Diploma Mills/Accreditation Mills

How can I determine if an accrediting organization may be a mill?

If the answers to many of the following questions are “yes,” the accrediting organization under consideration may be a “mill”:

• Does the operation allow accredited status to be purchased?
• Does the operation publish lists of institutions or programs they claim to have accredited without those institutions and programs knowing that they are listed or have been accredited?
• Does the operation claim that it is recognized (by, e.g., USDE or CHEA) when it is not?
• Are few if any standards for quality published by the operation?
• Is a very short period of time required to achieve accredited status?
• Are accreditation reviews routinely confined to submitting documents and do not include site visits or interviews of key personnel by the accrediting organization?
• Is “permanent” accreditation granted without any requirement for subsequent periodic review, either by an external body or by the organization itself?
• Does the operation use organizational names similar to recognized accrediting organizations?
• Does the operation make claims in its publications for which there is no evidence?

Additional Information:
U.S. Department of Education - What is a diploma mill?
CHEA: Important Questions About Accreditation, Degree Mills and Accreditation Mills
CHEA: Degree Mills: Old Problem, New Threat
eLearners: Diploma Mills
Ten Ways to Spot a Diploma Mill
​Degrees for Sale: What Diploma Mills Mean for eLearning

CHEA/CIQG and IIEP-UNESCO Issue Advisory Statement on Combatting Corruption in Higher Education.