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Accreditation Mills

Important Info About Degree and Accreditation Mills

Quality Assurance Bodies

To assist in the identification of valid agencies and, by contrast, detect whether an agency might be bogus, we offer the following pointers to some lists of recognized and valid accrediting/quality assurance/recognition bodies, the quality assurance/accreditation body should be listed at least on one of the following organizations:

The main Quality Assurance lists

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  • Accreditation mills are organizations that offer accreditation without providing an appropriate evaluation of academic standards, faculty qualifications, and curriculum. These organizations often grant accreditation to institutions in exchange for a fee, without ensuring that the institutions meet the necessary requirements for accreditation. Spotting an accreditation mill can be challenging, but there are several signs to look out for.

  • Lack of transparency: Accreditation mills may not provide information about their evaluative processes, standards, or the qualifications of their evaluation team. Legitimate accrediting organizations provide transparent information about their accreditation processes and the qualifications of their evaluators.

  • Lack of recognition: Accreditation mills may not be recognized by legitimate accrediting bodies or government organizations. 

  • Accreditation without evaluation: Accreditation mills often grant accreditation to institutions without conducting a thorough evaluation of academic standards, faculty qualifications, and curriculum. Legitimate accrediting bodies evaluate institutions based on specific criteria and academic standards.

  • High-pressure sales tactics: Accreditation mills may use high-pressure sales tactics to convince institutions to pay for accreditation. Legitimate accrediting bodies do not pressure institutions to pay for accreditation or offer accreditation in exchange for a fee.

  • Lack of peer review: Accreditation mills may not conduct peer review, which is an important component of the accreditation process. Peer review involves evaluation by independent experts in the field, and is a crucial component of ensuring academic quality.

In summary, spotting an accreditation mills organization can be challenging, but there are several signs to look out for. These include a lack of transparency, lack of recognition, accreditation without evaluation, high-pressure sales tactics, and lack of peer review. It is important to do thorough research and due diligence before seeking or accepting accreditation from any organization.

Business Education Accreditation

Most reputable accreditation bodies in business education are not state-recognized accreditations nor state agencies for quality assurance, like the so-called "Triple accreditation", also known as Triple Crown Accreditation… however, the accreditation body should have achieved at least one or all the above-listed bodies.

In the field of business education, there are many accreditation bodies that evaluate the academic quality of institutions and programs. While some of these bodies are state-recognized or state agencies for quality assurance, many of the most reputable accreditation bodies are not.

One example of a highly regarded accreditation is the "Triple accreditation," also known as Triple Crown Accreditation, which is a designation given to business schools that have earned accreditation from the three accreditation bodies.

While state-recognized accreditations and state agencies for quality assurance are important, they are not always the most highly regarded in the field of business education. Instead, few accreditation bodies are often considered more prestigious due to their rigorous evaluation processes and high standards for academic quality.

It is important to note that while state recognition is not a requirement for accreditation bodies to be reputable, the accreditation body should have achieved at least one or all of the above-listed bodies. This ensures that the accreditation body has undergone a rigorous evaluation process and has met high standards for academic quality.

real or fake accreditation body? how to find it out

It is important to verify the authenticity of a higher education accreditation body before relying on its accreditation status. Here are some steps you can take to determine whether an accreditation body is real or fake:

  1. Check the accreditation body's website: Most legitimate accreditation bodies have a website that provides information about their accreditation status, policies, and procedures. Look for contact information, a list of accredited institutions, and information about the accreditation process.

  2. Check government databases: In many countries, the government maintains a database of accredited higher education institutions and accreditation bodies. Check these databases to ensure that the accreditation body is registered at least by the government.

  3. Look for international recognition: Legitimate accreditation bodies often have international membership from organizations such as the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and for Europe, there is also INQAAHE lists. Check to see if the accreditation body you are researching has any international recognition.

  4. Contact the accreditation body: If you are still unsure about the legitimacy of an accreditation body, contact them directly to ask questions about their accreditation status, policies, and procedures. Legitimate organizations should be transparent and willing to answer questions about their accreditation process.

In summary, it is important to do your research and verify the authenticity of a higher education accreditation body before relying on its accreditation status. Checking the organization's website, government databases, international recognition, complaints and warnings, and contacting the organization directly are all steps you can take to determine whether an accreditation body is real or fake.

Find out more

based on International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) website:

The US Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has suggested the following tests that can be applied to a purported accrediting body. If the answers to many of the following questions are yes, the accrediting organization under consideration may be bogus:

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 some other body) 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?
Does the operation claim that its accreditations would have international status?
Does the operation claim recognition by international bodies or associations that in themselves are not in the field of accreditation? (Examples would include UNESCO, NAFSA, AACRAO, and EAIE).

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