Looking at the following chart, you can see that the accreditation system for Universities and Colleges in the US is very clearly divided. At the top in the U.S. The Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) will jointly develop accreditation criteria for schools, detailed guidelines, and related resources to serve service for inspection.
How are inspection levels classified?
The associations responsible for accreditation are classified as follows: regional, national and programmatic. In which, the regional inspection is divided into 6 parts according to the geographical location of the United States. For example, SACS-COC, the Keiser University Accreditation Association, is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. National accreditation for vocational schools (vocational or trade school - lower than college or university level). Programmatic accreditation is accreditation for certain special programs offered by that school (such as Law or Medicine). However, an accredited program does not mean the whole school will be accredited, and that will make it difficult for you to transfer credits to a new university.
Comparison between regional and national accreditation:
Regionally accredited schools are academically oriented and are geared toward nonprofit education. Therefore, compared to other accreditations such as national accreditation, for-profit education, or programmatic accreditation, regional accreditation has the most outstanding standard and reputation in the American university accreditation system and is the highest level of accreditation in the American education system with an accrediting list that includes the most prestigious universities in the US.
A small point to note is that regionally accredited schools will not accept transfer credits from nationally accredited schools because they want to ensure the quality and reputation of this accreditation system.
Advice for those who want to study in the US
It is very important to check which accreditation your school is in, especially for those of you who want to transfer abroad because if the school you choose cannot transfer credits, you will lose a lot of effort, money, and time to reinvest from the beginning and not be able to complete your study abroad goals.
If you select fields that are in the regional audit area; For example, Keiser University belongs to the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities, you can rest assured that students can transfer all their credits to any University or College. Any college in America without any hindrance. With major American universities that Keiser University students have successfully transferred such as the University of Florida, St. Thomas University, Truman State University… surely your study abroad path will be much broader and you will soon complete your study abroad goals!
