List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Main articles: Diploma mill, school accreditation, and United States Department of Education

This article lists colleges, seminaries, and universities whose qualifications may possibly not be accepted by civil service or other employers. These institutions may have been listed on publicly available lists of unaccredited institutions, or are absent from UNESCO related IAU Universities List of world universities (see "external links" at the bottom of this article). Some are also suspected of being diploma mills, while others are no longer in existence. Several unaccredited universities have names chosen because they are similar to those of accredited institutions or falsely imply that it is a public university.

Therefore, taking the legal issues mentioned below into account, this list should not necessarily be viewed as complete or authoritative.

Legal issues and considerations

United States of America

In the United States, the most reliable source for verifying information about a school, including its accreditation status is the US Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)and its College Opportunities Online (COOL) link. Lists of accredited institutions may be obtained from the United States Department of Education [21] or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). In the United States, unaccredited degrees may not be acceptable for state or federal civil service or other employment; in certain cases and circumstances; criminal penalties may even apply should such a degree be presented in lieu of a degree from an accredited institution. However, such degrees in and of themselves are illegal only in Oregon, New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota, Nevada and Texas, where they are considered as misdemeanors mostly punishable by relatively small fines [22].

Wyoming-based Kennedy-Western University sued Oregon to cease listing it as a diploma mill in 2004 [23], claiming that its degree-holders had a First Amendment right to say they were degree-holders. The case never reached a trial because the "University" and the Oregon Department of Justice reached an out-of-court settlement, which affects only Kennedy-Western and is not a precedent. According to the settlement, Kennedy-Western degree-holders may now say that they have degrees when applying for jobs in the private sector in Oregon, but must also reveal that Kennedy-Western is unaccredited in all job applications, resumes, business cards and advertisements that mention the degree. Public employment and licensed professions are excepted from the agreement.[24] Oregon now lists Kennedy-Western as "unaccredited", stating that its "degrees do not meet requirements for employment by State of Oregon or for work in any profession licensed by the State of Oregon for which a degree is required" [25].

Australia and New Zealand

The University of Newlands, a school that was listed as a "wannabe" or "degree mill" by The Australian newspaper, was given permission by the New Zealand High Court to proceed to trial in its suit against the paper's publisher for defamation.[26] The presiding judge noted that such degrees may be illegal and that purporting to offer such degrees could be deemed dishonest or unethical conduct. He also ruled that defamation occurs in the country where the material is downloaded from the Internet. In December 2005 the Court of Appeal said the defamation case could not go ahead. Newlands and Ms Forrester had not shown it had a good arguable case that an act had been done in New Zealand for which damages could be claimed from a party outside New Zealand . Without their showing a good arguable case, New Zealand courts would not assume jurisdiction.

In Australia, it is a criminal offence to purport to offer University degrees (Bachelors, Masters, Doctors), without government authorization. This authorization is generally given in the form of an Act of a State or Federal Parliament, specifically referring to that institution. (Each state will recognize the institutions authorized under the law of the other states.) Separate to this, there is also the authorization under the Higher Education Funding Act to receive federal government funds for students; this is a separate process from authorization to grant degrees, so some institutions are entitled to grant degrees but not to receive government funds to do so. There is also registration under CRICOS (the ESOS Act) - a student visa can only be issued to a student if they are studying at an institution with a valid CRICOS registration.

India

According to the India Department of Education, regarding institutions without accreditation or an Act of Parliament, "It is emphasized that these fake institutions have no legal entity to call themselves as University/Vishwvidyalaya and to award ‘degrees’ which are not treated as valid for academic/employment purposes."[27]

South Korea

In March 2006 prosecutors in Seoul had "broken up a crime ring selling bogus music diplomas from Russia, which helped many land university jobs and seats in orchestras."[28] People who used these degrees were criminally charged.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom the institution offering degrees must be accredited and a list maintained by the Department for Education and Skills.[29] Prosecutions under the Education Reform Act are rare, as many of the bodies on the internet are based outside UK jurisdiction.

Prosecutions under other legislation do occur. In 2004 Thames Valley College in London was prosecuted under the Trade Descriptions Act for offering degrees from the 'University of North America', a limited liability company set up by themselves in the US with no academic staff and no premises other than a mail forwarding service.^{[citation needed]}

Characteristics of diploma mills

Not every unaccredited school is a diploma mill - all schools start out unaccredited. Diploma mills differ from respected institutions by these characteristics:

• They lack accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, especially if it is accredited by an accreditation mill; some such institutions may refer to themselves as being "fully accredited" on the basis of accreditation by an accreditation mill.
• Promotion with words denoting a legal status such as "licensed", "state authorized" or "state-approved" to suggest an equivalence to accreditation.
• No teaching facilities — the address is a postal box or mail forwarding service.
• Promotional literature contains grammatical and spelling errors, words in Latin, extravagant or pretentious language, and sample diplomas.
• Degrees can be obtained within a few weeks or months from the time of enrollment, and back-dating is possible.
• Faculty members hold advanced degrees from the institution itself or similar organizations.
• Academic credit is offered for life experience, and this features heavily in the selling points of the institution.
• Tuition and fees are paid on a degree basis rather than on a per-semester, per-quarter or per-course basis.
• Prospective students are encouraged to "enroll now" before tuition or fees are increased, or they qualify for a "fellowship", "scholarship" or "grant".
• They have no library, personnel, publication or research.
• Doctoral theses and dissertations are not lodged with the Library of Congress or other national repository.
• The school's website looks amateurish or unprofessionally made. The school is situated in the United States but the website is not on the .edu domain — only USDE approved schools can get an .edu address.
• Getting a degree require no visits to the school or other face-to-face meetings. Theses or credits can be approved on a mail-order basis.
• The school is situated in another country, where running diploma mills is legal, standards are lax or prosecution is unlikely. Unfortunately this includes the United States (see above).
• Despite being situated in such a diploma mill-friendly country, the school has no students from that country, and is run entirely by nonnative staff. Compare forum shopping and tax haven.

The list is not inclusive or exclusive.

List

• Adam Smith University
• All India Naturopathy Council
• Alabama Pacific University
• Almeda University (aka Almeda College and University)
• Alternative Medicine Research Institute (aka The Alternative Medicines Research Organization)
• American Austin University
• Indo American University(USA)
• American Bible College and Seminary (there was an accredited school by this name that closed)
• American Center for Religion and Society Studies
• American Central University
• American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc.
• American Global Universities
• American Global University School of Medicine (address in Columbus, Ohio and Belmopan, Belize)
• American National University
• American Open University (Alexandria, Virginia)
• American Pacific University
• American Pacwest International University
• American State University (Hawaii) (aka Hamilton University, Hamilton University of Wyoming, and Richardson University)
• American Universities Admission Program^[1]
• American University of Biblical Studies
• American University of London
• American University of Hawaii^[2](Not to be confused with University of Hawaii)
• American World University (registered in Pascagoula, Mississippi, operator in California)
• Andersonville Theological Seminary
• Arkansas Biblical Graduate School
• Armstrong-Clark University
• Ashford University (London) (not to be confused with Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa)
• Ashwood University
• Athenaeum University International
• Atlantic Baptist Bible College
• Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society
• Baptist Christian University (Renamed in 1993 to Louisiana Baptist University)
• Baptist College of America
• Baptist College of Ministry
• Barber-Scotia College
• Bay Ridge Christian College
• Belford University(not to be confused with the University of Bedford which is linked to University Degree Program) (a PO Box in Humble, Texas)
• Bennington University(not to be confused with Bennington College)
• Berne University
• Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad
• B. H. Carroll Theological Institute (aka Benajah Harvey Carroll Theological Institute)
• Bircham International University (formally Oxford International University)
• Brentwick University
• Breyer State University (Birmingham, Alabama)
• British West Indies Medical College (earlier known as West Indies College of Naturopathic Medicine and Surgery)^[3][4]
• Bronte International University (aka Trinity College and University)
• Buxton University (not to be confused with the University of Derby's Buxton campus) (Connected with instantdegrees.com)
• California American University
• California Biblical University and Seminary
• California Graduate School of Theology
• California Pacific School of Theology
• Calvary Chapel Bible College
• Calvin School of Apologetics and Theology (Kerala, India)
• Cambridge State University ("district officials discovered the school has an extensive criminal history and is nothing more than a diploma mill.")^[5]
• Camford Business School
• Capitol University
• Canadian Institute of English
• Canyon College
• Central Louisiana University
• Central University (Seoul, Korea)
• Canbourne University (not to be confused with Camborne School of Mines)
• Chadwick University
• Chase University
• Champion Baptist College
• Chicago Graduate School of Theology
• Christ For The Nations Institute
• Christian Bible College (Rocky Mount, North Carolina)
• Clarksville School of Theology
• Clayton College of Natural Health^[6][7][8]
• Clayton University
• Columbia Evangelical Seminary (aka Faraston Theological Seminary)
• Columbia Pacific University (now Columbia Commonwealth College in Wyoming)
• Columbia State University
• Columbus University (Picayune, Mississippi)^[9]
• Commercial University Ltd.
• Commonwealth Baptist College (Kentucky)
• Commonwealth Open University (not to be confused with Commonwealth Institute)
• Concordia College and University (This institution is in no way connected to the Concordia University System or with Concordia University)
• Crescent City Christian College (Metairie, Louisiana) ("basically a coach's house — no campus, no facilities, no faculty, no library that anyone could discover")^[10]
• Crown College (Tennessee) (Knoxville, Tennessee)
• Dallas State College
• Dargo College and University
• D.D.B. Sanskrit University
• Degrees-R-Us (aka Lexington University)
• Delhi Vishwa Vidyapeeth
• Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary
• Dublin Metropolitan University
• Dublin European Institute (not to be confused with institute of the same name at National University of Ireland, Dublin)
• Earlscroft University
• Eastern Baptist Institute
• École supérieure Robert de Sorbon (purportly in France, but linked to diploma mills in Sarasota, Florida) (aka American Universities Admission Program)^[11]
• European Business School (Cambridge( / Euro Business School (linked to Irish International University, see below)
• Edison University (aka University of San Gabriel Valley, Southland University, LaSalle University)
• Elim Bible Institute
• Ellington University
• European Open University^[12] Not to be confused with the European Open Universities Network at European Association of Distance Teaching Universities
• European University of Ireland
• Education Council of Tamil Nadu
• Faith Theological Seminary and Christian College
• Faith Way Baptist College
• Fairmount International University
• Flamel College (Sacramento, California)
• Focus on the Family Institute
• Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith
• Gammon Theological Seminary
• Geneva Reformed Seminary
• Glencullen University ("A phony 'Irish university' is marketing degrees internationally via the Internet. An EL reporter in the US, posing as a prospective student, has been offered an English literature degree from 'Glencullen University', without any study, for $960.")^[13]
• Glendale University (not to be confused with Glendale University College of Law in California)
• Golden State Baptist College
• Golden State School of Theology (Stockon, California)
• Golden State University (aka Honolulu University) (not to be confused with Golden Gate University)
• Grace Baptist College
• Great Lakes Bible College
• Greenleaf University
• Greenwich University (Australia) (not to be confused with University of Greenwich, London, England)
• Gulf Coast Bible Institute
• Hamilton University (aka American State University, Hamilton University of Wyoming, and Richardson University)(not to be confused with Hamilton College)
• Harrington University
• Hartley University
• Hindu Online University( India)
• Harvard University for External Studies (not to be confused with Harvard Extension School)
• Hawaii College of Pharmacy
• Heartland Baptist Bible College
• Holy Trinity College and Seminary (New Port Richey, Florida)
• Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (Jordanville, New York)
• Honolulu University (aka Honolulu University of the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities) ^[14]
• Hubbard College of Administration International
• Hyles-Anderson College
• Illinois Theological Seminary Online
• Indian Education Council of U.P
• Indian Institute of Planning and Management
• Indian Virtual University( Singapore)
• Indiana Christian University
• Instantdegrees.com (aka Buxton University)
• Institute of Noetic Sciences
• Instituto Tecnológico de Tehuacán^[15]
• Internet Bible College
• International Academy of Science (Independence, Missouri)
• International Open University Of Medicine (New Delhi, India)
• International Institute of Management (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• International Theological Seminary
• International University of Engineering & Technology (India)
• International University of Fundamental Studies
• Irish International University/Irish International University of Europa
• Irish University Business School
• Islamic Institute of Philosophy
• Islamic Online University
• Jackson Hole Bible College (Jackson Hole, Wyoming) (a one year only school)
• James Monroe International University (aka James Monroe University and Saint Regis University)
• Kansas City College and Bible School
• Kepler College (aka Kepler College of Astrological Arts and Sciences)
• Kennedy-Western University (now called Warren National University)
• Kent College (Louisiana)^[16]
• Kesarwani Vidyapith
• King's International University (not to be confused with King's University College in Edmonton, AB)
• Kingsfield University
• Kingsway Christian College (aka Kingsway Christian College and Seminary) (Norwalk, Iowa)
• Knightsbridge University
• Koinonia Institute (Idaho)
• Lacrosse University (aka La Crosse University)
• Landford University
• LaSalle University (Louisiana) ^[17][18] (not to be confused with La Salle University (Philadelphia), or with LaSalle Extension University (Chicago)])
• Lamberhurst University
• Lexington University (aka Degrees R Us)
• Livets Ord University (Sweden)
• Logos Christian College and Graduate Schools
• Louisiana Baptist University
• Loyola State University (not to be confused with any of the institutions mentioned at Loyola University)
• Madison University (not to be confused with University of Wisconsin-Madison or James Madison University)
• Maharana Patap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya
• Mahila Gram Vidyapith
• Maithili University
• Maimonides University
• Maritime Greenwich College (not to be confused with University of Greenwich). ^[19]
• Marlborough University
• Master's Divinity School (not to confused with the Master's College and the Master's Seminary)
• McQueen's University of Technology
• Metropolitan Collegiate Institute (associated with the fake teaching hospital Sussex General Hospital, both purportedly in London)^[20]
• Midstates Bible College (Des Moines, Iowa)
• Midwestern Baptist College (aka Midwestern Bible College)
• Millwood University
• Modern Institute of Reflexology (Lakewood, Colorado)
• Montferrat University (Montferrat Collegium University, Friedburgh Collegium University)
• Monticello University
• Mountain States Baptist College
• National-Louis University in Evanston, Illinois (Not to be confused with the legitimate school)
• National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy
• Nations University (aka NationsUniversity)
• Newport University (California)
• New Life Theological Seminary
• New Geneva Theological Seminary (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
• New Testament Christian Seminary (Graham, Washington)
• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University
• Northfield University (not to be confused with the Northfield Mount Hermon School)
• North Tennessee Bible Institute
• Open University of America
• Open University of India
• Oxford Graduate School
• Pacific Baptist Bible College (Long Beach, California)
• Pacific International University (aka Pacific College Incorporated and Pacific College of Graduate Studies)
• Pacific Southern University
• Pacific Western University
• Parkwood University
• Patrick Henry College
• Patriot Bible University
• Peace River Bible Institute
• Pensacola Bible Institute
• Pensacola Christian College
• Perfect Image Beauty & Cosmetology Academy
• Preston University (Cheyenne, Wyoming, Dubai, and Pakistan)
• Providence Baptist College
• Queensland Christian University (Australia)
• Queens University of Brighton Diploma mill accreditated by accreditation mill
• Raja Arabic University
• Recoleta University
• Rastriya Vidyapeeth(India)
• Randford University, not to be confused with Radford University
• Redding University
• Rastriya Shiksha Parishad(India)
• Rastriya Sewak Samaj(India)
• Redstone University(India)
• Regent International University^[21](not to be confused with Regent University http://www.regent.edu/)
• Regions University
• Richardson University (Bahamas) (aka American State University, Hamilton University and Hamilton University of Wyoming)
• Robertstown University
• Rochville University (aka www.speedydegrees.com)
• Rushmore University
• Santa Monica Pacific University
• Scofield Graduate School
• Sequoia University (aka College of Drugless Healing)
• Shaftesbury University
• Shelborne University
• Shepherd Bible College
• Shepperton University
• Slidell Baptist Seminary
• South Pacific University
• Southern Christian University
• Southwestern Christian University
• Sri Venkateswara Open University (India)
• St Christopher Iba Mar Diop College of Medicine
• St. Clements University (Called a "degree mill" by the State of Maine^[22], but removed from list after a formal action taken by St Clements University.^[23])
• St. Elias School of Orthodox Theology
• St. Luke Evangelical School Of Biblical Studies
• St. Luke School of Medicine
• St. Regis University (not to be confused with Regis University) (aka James Monroe International University and James Monroe University)
• S.S.K University, Chennai
• Stafford University
• Stamford International University (not to be confused with Stanford University)
• Strassford University
• Stanford University (Arkansas)
• Stanton University
• Suffield University (Connecticut)^[24]
• Summit Theological Seminary
• Summit University (aka Summit University of Louisiana)
• Tabernacle Baptist Theological Seminary
• Temple Baptist College
• Tennessee Temple Theological Seminary
• Texas Baptist College
• The Center for Independent Studies at Miami
• The Indian Institute of Planning and Management
• The Open International University for Alternative Medicine (India) (Missing from UNESCO's list^[25])
• Thames Valley College Limited (A company based in London, UK)
• Thornewood University
• Tooling University
• Trinity College and University (not to be confused with institutions listed at Trinity College)
• Trinity School of Apologetics & Theology (aka Trinity Graduate School of Apologetics And Theology) (Kerala, India)
• Trinity Southern University (See: Colby Nolan)^[26]
• Trinity Theological Seminary (not to be confused with Trinity Evangelical Divinity School)
• Trump University
• Tyndale Theological Seminary
• Urban Harvest Bible Institute & Seminary
• University Consulting Inc. (The parent group of some diploma mills)
• University Degree Program (nearly 50 institutions linked to this operation)
• University of Asia
• University of Bedford (linked to University Degree Program)( not to be confused with the unaccredited Belford University)
• University of Berkley
• University of Beverly Hills
• University of Devonshire
• University of Dunham
• University of England
• University of Engineering & Technology ( India )
• University of Health Sciences Antigua
• University of North America
• University of Northern Washington
• University of Palmers Green
• University of Ravenhurst
• University of San Gabriel Valley
• University of San Moritz
• University of Santa Monica^[27]
• University of Sussex at Brantridge
• University of Switzerland
• University of the Nations (Provost office in Switzerland; Records in UK)
• University of the Nations at Kona (Hawaii)
• University of Wexford (aka University of Wexford at Zurich)
• Uttar Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya
• Vancouver University Worldwide
• Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya
• Victory Baptist College
• Virginia International University^[28]
• Visible School
• Vision Christian University (Ramona, California) (aka Logos Bible College)
• Vision Christian Bible College and Seminary
• Vision International University (Ramona, California)
• Warnborough University Name changed to Warnborough College (Ireland) seeking accreditation
• Warren National University (formally Kennedy-Western University)
• West Clayton University (Humble, Texas)
• West Coast Baptist College
• Westhampton University
• Weston Reserve University (not to be confused with Case Western Reserve University)
• Whitefield College
• World Mission University
• Zion Ministerial Institute

References

See also

• Accreditation mill
• American Biographical Institute
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation
• Diploma mill
• Distance education
• List of recognized accreditation associations of higher learning
• List of unrecognized accreditation associations of higher learning
• Nationally recognized accrediting agencies in the United States
• School accreditation

External links

• Database for Accreditation in the United States (CHEA)
• Database for Accreditation in the United States (USDE)
• Database for Accreditation in the United Kingdom
• Database for Accreditation in Australia
• Database for Accreditation in India
• Database for Accreditation in Malaysia
• Database for Accreditation in the Netherlands
• Database for Accreditation in Pakistan
• Database for Accreditation in the Philippines
• Database for Accreditation in Russia
• Database for Accreditation in Sweden
• Nordic National Recognition Information Centres
• List of worldwide accreditation resources
• List of unlawful colleges/universities in Pakistan
• List of non-accredited colleges/universities by State of Michigan
• List of non-accredited colleges/ universities by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
• List of unacceptable/illegal schools by Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization
• List of non-accredited colleges/ universities by Maine Department of Education
• The World Higher Education Database (IAU/UNESCO) List of accredited schools throughout the world
• The World Higher Education Database (IAU/UNESCO)
• Warning on Bogus Claims of Accreditation/ affiliation with UNESCO