According to the most recent report of Accredibase, the UK-based background screening company Verifile Limited, there was a staggering 48% increase in the number of known degree or diploma mills operating worldwide last year. It identified more than 2,500 bogus institutions across all regions, but primarily in North America and Europe.

Iona College acknowledged Tuesday that its former provost had, for nearly a decade, manipulated and misreported student-related data to government officials, accrediting bodies, bond rating agencies, and others.

Four-week masters and doctorate degrees – and even undergraduate courses – are being offered over the Internet with no official recognition. Hence, the problem arises later when students seek admission to other universities, pass the entrance exam, but cannot enrol as their qualification is not recognised. In Latin America the demand for higher education is so great that people let themselves get sucked in.

A master's in education and a PhD in culture and education in Latin America that do not meet the legal requirements were advertised by a university foundation in Bogotá. Furthermore, the programmes, delivered under an agreement with a Chilean university, were not registered with Colombia's education ministry.

Oregon lawmakers have passed a bill requiring those seeking employment in the state to add a disclaimer on their résumé to any qualifications not issued by an institution of higher education accredited by a state recognized accrediting agency. This is part of an on-going struggle by state legislators against institutions of education where academic standards are insufficient or non-existent. The Office of Degree Authorization lists on its Web site more than 300 institutions which is not recognized.

The Department of Education has launched a website which features a list of 6,900 academic institutions accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency. The website is designed to help employers distinguish between accredited institutions of higher education and unaccredited institutions commonly as "diploma mills" that offer bogus degrees.

La Salle University, a religious degree-granting correspondence university, was shut down by the FBI for issuing falsely accredited degree in 1996. Due to the fraud, the students were notified personally or through advertisements that they could receive restitution from the over $ 10 million seized from La Salle. However, due to a bad computer system it is still possible that some students were left out.

Graduates of a radiology-technology program in Kentucky have sued the institution, claiming that it lied about the program's accreditation status. The institution's three-year radiology-technology program costs about $33,000 to complete, and is still not accredited by the proper organization, the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Nine students have graduated from the program, and 75 are currently enrolled. Without accreditation, students cannot take the national licensing exam and earn the proper credentials for employment.