An unscrupulous business that sells "degrees" with cursory or no course work required. The diplomas, degrees, and other papers sold are easily recognized by legitimate academic institutions and employers as valueless and fraudulent. Diploma mills are often fly-by-night schemes operated from a post office box; they escape prosecution by vanishing and, perhaps, starting again under a new name.
an institution of higher education that operates without supervision from a state or professional agency and grants diplomas that are fraudulent or, because of the lack of proper standards, considered worthless
an unaccredited school (or a business claiming to be a school) that awards a degree without requiring classwork meeting college-level standards
a school that basically offers degrees for money
Also called "degree mill." An organization lacking recognition by legitimate accrediting agencies which "awards" academic degrees and diplomas for a flat fee, usually requiring little or no academic study. See http://www.elearners.com/resources/diploma-mills.asp for more information.
A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with very little or no academic study, and without recognition by official accrediting bodies. These degrees are often awarded based on life experience. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines a diploma mill as "An institution of higher education operating without supervision of a state or professional agency and granting diplomas which are either fraudulent or because of the lack of proper standards, worthless."http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/faq.html#diploma Such organizations are unaccredited, but they often claim accreditation by non-recognized/unapproved organizations set up for the purposes of providing a veneer of authenticity.