Overview
There is no separate 'online accreditation'
A common misconception: that online programs need a special “online accreditation.” They do not. An online degree from an institutionally accredited college is fully accredited — the school’s regular accreditation (see the higher-ed tier) covers its online offerings. What exists separately is a set of course-design quality frameworks, which are not accreditation but do signal well-built online courses.
The Frameworks
Quality Matters and OLC
- Quality Matters (QM)A widely used, research-based rubric for reviewing and certifying the design of online and blended courses; a QM certification marks a well-designed course, not an accredited institution.
- OLC — Online Learning ConsortiumOffers the OSCQR course-design scorecard and a Quality Scorecard for online programs and services — quality benchmarks, again distinct from accreditation.
- Institutional accreditationThe one that actually matters for a degree’s legitimacy — confirm the school itself is institutionally accredited.
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Spotting online mills
The real risk online is the diploma mill. Because “online” lowers the barrier to looking like a real college, verify the institution’s accreditation in the USDE or CHEA database before enrolling in any online program. A Quality Matters badge is a nice signal of course design, but it is institutional accreditation — not a course-quality mark — that determines whether a degree is real.
Do It Yourself
How to verify
Go Deeper
Official sources
Questions
Frequently asked questions
- Do online degrees need special accreditation? No. An online degree from an institutionally accredited college is fully accredited; the school's regular accreditation covers its online programs. There is no separate 'online accreditation.'
- What is Quality Matters? A research-based rubric for reviewing and certifying the design of online and blended courses. A QM certification marks a well-designed course, not an accredited institution.
- What is the OLC? The Online Learning Consortium, which offers course-design and program-quality frameworks (such as OSCQR and the Quality Scorecard) — quality benchmarks distinct from accreditation.
- Is Quality Matters accreditation? No. It is a course-design quality certification, not institutional or programmatic accreditation. It does not make a degree legitimate on its own.
- How do I know an online degree is legitimate? Confirm the institution itself is institutionally accredited in the USDE or CHEA database. That, not a course-quality badge, determines whether the degree is real.
- Are online-only colleges accredited? Many are legitimately accredited; some are diploma mills. Verify each one's accreditation in the USDE or CHEA database rather than assuming.
- Does a course-quality badge matter? It is a useful signal that a course is well designed, but it is secondary to institutional accreditation, which determines a degree's legitimacy.
- How do I verify an online program? Check the institution's accreditation in the USDE or CHEA database; treat Quality Matters or OLC recognition as a course-design bonus, not a substitute.