Approved Regional Accreditations

Please be sure that your on-line High School Diploma is from an accredited diploma granting high school.

Your best option is a school that is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting associations.

To determine whether or not an on-line high school is regionally accredited, find out from which state the online program
is operating. Then check what regional agency grants accreditation to schools in that state.

The following six regional accreditation agencies are recognized as official accrediting associations.
(If you are not sure which association listed below accredits schools in your school's state, use a search engine to find the
association and the list of states for that association.)

New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA)
Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA)
Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU)

Alternatively, some on-line schools are accredited by the Distance Education Training Council (DETC). The DETC is also recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. DETC accreditation is considered valid by many employers. However, many regionally accredited colleges and universities will not accept course credits from DETC accredited schools and some employers do not accept these diplomas.
Learn more: DETC Accreditation.

You can find out instantly if an on-line school is accredited by a regional association, the DETC or an accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education by searching the United States Department of Education database. You may use the CHEA website to search for both CHEA and USDE recognized accrediting agencies (off-site link) or to view a chart comparing CHEA and USDE recognition (off-site PDF chart).

Note that recognition of an accrediting agency does not guarantee a particular diploma will be accepted by colleges and universities or employers. Ultimately, regional accreditation remains the most widely accepted form of accreditation for diplomas earned both on-line and at traditional public and private high schools.

For Further Information for On-Line High School Accreditation, go to:

Regional Accreditation for Online Schools - The 6 Regional Acccreditors

If your on-line diploma program is not accredited by the above agencies, you may contact one of the following GTCC locations for information regarding our Adult High School/General Education Development Program.

At the GTCC Greensboro Campus:

3505 E. Wendover Ave. Greensboro, N.C. 27401
Adult High School Education/GED Coordinator
(336) 334-4822 or (336) 454-1126

At the GTCC High Point Campus:

901 S. Main St. High Point, N.C. 27260
Adult High School Education Coordinator GED classes are now available on-line
(336) 334-4822 or (336) 454-1126 (for more on-line info, go to GED LINK ON GTCC HOMEPAGE)