What Is Accreditation and How Does It Impact You as an International Student Seeking to Pursue Your Studies in the US?

Those who are familiar with studying in the US or who want to do so, choose the university they want to attend based on certain criteria. The most important ones would be location, available courses in the US, word-of-mouth recommendations, budget, and university rankings. While the former is often more important for people who desire to pursue undergraduate studies, it also has a significant impact on graduate studies, or post-graduation as it is more commonly known in India. Its most often observed that students frequently forget the importance of accreditation, which is frequently disregarded in the university shortlisting process.

When a candidate rushes to apply to well-known or “Top Ranked Institutions,” accreditation sometimes is ignored. Most of the “Top Ranked Institutions” themselves advertise their rankings on multiple websites, including U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Times Higher Education, and others. There are thousands of institutions in the US to pick from, so one should be especially careful while making a shortlist of universities. But what is accreditation, and why is it significant? Read on to find out.

The below image lists the important accreditation agencies at regional and national levels.

Source: http://www.msinus.com/

Table of Contents

• What is accreditation?
• Why is accreditation so important for international students?
• Rankings are in fact good to look at.
• Conclusion

1. What is accreditation?

Institutions of higher education go through a rigorous process to prove that they satisfy stringent higher standards of education. It is referred to as accreditation. Numerous private and non-profit organisations (NGOs) evaluate programs and institutions on a voluntary basis. These same organisations are then evaluated by organisations like the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) for their quality standards.

Professionals from the business perform this independent quality audit as volunteers. One institution can hold multiple active accreditations at once because both institutions and individual courses can be accredited both regionally (for instance, at the state level) and nationally.

Business, computer science, and engineering courses are often quite popular with Indian students. The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) and the Association of Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) are two notable accrediting organisations in this field.

2. Why is accreditation so important for international students?

Accreditations compel institutions to uphold their high standards, which raises accountability and fosters public faith in them. This makes it easier for prospective students and their families to place their trust in the institution and the academic programs it offers because of the accreditation it has earned.

As a student or parent reading this, you may feel secure knowing that you are choosing an institution or a course that has passed strict quality requirements and has been validated by others in the field. Accreditation leads to accountability and greater levels of quality education.

The below image demonstrates the benefits of accreditation.

Source: www.ceph.org

Knowing that prospective employers place a high value on degrees from accredited institutions over non-accredited institutions is an additional benefit of attending an accredited university or a course. As an international student as you would be investing a lot of time, money, and energy into studying in the US.

Employers may take rankings into account, but in reality, they are more interested in knowing that you received your education at a facility that has upheld strict standards of excellence that are in line with industry needs than they are in the popularity of the institution.

Institutions must maintain their quality standards throughout the time because accreditation is a continuous process. You should go to the U.S. Department of Education website to double check, which has a list of all the accredited certifying organisations. You can avoid being duped or being forced to use a certificate from an unaccredited institution by being informed and making wise choices.

3. Rankings are in fact good to look at.

Rankings are not a terrible thing! Simply put, perception frequently takes precedence over other, more subtle elements that should be taken into account while making decisions. Various ranking surveys are available, and institutions have the option to participate. Administrators or students may be surveyed, or both. Some people may decide not to participate in rankings at all. Therefore, an institution (or course) without a ranking may not always be “bad,” just as one with a high ranking may not always be what you expected.

Do read the fine print, check the sample size, comprehend how the data was gathered, and find out which criteria were applied to the different subsets (such as the most cost-effective college, the best engineering programs, the safest campus, etc.). Whereas accreditation is tied to a specific set of standards that must be met and maintained to be given the validation of at least minimally satisfying industry requirements for an institution, individual course, or department. Focus on this as well while making your shortlist and be aware of any accreditations that the institution or a course you are interested may possess.

4. Conclusion

Hope you have learned the importance of accreditation after reading this blog. The goal of this blog is to reemphasize that you should not look at the rankings of an institution alone but also to expand your perspective and take accreditation also into consideration. This should be an important factor in your decision-making process to make US your study destination.

Our student counsellors at MWT Education Consultancy are well-versed to assist you and engage with you to make an informed decision on your future as you navigate your study abroad journey to the US.