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JMHS Blog

Is a JMHS Diploma Accepted at All Colleges?

Written by Nicole Krempasky on Wednesday, 04 January 2023. Posted in College Bound, Helpful Tips

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A big part of planning for your future involves knowing what you want to do after high school. If you have your sights set on continuing your education and going on to college, you might be wondering what colleges and universities accept online high school diploma from James Madison High School. Keep reading to find out where your JMHS diploma can take you.

Can you go to college with a degree from JMHS?

If you’re working on your high school degree or are looking at enrolling at James Madison High School, you might be curious if your diploma will carry you through to higher education. A top question when enrolling in any online school is whether or not they are a legitimate institution. To determine this, the best qualification to look for is the school’s accreditation. If a school is accredited by a recognized organization, it means the school has undergone a review process that meets specific expectations for education. These credentials cannot be bought and have to be renewed periodically to make sure the school is maintaining the standards and keeping up with new ones.

James Madison High School is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The DEAC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

James Madison High School is also accredited by Cognia. Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, professional learning, and improvement services to institutions and other education providers. As a global nonprofit working in over 80 countries, Cognia serves 36,000 institutions, nearly 25 million students, and five million educators every day. Cognia is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).

What colleges accept JMHS degrees?

Because we’re accredited by both Cognia and the DEAC, and offer a Common Core curriculum, graduates may look forward to many colleges and universities accepting their JMHS diplomas. However, neither job placement nor postsecondary admission are guaranteed to graduates upon program completion. There’s no guarantee, however, as to which institution will accept your diploma. Colleges consider many different things when determining which students to accept into their programs, so it’s important to remember accreditation is not the only factor taken into account. Some of the other criteria include:

  • Your grades
  • SAT and ACT scores
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Essays and interviews as specified by the college or university

To get an idea of what some of your options are, take a look at some of the schools former JMHS students have attended.

Where else is my JMHS diploma accepted?

Though college is a great post-high school option, not everyone is inclined to choose that route. For those looking to begin a military career, JMHS is a Tier 1 school. Typically, the Army, Navy, and Marines all accept students from Tier 1 schools, while the Air Force only accepts Tier 1 school students. These qualifications and categories do change, though, so it’s important to check with your local recruiter for more information.

If you’re a student looking forward to beginning your career right after high school, you can certainly do so.

Take the first steps towards an affordable education.

Start shaping your future after high school with an affordable high school education from James Madison High School. Call an Admissions Specialist at to learn more about flexible tuition plans and self-paced courses or enroll online today.

About the Author

Nicole Krempasky

Nicole Krempasky

Nicole Krempasky earned a BA in Communications with a minor in Art History from Arcadia University. Just finishing her MA in International Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University, she is putting her writing and research skills to use as Penn Foster’s Marketing Coordinator. Nicole enjoys baking, traveling, and British TV.