In order for a college to be accredited, it must offer solid, high-caliber educational programs. These programs must be evaluated by representatives of other accredited schools. These representatives report to accredited agencies that are recognized by the U. S. Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation. All reputable colleges that offer traditional degrees are accredited.
If a student can prove that he has experience that equals that which is learned in a college course, then he can earn college credits and use them to gain an undergraduate degree. Traditional colleges normally require 120 credits to graduate with a specific degree. At schools such as Rutgers University and the University of Virginia, students must complete these credits with an average grade of C or GPA of 2.0 or better in order to obtain a bachelor's degree.
As of February 2011, tuition and fees at four-year public colleges average $7,605 per year for students from the college's home state and $11,990 for out-of-state students, according to CollegeBoard. However, the cost of obtaining a life experience degree is normally much less than traditional college tuition and fees. This makes the life experience institutions more attractive to the prospective student.
There are many life experience institutions that offer degrees. If they are not accredited schools or offer quick degrees, your qualifications will be of little value when you attempt to find employment. If you do become employed using a life experience degree as a credential, you may be terminated if your employer performs a degree check and doesn't accept this type of degree. You may be breaking the law by using the unrecognized credential to obtain a job, so use caution.