Questions and Answers
About Online Education
Judging Online Education
Question: I recently saw a well-known online university campus and I was shocked that it looked more like a recruiting office in a strip mall than a college. With so many "Diploma Mills" around, how can I judge the quality of an online education program?
Answer:
The school facility you saw is not really too surprising. Many "Nationally Accredited" colleges and universities offer only distance learning and online programs. This means they don't need a fancy college campus to deliver a quality education.
Here are couple of quick ways to tell if a school is reputable or not:
1. Is the school accredited by either a Regional or National accreditation association.
These associations include:
DETC - Distance Education and Training Council
MSA - Middle States Association
NEASC - New England Association of Schools and Colleges
NCASC - North Central Association of Schools and Colleges
NWCCU - Northwest Commission on College and Universities
SACS - Southwest Association of Colleges and Schools
WASC - Western Association of Schools and Colleges
2. Is the school a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC), listed by the Defense Activities for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), or certified by the VA for use with GI Bill?
If the answer is yes to either of these questions, you can bet they are NOT a diploma mill. In other words, don't judge Distance Learning Colleges and Universities by their covers -- the building or address. Judge them by their associations -- the accreditations they keep.
