Regional Accreditation
What regional accreditation means
Regional accreditation is institutional-level recognition granted by one of seven regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It is the foundational quality marker for U.S. higher education.
The seven regional accreditors and their geographic coverage:
| Accreditor | Abbreviation | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Higher Learning Commission | HLC | North Central |
| New England Commission of Higher Education | NECHE | New England |
| Middle States Commission on Higher Education | MSCHE | Mid-Atlantic |
| Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities | NWCCU | Northwest |
| SACSCOC | SACSCOC | South |
| WSCUC | WSCUC | West |
| Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges | ACCJC | Community colleges |
Why regional accreditation is the baseline
Regional accreditation matters for three concrete reasons:
- Federal financial aid (FAFSA): Only regionally accredited institutions are eligible for federal Pell Grants and Stafford Loans. Nationally accredited schools may not qualify.
- Credit transferability: Regionally accredited credits transfer to other regionally accredited institutions. Credits from nationally accredited schools often do not transfer.
- Graduate school eligibility: Most master’s and doctoral programmes require a regionally accredited bachelor’s as the baseline admission credential.
Regional vs national accreditation
National accreditation (e.g., ACICS, ABHES) is a separate and generally lower-tier credential. For-profit institutions (University of Phoenix, historically) often hold national rather than regional accreditation. Regional accreditation is the standard the market uses.
All five programmes reviewed on this site (WGU, ASU Online, University of London, SNHU, Oregon State) are regionally accredited by U.S. or equivalent bodies (note: University of London holds UK QAA recognition, the UK equivalent).
The buyer implication
When an employer’s job posting says “bachelor’s required,” they almost always mean regionally accredited. Verifying regional accreditation before enrolling is the first filter in the programme selection process — before cost, before curriculum, before brand.
Last verified: 2026-05-01