There comes a time in everyone's life where we need to choose the subject for our post secondary education and the college that we should attend. It is a tough choice since there are many factors that need to be considered before making the final selection. Some of these factors that influence these decisions are the workload at the college, if their friends are joining a particular college, if it is closer to home or if one is going back to the alma mater. However, if one was to choose one aspect that should dictate the choice, the primary criteria for selection should be to check if the course and the college under evaluation are accredited or not.

Why is choosing an accredited school important? Is it really that important? Well, accredited schools have an edge over the other schools in that it meets the standards that are set by the accrediting agency. In simple terms, it means that the school is providing an education that is more specialized in that particular area. The accrediting agency insures that the school is concentrating on providing the excellence in education that each particular field needs. It has an impact in your employment opportunities as well. If there are two students with similar qualifications, the student with a degree from an accredited school will have an edge over the other candidate.

Don't be surprised if the decision of students on which school to select depends more on factors like 'my best friend is joining that school' or 'it is very close to my home'. It is possible that one would save on some money in the short term, if the school that is chosen is a few minutes walk from home. But if that school is not accredited, you will realize that the money spent on earning the degree would be a waste in the long run since it could become a limiting factor in securing gainful employment.

Having seen the benefits of choosing an accredited school, there is one more important thing that you should check before making a final selection. It is possible that the school you are considering has been accredited for a different program but not the one that you plan to pursue. Seems baffling? Well, many big schools offer prospects of studying in multiple areas. Such schools may have accreditations in several of these areas but it does not necessarily mean that all of their programs are accredited. So ensure that you do a thorough check on that.

The good news is that accredited schools are not limited only to the universities. There are technical and community colleges and trade schools that also offer accredited programs. So choose a program and a school that is accredited and insure your future.