Accreditation Mills: How Fake Accreditors Legitimize Diploma Mills

What are accreditation mills?

Accreditation mills are fake accrediting organizations that sell accreditation status to diploma mills, creating a circular legitimacy scheme. The diploma mill claims to be accredited. The accreditation mill exists solely to make that claim appear true. Neither provides genuine education or quality assurance. Identifying accreditation mills requires checking whether the accreditor is recognized by legitimate oversight bodies.

How to identify fake accreditors

• Not recognized by DOE or CHEA — In the US, legitimate accreditors are recognized by the Department of Education or CHEA. Check their databases.
• No government recognition — Outside the US, legitimate accreditors are recognized by the national education ministry.
• Accredits only online or unverifiable schools — Legitimate accreditors accredit a mix of well-known and lesser-known institutions.
• Pay-for-accreditation model — Accreditation that can be purchased without a genuine review process.
• No site visits — Legitimate accreditation requires on-site evaluation by peer reviewers.

Protect yourself

• Use VerifyED — Our database includes accreditation status from recognized accrediting bodies only.
• Cross-reference — Always verify accreditation claims through the accreditor's official website and the government recognition database.
• When in doubt, ask employers — Check whether the accreditation is accepted by the employers or institutions you care about.