In the United States, the federal government does not regulate colleges and universities directly. The various US States issue licenses to education institutions to run business and issue degrees. But this license varies from state to state and it does not mean that a licensed institute meets certain minimum standards.

Generally, the only way to know whether an institute provides quality education is to see whether the institute is accredited or not. To get accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency, an institution must meet and adhere to the standards set by the agency.

You need to take care that the college you plan to attend is properly accredited or you may find that your degree is not valued anywhere.
There are two basic categories of accreditation for degree granting institutions in the United States: institutional and programmatic. The institutional accreditation reviews and accredits the whole institution. Programmatic accreditation or specialized accreditation recognizes specific programs, departments, or schools within an institution. Several accrediting bodies carry out each of these types of accreditation. Institutional accreditation can be divided into two types: regional accreditation and national accreditation.

Top Accrediting Agencies in the United States of America
Note: The federal government in the USA plays a negligible role in accreditation.

MBA

• CHEA - Council for Higher Education Accreditation - is a private organization that coordinates about 3000 degree granting universities and colleges and over 60 recognized accrediting organizations in the USA.
  http://www.chea.org/default.asp
• American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) - http://www.aacsb.edu/ – is the main body accrediting MBA courses in the USA. This body accredits programs, not schools, and has now started accrediting programs in other countries too.
• International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) - http://www.iacbe.org/ – is a USA based body that operates internationally in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South and Latin America, accrediting business colleges.

Medical Studies

• The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) - www.lcme.org/ - is the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in US and Canadian medical schools. LCME is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association.
• Joint Commission International (JCI) - http://www.jointcommissioninternational.com/ is a US based accrediting agency that establishes quality standards for international medical organization.
• Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) institution The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) - http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/home/home.asp - is responsible for the Accreditation of post-MD medical training programs within the United States. Accreditation is accomplished through a peer review process and is based upon established standards and guidelines.

Engineering and Technology

• Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET) - www.abet.org/ - represents most engineering professional societies in the USA, including the Association of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), amongst many others.

 1 |2|