Key Takeaways:
- Regional accreditation represents the gold standard in U.S. higher education and most public and private nonprofit universities hold this type.
- ACE recommendation refers to nontraditional learning experiences deemed worthy of college credit by a membership organization known as the American Council on Education (ACE).
- Students who pass Portage Learning courses receive credit – not ACE recommendation – through Geneva College and Bushnell University, its regionally accredited partner institutions.
Imagine spending time and money to earn college credit – only to discover your school won’t accept it.
That’s why understanding regional accreditation and ACE recommendation before enrollment matters.
Because after all, you work too hard to obtain your degree for any progress toward it to go to waste.
What Is Accreditation?
Accreditation means an academic institution meets acceptable levels of quality related to coursework, faculty, resources, student services, and more.
Independent, third-party organizations, known as accrediting agencies, establish these standards then conduct evaluations to determine whether or not a college or program meets them.
Institutions that do so become accredited.
What Does It Mean to Be Accredited?
The process to accredit – or renew accreditation – typically involves six stages, including:
- Establishing eligibility: Colleges must meet an agency’s most basic requirements. For example they may need to award degrees.
- Conducting a self-study: Accredited institutions – or those eligible for it – prepare a written report which evaluates their performance based on the agency’s standards and details how they will improve in the future.
- Coordinating an on-site team visit: A review team which may include members of the public or representatives from other universities uses the self-study document to assess a university during a visit to the campus.
- Writing a report: The visiting team prepares an accreditation report which judges the college and then submits it to the agency for review.
- Issuing a decision: Agencies collect all of the information provided and decide whether to grant, renew, or revoke an institution’s accreditation.
- Monitoring: Accreditors review a university’s status every three to 10 years depending on the agency’s policy. They sometimes require annual reports to track a college’s progress between comprehensive evaluations.
The criteria for becoming accredited depend on the agency overseeing the process. In general, they assess an institution or program on its:
- Educational excellence: Do students learn the necessary skills and knowledge required for their degree? Do the professors and faculty teaching those courses hold the proper credentials?
- Institutional effectiveness: Does the college operate transparently and in a way that aligns with its mission and goals? Does the university maintain financial stability?
- Ethics and integrity: Does the institution provide a safe environment for all learners that follows its policies?
- Support network: Will students receive coherent and effective services such as tutoring or financial aid that enhance their education? Does the college analyze itself and use data to improve key metrics including retention and degree completion rates?
Types of Accreditation
Two types of accreditation exist.
- Institutional accreditation: Applies to an entire college or university including all offerings on campus and online.
- Programmatic accreditation: Pertains to specific departments or schools for professions such as law, nursing, and education.
Regional vs. National Accreditation
Colleges earn institutional accreditation from regional and/or national accrediting agencies.
Regional accreditation represents the gold standard in U.S. higher education, and most public and private nonprofit universities hold this type.
It reflects rigorous academic standards and credits earned tend to be more widely accepted and more easily transferable.
Six agencies, split by geographic area, award regional accreditation. Those include:
- Higher Learning Commission
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- New England Commission of Higher Education
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges
National accreditation often applies to trade schools, vocational colleges, and career programs. Regionally accredited institutions typically do not accept credit from schools with national accreditation.
Why Does Accreditation Matter?
Accreditation doesn’t guarantee your earned credits will transfer to your new college – but it increases the chances.
Many institutions accredited by the same agency maintain agreements that allow you to take credits from one university to another. Students planning to start at a community college and those in high school participating in dual enrollment should keep this in mind.
Other implications of choosing an accredited institution include:
- Financial aid: You need to attend a college or university accredited by a recognized agency to be eligible for scholarships, grants, and loans.
- Certifications and exams: State licensing boards require a degree from an accredited program to sit for a profession’s entrance exam, such as the NCLEX, or be granted certification.
- Employability: Even if your career doesn’t require a test to begin practicing employers rely on accreditation to ensure your education prepared you for the workforce.
What Is ACE Recommendation?
ACE recommendation refers to nontraditional learning experiences deemed worthy of college credit by a membership organization known as the American Council on Education (ACE).
Examples include:
- Online courses
- Workforce training
- Certifications
- Exams
- Military service
Is ACE Recommendation the Same as College Credit?
No. ACE doesn’t award credit directly. The organization only suggests whether an institution should accept the learning experience for it.
Before enrolling in an option that offers only ACE recommendation, you should check that the college you want to transfer to allows it.
Many students sign up for courses through alternative platforms, which pitch themselves as a cheaper and faster way to earn credit, only for it to not be recognized.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) doesn’t view ACE as an accrediting agency.
Regional Accreditation vs. ACE Recommendation: Which Is Better?
ACE recommendation doesn’t equate to institutional accreditation.
If you want to earn credits that count toward a degree, you should enroll in courses offered by a regionally accredited college or program. As previously mentioned, it represents the gold standard and indicates you received a high-quality education.
ACE recommendation may be a better option for those:
- Pursuing a trade or skilled profession
- Seeking an industry certification
- Completing an employer-sponsored training program
Is Portage Learning ACE Recommended?
No. Students who pass Portage Learning courses receive credit – not ACE recommendation – through Geneva College and Bushnell University, its regionally accredited partner institutions.
These agreements allow Portage Learning to issue transcripts to more than 2,800 colleges and universities nationwide, including:
- Baylor University
- University of Arizona
- University of Kentucky
Portage Learning itself maintains the highest level of accreditation available for nondegree awarding institutions through the ED-recognized Middle States Association Commission on Secondary Schools.
Students tout Portage Learning’s accreditation and transferability as key reasons why they chose it over other options.
“A good quality education that’s easy to fit in with a busy life,” Amy Woodruff writes. “They had the exact courses I needed and since they are accredited, getting the credits to transfer to a school was easy.”
Shavette Campbell adds, “Portage Learning is a great alternative to the traditional collegiate setting. It is accredited, self-directed, rigorous, and convenient.”
Understanding Your College Credit Options
It takes four years and more than $150,000 to obtain a bachelor’s degree.
Options to reduce the time and money spent on your education exist but they become futile if you don’t research regional accreditation and ACE recommendation before enrollment.
Every credit earned should bring you closer to graduation.
Not leave you starting over.
Still looking for answers?
Check out the FAQs about this article below.
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
What is accreditation?
Accreditation means an academic institution meets acceptable levels of quality related to coursework, faculty, resources, student services, and more. Independent, third-party organizations, known as accrediting agencies, establish these standards to determine whether or not a college or program meets them.What Does It Mean to Be Accredited?
The process to becoming accredited has six stages:- Establishing eligibility: Colleges must meet an agency’s most basic requirements. For example, they may need to award degrees.
- Conducting a self-study: Accredited institutions – or those eligible for it – prepare a written report, which evaluates their performance based on the agency’s standards and details how they will improve in the future.
- Coordinating an on-site team visit: A review team, which may include members of the public or representatives from other universities, uses the self-study document to assess a university during a visit to the campus.
- Writing a report: The visiting team prepares an accreditation report, which judges the college and then submits it to the agency for review.
- Issuing a decision: Agencies collect all of the information provided and decide whether to grant, renew, or revoke an institution’s accreditation.
- Monitoring: Accreditors review a university’s status every three to 10 years depending on the agency’s policy. They sometimes require annual reports to track a college’s progress between comprehensive evaluations.
