List of unaccredited institutions of higher education

This is a list of colleges, seminaries, and universities that do not have educational accreditation. In many countries, accreditation is defined as a governmental designation.

Degrees or other qualifications from unaccredited institutions may not be accepted by civil service or other employers. Some unaccredited institutions have formal legal authorization to enroll students or issue degrees, but in some jurisdictions (notably including the United States) legal authorization to operate is not the same as educational accreditation.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) , Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, accessed October 5, 2010John Bear and Mariah P. Bear (2003), Bears' guide to earning degrees by distance learning, Ten Speed Press.

Institutions that appear on this list are those that are notable by Wikipedia standards and have granted post-secondary academic degrees or advertised the granting of such degrees but which are listed as unaccredited by a reliable source. There are several reasons for an institution not maintaining accreditation. A new institution may not yet have attained accreditation, while a long-established institution may have lost accreditation because of financial difficulties or other factors. Some unaccredited institutions are fraudulent diploma mills.Important Questions about Accreditation, Degree Mills, and Accreditation Mills , Council on Higher Education Accreditation website, retrieved October 17, 2010. Other institutions (for example, a number of Bible colleges and seminaries) choose not to participate in the accreditation process because they view it as an infringement of their religious, academic, or political freedom.An example of a school that has historically refused to participate in an accreditation process is Pensacola Christian College. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported (in Bartlett, Thomas, "A College That's Strictly Different ," March 24, 2006): "Pensacola has shown no interest in outside approval of any kind. Nor does it advertise its unaccredited status. A search of the Web site turns up no mention of accreditation. It is not mentioned in the college's viewbook either, which dedicates four pages to sports activities and two to campus facilities. It is mentioned, in small print, on the inside flap of the course catalog: 'Pensacola Christian College has never made application for regional accreditation as the College believes it would jeopardize the College's philosophical distinctives.' The catalog goes on to say that getting other colleges to accept Pensacola's credits 'has seldom been an insurmountable problem.'" Some government jurisdictions exempt religious institutions from accreditation or other forms of government oversight.Religious Exempt Schools , Oregon Office of Degree Authorization website, accessed October 17, 2010. Still other institutions are not required to have accreditation.

Some of the institutions on this list are no longer in operation. Several unaccredited universities have names that are similar to those of accredited institutions, and thus some persons may be misled into thinking that an entity is an accredited university. Accreditation is date-related: in the United States, colleges and universities are typically not fully accredited until several years after they open. Also in the United States, many colleges and universities existed prior to the development of the modern accreditation system.

There are many organizations which give their own accreditation, not generally recognised as valid by governments and others, to educational institutions. Many of these are listed in the article List of unrecognized higher education accreditation organizations. Some of the educational institutions listed here claim accreditation from such organizations.

Adam Smith University, Liberia and SaipanFiocchetti, C., Checcacci, C. & Lantero, L., "How to spot and counter diploma mills", Chapter 4 (November 2010) Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence (CIMEA) Under Texas law "fraudulent or substandard degrees" are degrees conferred in Texas in violation of the Texas Education Code, conferred in another state in violation of that state's laws, conferred in another state by an institution not accredited by an accreditor recognized in Texas, or conferred outside the United States by an institution that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board determines is not the equivalent of an accredited or authorized degree. Adams College, South Africa Alliance International University, Zambia All Saints American University, Liberia Almeda University, Idaho (also known as Almeda College or Almeda International University)Information about some degree-granting institutions not accredited by CHEA-recognized organizations, Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, 2004–2006. American Central University, WyomingTie to illegal degrees doesn't block Wyo. school licensing, Casper Star Tribune, March 12, 2005. American City University American InterContinental University) American Pacwest International University, HawaiiState of Hawaii Department of commerce and Consumer Affairs, Press release: Pacific Western University (Hawaii) aka American PacWest International University , May 19, 2006 American State University (also known as Hamilton University and Richardson University), Hawaii and Wyoming and the CaribbeanState of Hawaii Department of commerce and Consumer Affairs, Civil Enforcement Lawsuit: American State University American University in London, England;Private Educator Faces New Questions, The Vancouver Sun, 16 October 2006 closed in 2007 American University of London, CaliforniaOregon Office of Degree Authorization, Unaccredited Colleges Pakistan Higher Education Commission, Public Alert on Substandard Private Universities American World University, MississippiNon-Approved Entities, Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation, 2007. Accessed November 21, 2010. Ashwood University, Florida and Pakistan and Texas Atlantic International University, Hawaii (not to be confused with Atlantic University, Virginia) Barber-Scotia College, North Carolina (lost accreditation in 2004)PCUSA, Presbyterian News Service, Barber-Scotia College loses accreditation, July 23, 2004 Barrington University, AlabamaAlabama threatens to pull university license, South Florida Business Journal, October 27, 2000 Bay Ridge Christian College (also known as Bay Ridge College), Texashttp://bayridgecollege.org Belford UniversityCraig Malisow, First-Degree Fraud, Houston Press, July 20, 2006 (not to be confused with the similarly unaccredited University of Bedford, or the legitimate University of Bedfordshire) Berean Bible College, California; claims approval from the unaccredited Accrediting Commission International Bienville University, Mississippi; reported closed as of 2007 Bircham International University (formerly Oxford International University) pages 192–193 Breyer State University, PanamaClay Risen, The Scourge of Fake Diplomas, The New Republic, 01.23.06. Bronte International University, Dakota Buxton University, United Kingdom; unofficially ceased operations in 2011 (not to be confused with the University of Derby's Buxton campus) Calvary Chapel Bible College, California Cambridge State University, MississippiJackie Harrison-Martin, , The News-Herald, Southgate, Michigan, July 2, 2006. Canadian School of Management (also known as Revans University), Vanuatu Canterbury University, SeychellesRecognised bodies listed by DfEE, retrieved 24 May 2007Fighting Credential Fraud – World Education News & Reviews website, retrieved 24 May 2007 Carolina University of Theology, Virginia; website states that school is accredited by Accrediting Commission InternationalCarolina University of Theology FAQ Page , last updated 22 Sep 2006 Chadwick University, AlabamaAdam Jones, State's diploma mills draw academic ire. Tuscaloosa News, Feb. 11, 2007 Charis Bible College, Colorado; overseen by the unaccredited Transworld Accrediting Commission International Christ For The Nations Institute, TexasChrist for the Nations Institute website: Accreditation (accessed March 21, 2008): "Board of Directors of Christ For The Nations has determined to withdraw from pursuing accreditation with the Association for Biblical Higher Education [...] CFNI holds accreditation with the International Christian Accrediting Association (ICAA) [...] ICAA is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education." Christian Bible College, North CarolinaSteve Levicoff. Name It and Frame It?. (3rd edition) Institute on Religion and Law. 1993 (page 34-35) ASIN B0006F1PCQ Clarksville School of Theology, Tennessee; shut down in 1982Closure for lack of legal authority to issue degrees is cited in Texas State Supreme Court decision and in Berkshire Eagle article, 5 November 1985. Clayton College of Natural Health, AlabamaThe Oregon Office of Degree Authorization lists it as an "unaccredited college." "Degree holders are ineligible for Oregon professional practice or licensure." Columbia Pacific University Columbia State University Columbus University, Mississippi; closed by state action Concordia College and University, Dominica (list is no longer being maintained)Diploma mills offer degrees for a price and not much else , The East Carolinian, September 30, 2004 Concordia Theologica Institute For Biblical Studies, South Carolina; closed at some point between 2017 and 2023 Cranmer Theological House, Louisiana and TexasNotice Regarding Accreditation , Cranmer Theological House website, accessed April 18, 2009, states: "CTH is not formally accredited by any secular organization." Crown College, Washington; lost accreditation in 2007See Tacoma career college loses its accreditation, by Justin Matlick, Puget Sound Business Journal, August 3, 2007, and Accreditation lost, Tacoma school closes by Emily Heffter, Seattle Times, August 9, 2007 Delta International University of New Orleans, Louisiana Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth, India Donsbach University, OregonStephen Barrett, M.D., Some Notes on Donsbach University, Quackwatch website, May 28, 2004Nutrition Quackery: Big Business, New York Times, August 3, 1986 Dublin Metropolitan University, Cyprus Darul Ihsan University, Bangladesh Edison University, Oregon Emmaus Baptist College, Florida Fairfax University; Louisiana; closed in 2004 Frederick Taylor International University, Hawaii and California Free Gospel Bible Institute, Pennsylvania George Wythe University, UtahAccreditation and Glencullen University, IrelandHarry Browne, "'Irish' university is mobile phoney," The Irish Times. 3 April 2001. Golden State Baptist College, CaliforniaGolden State Baptist College Catalog , Retrieved 26 Oct 2007 Golden State University (also known as Honolulu University of the Arts, Sciences and Humanities), Hawaii (originally located in California) Greenwich University, London; closed in 2002 (not to be confused with the legitimate University of Greenwich) Hamilton University, WyomingCBS News, 60 Minutes II, Diplomas For Sale, Nov. 10, 2004. (also known as American State University and Richardson University); closed in 2008 Headway University, Pakistan Heartland Baptist Bible College (formerly known as the Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College), Oklahoma Hill University, Pakistan Honolulu University (also known as Honolulu University of the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities and Golden State University)German Press Agency, "US university sues dead Singapore agent," October 15, 2006 Hyles-Anderson College and Hyles-Anderson College Seminary, IndianaHyles-Anderson College & Seminary Catalog , Retrieved 26 Oct 2007 Indian Institute of Planning and Management, India Indiana Bible College, Indiana Indiana Christian University, Indiana Institute for Creation Research Graduate School and School of Biblical Apologetics, Texas