Regional vs. National Accreditation: What It Means for Your Degree

You are comparing two online programs, and one school says it is "regionally accredited" while the other says "nationally accredited." Both sound official. Both can be legitimate, and since 2020 the U.S. Department of Education no longer distinguishes between them, but the difference still matters in practice: credits and degrees from nationally accredited schools are less likely to be accepted by other colleges, so check where you may want to transfer or go for a graduate degree before you enroll.

This guide explains what accreditation does, what "regional" and "national" meant and what changed, where the difference still shows up, how the 18 schools in the CollegeHub directory are accredited, and how to check any school yourself.

What Accreditation Does

Accreditation is a review by an independent agency that checks whether a school meets standards for things like faculty, curriculum, student support and finances. Schools are reviewed again every several years to keep it.

The U.S. Department of Education doesn't accredit schools itself. It recognizes accrediting agencies, and that recognition is what gives accreditation its practical weight:

• Federal financial aid. To offer federal grants and loans, a school must be accredited by an agency the Department recognizes.
• Credit transfer and graduate admissions. Other colleges use accreditation to decide whether to accept your credits or your degree.
• Licensing and employment. Some state licenses and employers require a degree from an accredited school, and sometimes from an accredited program.

There are two levels. Institutional accreditation covers the whole school. Programmatic accreditation covers a specific program, such as nursing (CCNE or ACEN), engineering (ABET) or business (ACBSP or AACSB). For careers that require a license, the program's accreditation can matter as much as the school's.

What "Regional" and "National" Meant, and What Changed

For decades, institutional accreditors fell into two groups:

• Regional accreditors each covered schools in one part of the country. The best-known are the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Most public universities and private nonprofit colleges hold this kind of accreditation.
• National accreditors reviewed schools anywhere in the country, often career-focused or specialized ones. Examples include the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).

That split ended at the federal level with a final rule published in the Federal Register on November 1, 2019, which took effect July 1, 2020. The Department removed geographic scope from its recognition criteria, so all recognized institutional accreditors are now treated as one group. On February 17, 2026, the Department went further and published a proposed interpretive rule on how recognized accreditors may use the terms "national" and "regional" to describe themselves.

So why do schools and students still use the terms? Because the former regional accreditors still exist and still accredit most traditional colleges, and many colleges still write their transfer and admissions policies around them.

Where the Difference Still Matters

For a student, the label matters less than what it predicts about recognition of your credits.

Transferring credits

This is the biggest practical difference. Many colleges accredited by the former regional agencies accept transfer credit mainly from schools with the same kind of accreditation, and some don't accept credit from nationally accredited schools at all. Even between schools with the same kind of accreditation, the receiving school still decides whether each course matches one of its own.

Each college decides for itself, course by course. If there is any chance you will move to another school, ask that school now whether it accepts credits from the one you are considering. Our guide to how transfer credit works between programs covers the questions to ask.

Graduate school

The same logic applies to your degree. Some graduate programs require a bachelor's degree from a school accredited by one of the former regional accreditors. If a master's or doctorate is part of your plan, check the admission requirements of a few programs you might apply to before you choose where to earn the bachelor's.

Jobs and licensing

Most employers care that your school is accredited by a recognized agency, and they rarely distinguish further. Licensing is different: nursing, teaching, counseling and other licensed fields often require a specific programmatic accreditation, regardless of how the school is accredited. Our guide to what employers check when they see an online degree covers how hiring managers look at accreditation.

When national accreditation can be the right fit

National accreditation is not a warning sign. Many career schools that train medical assistants, technicians and creative professionals hold it, and if your goal is to finish a specific credential and start working, it may meet your needs. The risk appears when your plans change and you want to transfer or continue to a degree elsewhere.

How Schools in the CollegeHub Directory Are Accredited

Every school listing in the CollegeHub directory states the school's accreditation. Here is how the 18 schools currently listed describe theirs:

Fourteen of the 18 are listed as regionally accredited. The three nationally accredited schools are career-focused: Full Sail in media, entertainment and technology, Ultimate Medical Academy in healthcare, and UEI College in healthcare and skilled trades.

American InterContinental University uses the newer term, "institutionally accredited." Its accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, is one of the former regional accreditors, which shows why the label a school uses doesn't always tell you which kind of agency stands behind it. Look up the agency's name, not just the adjective.

How To Check a School's Accreditation Yourself

A school's own website is a starting point, but confirm it with a source the school doesn't control:

1. Find the accrediting agency's name. Schools usually list it on an "Accreditation" page or in the catalog. Write down the full name, not just "regionally" or "nationally" accredited.
2. Search the Department of Education's database. The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP) lists schools and programs accredited by recognized agencies.
3. Cross-check with CHEA. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation keeps its own searchable directory. Some schools appear in one database and not the other, so checking both is the safest approach.
4. Check the accreditor's own site. Agencies such as HLC, SACSCOC, ACCSC and ABHES publish each school's current status, including any warning or probation.
5. Check programmatic accreditation if you need a license. Search the program accreditor's directory for your exact program and campus or online format.
6. Ask where your credits could go. If you might transfer or continue to a graduate degree, ask that school in writing whether it accepts credits or degrees from the school you are considering.

Be wary of agencies you can't find in either database. Unrecognized "accreditors" exist mainly to make unaccredited schools look legitimate.

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Comparing accredited online schools? See each school's accreditation, application fee and start dates side by side in the CollegeHub directory.

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