The best way that you could check a school's accreditation would be through the U.S. Department of Education. Proper accreditation is extremely important when choosing your degree. The U.S. Department actually has an accreditation database that anyone can use.
There are many academic scams out there, and there are some ways you could spot a phony. The school's website can't necessarily be a great way to check accreditation because the school has the liberty of posting what they want on their website. If they are offering "sales" on degrees, or if degrees are promised to be completed in a very short amount of time, it is likely not an accredited school.
An internet search could be helpful, but not always reliable as well because not all information displayed on the internet comes from reliable sources.
Checking on your local campus could be helpful, but it's still not the best way to check accreditation. There could definitely be awards hanging on the wall, or people to talk to who could give you insight, but it's not the most convenient way to check.
