What Is a Diploma Mill?

A degree is often seen as a ticket to a better future, but not all degrees are created equal.

While the vast majority of degrees awarded each year in the U.S. carry value, those from a so-called diploma mill are essentially worth nothing. When choosing what college or university you want to attend, it’s incredibly valuable to know how to spot a diploma mill, also referred to as a degree mill.

Students at diploma mills essentially receive worthless credentials, usually requiring little to no work.

Still, if you fall victim to a diploma mill, you could end up wasting thousands of dollars. Here, we’ll explain what a diploma mill is, red flags to be on the lookout for, and how to ensure your degree will be valued by employers after you graduate.

In short, a diploma mill is any organization that awards fraudulent degrees or credentials.

The actual intricacies of diploma mills can vary from mill to mill. Due to their scrupulous nature, there is no set model for all diploma mills; they can employ a variety of tactics to try to ensnare unsuspecting — although sometimes complicit — students.

Common fronts for a diploma mill include:

One thing that virtually all degree mills have in common is that they are not recognized by a legitimate accrediting agency. While an “institution” may list an accreditor, the agency listed may not be recognized by either the U.S. Department of Education (ED) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Most U.S. employers will only value a credential if it comes from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by ED and/or CHEA.

Still, many people use the term diploma mill to describe “easy” or “online” programs, often provided by for-profit institutions. While some may question the value of a degree from these institutions, if they are accredited by a recognized agency, they would not meet the formal definition of a diploma mill.

Accrediting agencies are the gatekeepers of degree value in the U.S.

An easy rule of thumb to follow when determining whether a college program is legit is to check whether the institution and/or program is accredited by a reputable accreditor. To be considered trustworthy, the school should have the stamp of approval from one or both of the following entities:

Still, you’ll have to do some legwork.

Any institution or program can claim to be accredited by an agency recognized by ED or CHEA. However, the only way to know for certain is to first make sure that the agency listed on a school’s website is actually recognized by ED or CHEA.

Next, you’ll need to make sure that the accrediting agency itself has approved the college in question.

For example, the Higher Learning Commission is a popular institutional accreditor that is recognized by both ED and CHEA. While a college may claim to be accredited by HLC, you’ll first need to head to the agency’s directory of institutions to validate that claim.

Every accrediting agency has a directory or a similar way of checking a school or program’s claim.

It is true that some legitimate colleges or universities lack accreditation. Perhaps they are relatively new institutions still seeking accreditation, or maybe they employ an education model that doesn’t fit into any existing accreditor’s framework.

Still, in the overwhelming majority of instances, unaccredited colleges should be viewed as potential degree mills.

In theory, college accreditation is a means of weeding out institutions and programs that don’t meet a certain educational standard.

This doesn’t always work out in practice — plenty of predatory institutions have operated with an accreditor’s stamp of approval in the past. However, the system generally works to ensure that a student’s diploma or credential will have value, especially in the eyes of future employers.

If you don’t attend an accredited college or university, future employers may consider your degree meaningless.

College accreditation is also important because it allows students to access federal financial aid. If a school or program is not accredited by an agency recognized by the Department of Education, you won’t be able to utilize federal grants and loans to help pay for your education.