Colleges and universities in the United States require institutional accreditation to receive federal and state financial aid. Accreditation involves a periodic cycle of self-study and evaluation by a group of academics from similar institutions, organized in several regional and national accrediting agencies. If a college or university is not accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, the accreditation is generally considered of lesser value.
Besides overall institutional education, some specific programs within a college may receive specialized accreditation for particular fields of study such as medicine or speech therapy. Students hoping to receive adequate training in these disciplines should confirm that the institution has adequate accreditation in the fields they require.
The U.S. Department of Education maintains a database of accredited schools in the United States. Schools may be searched by name and geographic location.
Colleges and universities that receive accreditation must indicate this status on their websites and bulletins, with contact information from the accrediting agency. Contact the agency for current accreditation status: note that schools may have their accreditation status modified or even revoked if they fail to maintain adequate standards.