an advanced degree. In addition, if you attend a college that has not received any form of accreditation, it will be difficult to get your credits to transfer should you decide to change colleges. Also, a college or university not accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education will not be able to offer students federally-backed grants or student loans, which can negatively affect your college financing options.
Community colleges and universities alike can receive additional types of specialized accreditation statuses. Specialized accreditations are awarded to specific programs or departments within colleges. Specialized accreditations can help you narrow your community college or university choices based on your chosen field of study. For example: If you would like to become a doctor, you could narrow your search to only colleges with accreditation from the American Medical Association.
Always make sure your college is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If it is not federally recognized, this should be a red flag that the college or university's accreditation may not be legitimate. Unfortunately, this happens often with online schools. One clue that a college, online or otherwise, may be trying to scam its students is a declaration of accreditation from an agency with a name similar to a legitimate accreditation agency.