Is an online school legit? A five-minute check (2026)

A legitimate online school is accredited by an agency the U.S. Department of Education recognizes. You can confirm that in a few minutes on the Department’s free accreditation database. Source · U.S. Department of Education

Any school can claim to be accredited, and some fake ones invent an accreditor. So check the school and the accreditor, then look for the federal records real schools leave behind.

Real schools are accredited by a recognized agency

Accreditation is a voluntary review by an outside agency that checks a school against quality standards. The Department doesn’t accredit schools itself. It recognizes accrediting agencies it considers reliable judges of quality. Source · U.S. Department of Education

Recognition matters for three reasons the Department lists. Accreditation by a recognized agency is part of what a school needs to offer federal student aid. Many employers only accept degrees from schools with recognized accreditation. And credits from an accredited school are easier to transfer.

The five-minute check

1. Look up the school in the Department's database

   Search the school’s exact name in the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs. It lists schools accredited by recognized agencies.

2. Check the accreditor is recognized

   The same database lists the recognized agencies. If the school names an accreditor that isn’t there, treat it as unrecognized.

3. Find its College Scorecard record

   Search the school on the College Scorecard. Real schools that take federal aid show cost, graduation and earnings data. The Scorecard lists WGU’s accreditor, for example, as the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

4. Ask whether it takes federal aid

   Ask the school for its federal school code for the FAFSA. Schools without recognized accreditation can’t offer federal student aid.

5. Scan for scam signs

   Run through the FTC’s red flags below, then search the school’s name with “review,” “scam” or “complaint.”

The FTC also suggests calling the registrar at a local community college or state university to ask whether they’d accept the school’s credits, and contacting the attorney general in the school’s state to ask whether it operates legally. Source · FTC

The red flags of a diploma mill

Watch for sound-alike names, too. Some diploma mills use names close to well-known universities or foreign-sounding names, and a .edu web address doesn’t make a school real. Source · FTC

If you think you found a scam

Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the attorney general in your state. Source · FTC Using a fake degree for a job can get you fired or prosecuted, so stop before you pay.

Frequently asked questions

Is regional or national accreditation better?

Both kinds of agencies can be recognized by the Department. What matters most is that the accreditor is recognized and that the schools and employers you care about accept the credits.

Can an unaccredited school be good?

The Department says an unaccredited school isn’t necessarily poor quality, but its degree can cause problems with employers, licensing boards and transfers.

Where else can I check?

The FTC points to College Navigator, run by the National Center for Education Statistics, which shows a school’s accreditation.

Your next step is the payback math

A legitimate school is the starting line. The ROI calculator shows whether a program pays back for you, using BLS pay for the job you want.