Accreditation is the benchmark that demonstrates a program or institution has met or exceeded standards set by professional or professional-licensing organizations. Here is a helpful set of articles which explains both accreditation and why it’s important to you:
Accreditation Matters (Part II): Consequences of Attending a Non-Accredited School
Accreditation Matters (Part III): Financing Your Health Sciences Education at a Non-Accredited School (This section is written specifically for students considering going into careers in health sciences, but the information is applicable to any field of study.)
Here is a website that may help you in beginning to assess various schools that have online training programs and their accreditation: http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.org/
Check your potential schools and their programs The Office of Degree Authorization , sponsored by the State of Oregon (All degree-granting private post-secondary institutions offering academic programs in Oregon, or to Oregon students from outside the state, must be approved by the Office of Degree Authorization.) http://oregonstudentaid.gov/oda.aspx