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”:
Additional Information:
U.S. Department of Education - What is a diploma mill?
CHEA: Role of Quality Assurance in Combatting Academic Corruption
CHEA: References and Resources on Quality Assurance and Combatting Academic Corruption
eLearners: Diploma Mills
Ten Ways to Spot a Diploma Mill
Degrees for Sale: What Diploma Mills Mean for eLearning
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: Role of Quality Assurance in Combatting Academic Corruption
CHEA: References and Resources on Quality Assurance and Combatting Academic Corruption
eLearners: Diploma Mills
Ten Ways to Spot a Diploma Mill
Degrees for Sale: What Diploma Mills Mean for eLearning
