Why is Accreditation Important?
Accreditation may be important if you seek to have a public record of your learning that will be widely accepted by employers, professional associations, and other colleges and universities.

What Kind of Accreditation Should I Look for?
In the United States the most widely recognized form of accreditation for degree-granting programs comes from the regional accreditation commissions. College of West Virginia is regionally accredited. When people ask if you have attended an "accredited university" in the United States, they most commonly mean a regionally accredited university.

What are the Names of the Regional Accreditation Commissions?
Each of the 6 geographic regions of the United States has a non-governmental agency that oversees, reviews, and accredits degree-granting institutions that are headquartered in their territories. The 6 regional accreditation commissions are:

• MSA--Middle States Association
• NASC--Northwest Association of Schools & Colleges
• NCA--North Central Association of Colleges & Schools
  
• NEASC--New England Association of Schools & Colleges
  
• SACS--Southern Association of Colleges & Schools
  
• WASC--Western Association of Schools & Colleges

These 6 commissions are seen as equal in each other's eyes and the eyes of academics for the purpose of transferring credits or degree status from one college to another. There is no better or worse among these 6 agencies. Regionally accredited colleges recognize degrees and credits earned at other institutions as equal to their own. College of West Virginia is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).