[HarryHirsch]

For practical purposes there's no difference at all, the outcome is the same. Someone puts down a list of requirements, and the school will comply - if they don't there's consequences.

If a school won't comply to licensing requirements they government will levy a fine. If a school fails accreditation students will run away, they rightly think that employers won't take their degree seriously. There also won't be federal student loans.

Sometimes professional bodies approve degrees. There are no consequences at all, except that the more capable students stay away from unrecognized degree programs. At my department they are actually moving away from adjuncts because the professional body requires that courses be taught by full-time lecturers or professors. Leadership has decided that the extra expenses for full-time faculty members with benefits are justified by the improved quality of students.

[WoodenChair]

There is a big difference because when you don't follow the government's rules, you get shutdown. When you don't follow an independent body's rules, you can keep operating you're just not accredited. There are many great non-accredited institutions that teach all manner of skill across this country, including excellent non-accredited colleges.