Advantages of an Accredited College

Learn why accreditation is important when pursuing a teacher education degree

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Accreditation is a standards and review process that colleges and universities undergo to determine whether an institution or specific program meets or exceeds preset educational standards. Attending an accredited education school ensures that you will receive a quality teacher education that will advance your career and positively impact the education of your future students.

Different Types of Accreditation

Teacher education programs can apply for either regional or national accreditation. Credits earned from regionally accredited colleges can often transfer to graduate programs anywhere in the country, while credits earned from nationally accredited colleges may not be accepted at all regionally accredited graduate programs. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes both regional and national accreditation agencies for granting financial aid.

National Accrediting Bodies

Accreditation boards are private, nongovernmental agencies established as impartial third parties to objectively review educational institutions and programs. Accreditation organizations provide the general public with a list of programs and institutions that meet their high-quality standards to become members. Accredited programs will also tell you which organization accredited them when you request more information.

Benefits of Attending an Accredited Education School

An accreditation review is a process that a school or program can voluntarily apply for in order to see how they compare with other institutions and find areas where they can improve. The institution or program becomes a member of the accrediting agency if they pass the review. Graduation from an accredited program may be required to use your teaching certificate in certain states. Not all programs have gone through the expensive and time-consuming review process, but there are several notable advantages that attending an accredited college can offer:

Financial Aid – Attending an accredited education school opens the gateway for you to participate in federally funded and state entitlement programs. Only accredited programs that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education can offer state and federal financial aid.

Transfer of Credits – When you graduate from an accredited college, you qualify to attend other accredited colleges to pursue advanced studies, including master's degree and doctoral programs. Only credits earned from an accredited education school will transfer to another accredited college.

Employment – Graduating from an accredited college can also make you more competitive in the job market; employers prefer to hire teachers who graduated from accredited teaching programs because these employees were trained under nationally established standards for teaching education.

Commonly Recognized Teacher Education Accrediting Agencies

Over 600 teacher preparation school programs are currently accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). NCATE evaluates a school's education department to make sure it meets rigorous standards set by teachers, teacher educators and professional organizations across the nation. In order to receive accreditation from TEAC, an education department must provide evidence that their program produces competent educators who possess effective teaching skills. While the standards are very similar to NCATE, the review process allows for more flexibility and focuses on evidence presented by the school that best represents the program's educational philosophy.

Using Accreditation Information

As you search for the teacher education program that best suits your needs, be sure to look into any accreditation agencies where the program has been awarded a membership. Reviewing these will give you a good idea about the quality of the program and the accreditation benefits you will have access to. Search our directory of all accredited colleges and programs where you can gain the credentials you need to begin your teaching career.