MBA Accreditation
There are various regional and national university accreditation agencies. It is not merely enough to look for an accredited MBA program, you should look at the reputation of the accreditation agency. The top MBA programs have both a regional accreditation and accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation (AACSB). There are six regional accreditation agencies in the United States, which are:
Regional Accreditation Agencies
Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA)
The MSA typically accredits colleges and universities in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
The NEASC typically accredits colleges and universities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA)
The NCA typically accredits colleges and universities in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU)
The NWCCU typically accredits colleges and universities in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington State.
Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS)
The SACS typically accredits colleges and universities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
The WASC typically accredits colleges and universities in California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Pacific Basin, and East Asia.
National Accreditation Agencies
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation (AACSB)
The AACSB is well respected and has high standards that colleges and universities must adhere to. Most of the top MBA programs have both AACSB accreditation and one of the six regional accreditations.
Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
The DETC only accredits distance learning programs and is thus fairly new and is not as prestigious as the six regional or AACSB accreditations. However, the DETC is growing quickly as more insitutions are developing distance learning programs.