Accredited vs Non Accredited RA DETC

Can someone answer some questions.
There are many topics that have me quite confused.
Accredited....
Rather American Counsel on Education, Regional,
DETC etc. Non Accredited but State Approved.
Non Accredited but not state approved.

I have checked into many schools and getting bombed by
mail. Snail and Email.
Hearing many arguments on the board regarding accrediation.

Case in point some examples:

Beinville University: Much mail. Non accredited . No state approval.
Lacrosse University: Same
Columbia something or another: Same
TESC: Regional
American Military University: DETC
Kennedy- Western: Non Accredited but state approved
enrollment of 25K students.
Thomas Edison: Accredited
UoP: Regional

I visited TESC in Trenton and UoP:
Both accredited.
UoP made me feel like I was in McDonalds ordering a small
content Happy Meal with the price of a steak from Mortons

TESC: Well .. Old Building in not so wonderful part of town.
Staff as friendly as a Pit Bull with an attitude.
No information , No service.
All that was needed there was Diner Mabel with a Camel
hanging from her lips and it would of reminded you of
a 1940's mob movie.

With all these accreditation outfits it makes one wonder if it
is for higher quality education or a big money front to keep
competition out of failing univerisities. i.e Union fronts.

Can someone enlighten me???
I am looking to futher my education as a personal choice and
goal as I grow closer to my AARP card.

 

This topic has been discussed to death here. Nontheless, in its most simplistic form:

Regional Accreditation (RA) is the most versatile and therefore what you may want to aim for.

Other nationally accredited agencies (TRACS, ATS, DETC, AABC)are the silver standard. Less versatile but still accredited.

Stick to the above two and you are less likely to end up embarassed.

State approved is the dirt standard (at least according to Rich's survey). Not necessary at the Masters or bachelors level. Not even really necessary at the doctoral level.

I am assuming that as you are looking at TESC you are looking for an undergraduate degree. Go with RA. Many very affordable programs and then you have the best chance of progressing to an accredited Masters and then Ph.D.

http://www.tesc.edu
http://www.cosc.edu
http://www.excelsior.edu

The above 3 are your most flexible and quick for earning an RA bachelors. Be persistent.

Good luck!

North

 

Regardless of your feeling about TESC and UoP they are RA. Your primary question center on accreditation.

In the U.S.:

RA = the primary standard for U.S. higher education. Take this route and you can't go wrong with the acceptance of your degree.

DETC = a national accreditation not considered the equivalent to RA. You will get an education and some DETC schools are well received in industry. DETC degrees and credits are of limited use when applying or wanting to transfer to RA schools.

State Approved/Unaccredited = State approved is typically a licensure process. Regulation between states varies widely. These degree are considered unaccredited. It is nearly impossible to know what standards are being followed for degrees in this category. They are schools to approach with caution. There are a few unaccredited options that are viable for some people. An example is an unaccredited DL law school thay would qualify you for state licensure to practice law. Nonetheless, they are limited in their utility. Schools who have taken this path range from trying to offer legitimate alternative education to blatant diploma mills. The English translation of what Dr. Bear says is -- "Let the buyer beware."

The real question is: What do you want to do with the degree?
Once you know this and decide to take the DL route then choose an appropriate program will support your goals.

John