Accreditation & Licensing | Penn Foster
Get started for $20* with monthly auto pay or save up to $470 when you pay in full! Offer Ends 12/30/2024
1-800-275-4410 (10AM - 6:30PM ET)

Penn Foster Accreditations, Licensing, and Recommendations

Penn Foster Career School and High School have earned both regional and national accreditation. Penn Foster College has earned national accreditation. Accreditation is a public notification that an institution and a program meet the quality standards set forth by the accreditor. It means that Penn Foster schools and programs have been evaluated against a pre-determined set of criteria set forth by the accrediting body.

Penn Foster High School, Penn Foster Career School, and Penn Foster College are accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The DEAC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).


DEAC Student Achievement Disclosure for the Public Form - Penn Foster High School

DEAC Student Achievement Disclosure for the Public Form - Penn Foster Career School

DEAC Student Achievement Disclosure for the Public Form - Penn Foster College

Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) logo.

Penn Foster Career School is regionally accredited for non-degree granting postsecondary programs, and Penn Foster High School is regionally accredited for grades 9 through adult, by the Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA. 215-662-5603 www.msa-cess.org.

MSA CESS logo.

Penn Foster High School is accredited by Cognia. Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, professional learning, and improvement services to institutions and other education providers. As a global nonprofit working in over 80 countries, Cognia serves 36,000 institutions, nearly 25 million students, and five million educators every day. Cognia is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). Parents and interested community members can learn more about the Cognia Accreditation at Cognia.org.

Accredited Cognia badge.

Penn Foster Career School has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). In obtaining this accreditation, Penn Foster Career School has demonstrated that it complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard which is recognized internationally as a standard of good practice. As a result of their Authorized Provider status, Penn Foster Career School is authorized to offer IACET CEUs for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard. Penn Foster College is also authorized to offer IACET CEUs for its career diploma program that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard.

Accredited IACET Provider badge.

You can be confident in the credibility of our school. Penn Foster College's Veterinary Technician Associate Degree Program has FULL Accreditation with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) through their Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA). This accreditation "represents the highest standard of achievement for veterinary medical education in the United States. Institutions that earn accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review."

 Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) Accredited logo.

Penn Foster College has been approved by Arizona SARA Council (AZ SARA) to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education.

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements Approved Institution badge.

Licensing

Penn Foster Career School is licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools. Penn Foster High School is licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools which oversees licensure of programs administered to students over the age of 18. The program name on file with the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools is High School 9-12.

 

Penn Foster College is licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education and is authorized to award Associate of Science Degrees, Bachelor of Science Degrees, Undergraduate Certificates, and Career Diplomas.

 

Penn Foster Training Institute is registered with the State of Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Consumer Protection, as a Non-Degree-Granting Postsecondary School under the Utah Postsecondary School and State Authorization Act (Title 13, Chapter 34, Utah Code). Penn Foster Training Institute is not accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission.

 

Penn Foster High School operates as a non-public, non-licensed accredited day school in Pennsylvania through its accreditation with the Middle States Association Commission of Elementary and Secondary Schools.

Some Penn Foster Degree and Undergraduate Certificate courses have been reviewed by the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service. The American Council on Education, the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT website at www.acenet.edu. Credits earned in Penn Foster programs may transfer to some, but not all, learning institutions. Students who plan to continue their education with another school after earning a degree from Penn Foster should check with that school regarding credit transfer policies. No form of accreditation guarantees that any learning institution will accept credits from any school as transfer credits.

American Council on Education (ACE) logo.

Penn Foster is a Better Business Bureau accredited business with a BBB Rating of A+.

Penn Foster BBB Business Review

Need more info or ready to enroll?

We're here to help. Call 1-800-275-4410 (10AM - 6:30PM ET)