How can I verify if my college is accredited?

I'm looking at a few colleges and want to make sure they're accredited. How do I verify a college's accreditation status, and is there a specific website I should be checking?

Accreditation is a critical factor when evaluating potential colleges because it's a hallmark of quality and can impact the transferability of credits, as well as eligibility for federal financial aid. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to verify a college's accreditation status:

1. Navigate to the U.S. Department of Education's Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: This is a comprehensive, government-maintained database that lists all accredited institutions and their accrediting bodies.

2. Look up the school in question: You can search by the school's name or by the accrediting agency. If the school is legitimately accredited, it will be listed in this database.

3. Find out who accredits the institution: Besides finding out whether an institution is accredited, it's also crucial to know who grants the accreditation. There are 6 regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Checking the accreditor can assist you in gauging the caliber of the accreditation.

Remember, regional accreditation is generally the most respected form and is recognized across all colleges in the U.S. There is also national and programmatic accreditation, which are typically specialized or vocational schools and specific programs respectively. So it's important to remember that just because a school is accredited, doesn't mean it's automatically a high-quality institution—it also depends on who awarded the accreditation!