Are community colleges accredited? They certainly can be.
Community colleges are subject to review and accreditation in the same way that four-year colleges and universities are. In fact, some of the most highly accredited schools (by having received high evaluation scores) are indeed community colleges. These could be due to a variety of reasons, including:
- Cutting-edge programs in technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology related fields
- Effective assimilation into four-year colleges and universities
- Affordability
- Public funding
- Partnerships with accredited four-year institutions
In fact, it only makes sense that community colleges would be liable for accreditation, given that the credits they provide are so often acquired by students in lieu of the credits offered at a four-year institution to which they have already been accepted. This is usually because such credits are cheaper and closer to where the student lives, rendering them much more convenient, especially for general education studies. Furthermore, since community colleges are often the most cost-effective and academically prudent option for students just leaving high school, it is important that community colleges are included in the accreditation process. In essence, community colleges are a substantial element within the American education system and thus, should never be cast to the wayside by foregoing institutional review and public attentiveness.
Specialized or Regional Accreditation?
It does seem logical that community colleges would be subject to regional as opposed specialized review, but this is usually not the case. In fact, community colleges are reviewed in precisely the same way that four-year institutions are reviewed, and thus, are subject to specialized review in the same manner and for the same reasons as those larger institutions. This also means that a community college can retain both regional and specialized accreditation, although this is unlikely. Due to the nature of community colleges, many of their major areas of focused are underdeveloped (offering a curtailed version of the same majors that appear in larger colleges in order to accommodate the nationally required general education courses). Thus, it is intrinsically more difficult for a community college to receive a specialized accreditation unless it has a limited area of focus (such as the case with two-year nursing or graphic art schools).