> achieved something rare for tuition-free, online universities: a Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation. This puts it in the same league as the University of Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, ...

Unable just now to find any of the above-named three by querying the WASC school search page:

https://directory.acswasc.org/new/

You're looking for https://www.wscuc.org/directory/

ACSWASC is the Accrediting Commission for elementary and secondary schools, adult schools, and supplementary education programs. WSCUC is the senior college and university commission.

UC Berkeley: https://www.wscuc.org/institutions/university-of-california-...

Stanford: https://www.wscuc.org/institutions/stanford-university/

UCLA: https://www.wscuc.org/institutions/university-of-california-...

University of the People: https://www.wscuc.org/institutions/university-of-the-people/

Given the number of dubious for-profit colleges that have accreditation, I wouldn't say it tells you much about whether a school is legit.

This one is non-profit but it didn't fit within the HN title length.

Sure, but the article is saying the school's accreditation "validates its quality of education". I'm saying that's not really true. There are many schools that are accredited and are crap or scams. Accreditation on its own doesn't tell you much.

> (WASC) accreditation. This puts it in the same league as the University of Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, and more.

That tells me something

No, it doesn't. That info from the website is a gross mischaracterization and seemingly an attempt at self-promotion. It's like saying that your building has walls and a ceiling and is therefore in the same league as Notre Dame de Paris and the Taj Mahal.

As an example, some of Corinthian's colleges (Heald College) were accredited by WASC. . . until they declared bankruptcy in the face of multiple fraud investigations and a $30 million fine.

The accreditation is an extremely low bar. In my view it is so low it is harmful because it totally fails to distinguish legitimate schools from shady ones. Accredited colleges run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous.

That's not to say the school that this article is from is bad. I don't really know anything about this school. But the fact that they tout mere accreditation as putting them on par with Stanford and that they can't correctly name the University of California, Berkeley does not inspire confidence. The fact that it is nonprofit is a plus, though, as the worst of the crap-but-accredited schools are for-profit ones.

Are you sure? This is the full list of WASC-accredited schools:

https://www.wscuc.org/directory/

It includes schools like Cal Northern School of Law, which is not ABA-accredited.

How does this school pay the bills without charging any tuition?

Answering my own question (should have checked first): they have exam fees if you want to get a credit.