What is a Diploma Mill?

Answer:
A Diploma Mill (also referred to as

a ‘degree mill’) is a ‘university’ or ‘college’ which confers degrees on students either with substandard academic requirements or no requirements at all. Diploma Mills charge money for the degree or diploma.

In the United States, anyone can put out a shingle and call themselves a college or a university. The Department of Education (DOE) can do little to shut these agencies down. If you are concerned that an institution in which you are interested might be a diploma mill, your best safeguard is to check out the DOE website (www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html), where they have a listing of all officially recognized accrediting agencies. If the school of your interest doesn’t have an accreditation from one of those, you’re taking your chances.

Many of the diploma mills around the country are religious colleges. Often religious studies don’t need accreditation, but be careful: in some states, applying to a job with a non-accredited degree can land you in trouble. Be truthful about the fact that you received your degree/certificate/diploma from a non-accredited school. In various states, people who deliberately seek a job with a ‘fake’ degree can be jailed (or at the least, fined).

Diploma mills are very popular in some states (like Wyoming, for instance), and recently a cat received his MBA from a diploma mill in Texas. If you’re looking for a credible education, these are definitely places to avoid.