In the United States, online colleges that are fully accredited have earned a widely recognized form of university accreditation from either one of the six regional accreditation boards, one of the six national accreditation boards[3], or one of the four national faith-based accreditation boards. Each of six geographic regions of the United States has one regional accreditation board, a non-governmental agency that oversees and accredits degree-granting institutions headquartered in their areas.