Diploma Mills: How to Avoid Them

Diploma Mills; How to Recognize, Avoid Them

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<a href="/diploma-mills/"><img src="https://www.collegechoice.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/DiplomaMills.jpg" alt="Diploma Mills" width="500" border="0" /></a><br />Source: <a href="/">CollegeChoice.net</a>

Definition: Sell degrees without requiring true academic achievement.
In other words: Worthless degrees.

Diploma Mills are highly profitable.

$200 Million: Estimated amount that diploma mills rake in annually
500: Estimated number of Ph.D. degrees awarded by Diploma Mills monthly
400: Estimated number of Diploma Mills
300: Number of websites run by Diploma Mills
98: number of fake accreditation agencies operating in U.S. today.

Preying on the Innocent: Why having a degree matters?

Bachelor Degree holders earn 85 % more than those with “just” high school diploma
Master’s and Ph.D.’s earn 45 % more than having a B.S. (or B.A.)

Protect Yourself: 10 Warning Signs:

1. The University is not accredited.

Be wary of aggressive cold-calls, spam, using jargon:
Authenticated
Verifiable
Licensed
Internationally approved
Notarized

2. No studies, no exams, no interaction
3. Admission based on having a Visa or MasterCard
4. Degree based on work experience and faxed resume
No valid online university in U.S. will award a graduate degree (master's or doctorate) based solely on a review of work, life, or career experience.
5. Instant degree—within 30 days of application, regardless of your status upon entry
6. Promised a degree in exchange for a lump sum — typically $399-$2,000 for an undergraduate degree and up to $3,000 for a graduate degree.Universities do not commonly charge flat fees.
7. Multiple complaints on file.
8. Your online "counselor" assures you that international online universities can’t be accredited in the U.S by CHEA-recognized agencies. This is a lie.
9. School’s website lists no faculty or lists faculty who have attended schools accredited by bogus agencies
10. The university offers online degrees to U.S. citizens but is located in a foreign country

Top 10 U.S. Locations by State for Diploma Mills

• California (134)
• Hawaii (94)
• Washington (87)
• Florida (57)
• Texas (53)
• New York (44)
• Louisiana (39)
• (tie) Illinois (29)
• (tie) Nevada (29)
• Arizona (28)

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