Accreditation of an educational program is intended to be an objective endorsement based on quality and educational value. Because education in the United States is not federally controlled, there is no one single accreditation agency that oversees all educational programs in the US. Rather, a number of private, regional or national bodies exist to provide independent measures of quality for private and public schools across the country.

The US Department of Education publishes a list of those deemed to be reliable accrediting authorities in the United States for each subject area. Educational programs recognized by one of these bodies tend to be better regarded within the US and abroad, however this is not always the case. In recent years employers have shown increasing interest in demonstrable knowledge, skills and experience in job applicants, rather than mere paper credentials. It is important that you consider other aspects of a school in addition to accreditation before commiting to a particular program.