Regional accrediting bodies are recognized by all governing bodies in the accrediting process. They are non-profit, non-governmental organizations that provide approval of an entire school institution as a whole, leaving individual programs for accreditation by specialized accrediting committees. If a student earns a degree from a school with a stamp of approval from one of the following regional accrediting associations, they can be sure to have credentials that will hold up in the workforce, or be easily transferred to another college or university.

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA): Offers degree-granting colleges and universities in areas including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC): Assures the quality of education colleges and universities in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. There are also two schools in Greece and one in Bulgaria represented by the NEASC.

North Central Association of Colleges and Universities Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC): Committed to developing and maintaining the quality of education in the states of Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU): Gives regional accreditation to post-secondary colleges and universities in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. There are a total of 159 states under the accrediting umbrella of the NWCCU.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS): Carries the accrediting process through for post-secondary schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Caroline, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and throughout parts of Latin America.

Western Association of Schools and Colleges Commission (WASC): Accredits public and private colleges and universities in the states of California and Hawaii, and the U.S. territories in Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Pacific Basin, and East Asia. The WASC also oversees the accreditation of international schools in areas of the Pacific and East Asia in areas not under jurisdiction of the United States.