Bethany Minich, Admissions
Just like students are evaluated on their performance in school, colleges are evaluated on their performance as well. Accreditation is a way to show prospective students that an institution has received an “A” on their performance and are meeting standards set forth by their accrediting body.
The accreditors, whether national or regional, have criteria that the school must meet and maintain to keep their accreditation. Accreditation is important because you want your degree to be recognized. Unfortunately, there are some institutions who are just looking to make money, and have been dubbed “degree mills.” These schools are not legitimate. Students often spend a lot of time and money only to find they can’t transfer to another school because the degree is not accepted.
Additionally, employers may not acknowledge the degree. Make sure the schools you are researching are fully accredited. To do this, visit the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) websites. If the school is not listed on either site, it is probably not legitimate. You can also view a list of recognized accrediting organizations here.
“The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meet acceptable levels of quality.” --U.S Department of Education
Carolina College of Biblical Studies is nationally accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and a member of CHEA.