A fake accreditor's seal can look identical to a real one on a website. Two independent, free-to-search databases let you check the actual status directly — never take the school's own claim at face value.
Two Independent Databases — Check Both
In the US, the Department of Education does not itself accredit institutions — accreditation is carried out by independent accrediting agencies, which the Department recognizes and monitors. Two separate resources let you verify accreditation status directly, without relying on a claim printed on the school's own site:
- DAPIP (Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs) — maintained by the Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education, at ope.ed.gov/dapip. It lists institutions and programs as reported directly by recognized accrediting agencies and state approval agencies.
- CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation) — an independent, non-governmental body that itself recognizes accrediting agencies based on quality standards, maintaining its own institutional and programmatic directories separate from the federal database.
A legitimate institution's accreditation should show up consistently in both. If a school's claimed accreditor doesn't appear as a recognized agency in either database, that's a serious red flag — it likely means the "accreditor" is not a genuine, recognized body at all.
How Diploma Mills Exploit the Gap
A common diploma mill tactic is creating a self-styled "accrediting agency" with an official-sounding name, then displaying its seal prominently — the seal itself proves nothing, since anyone can design one. The Department of Education does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of DAPIP's contents (the data is self-reported by agencies), but the presence of a genuine, recognized accrediting agency's name is still the strongest available signal, because that agency itself has been vetted by the Department or by CHEA.
Other common diploma mill patterns: degrees awarded for "life experience" with little or no coursework; unusually short timeframes for a full degree; a fee structure resembling a flat purchase price rather than tuition; and vague or unverifiable claims about faculty credentials.
Regional vs. National Accreditation
Not all recognized accreditation carries equal weight for every purpose. Historically, "regional" accreditation (now largely unified under an "institutional" accreditation framework) has been more widely recognized by employers and for credit transfer than certain "national" accrediting bodies, particularly those focused on vocational or career-specific programs. This distinction matters when transferring credits or pursuing further study — a credential from a nationally accredited but non-regionally-recognized school may not transfer as easily to a program that expects regional/institutional accreditation. Check both the accreditor's legitimacy and its specific recognition scope before enrolling.
Verification Steps
- Search the institution's name directly in DAPIP (ope.ed.gov/dapip) and note the specific accrediting agency listed.
- Cross-check that same accrediting agency's own recognition status through CHEA's directories.
- If the school names an accreditor you can't find in either database, treat this as a serious warning sign, not a technicality.
- If you need the credential for a specific professional license or further academic study, confirm directly with the licensing body or receiving institution that this specific accreditation is what they require — general accreditation legitimacy doesn't guarantee it satisfies a particular purpose.
- Be skeptical of "life experience" degree offers and unusually fast, cheap credentials regardless of what accreditation is claimed.
Related Kibbo Tools
- Education Scam Checklist →
- Before Paying Any Course Checklist →
- Accreditation & Qualification Databases (Directory) →
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education — Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). ope.ed.gov