Due to the proliferation of various educational institutions, both local and international, I'm looking for reliable methods to determine whether a particular one is "legit." What does that mean? Well, I'm sure you know, but let's make it clear: it should be reputable enough so that the degree holder is taken seriously among employers and isn't ridiculed by colleagues.
We live in the "diploma mills" era where for-profit companies disguised as universities sell diplomas to naive students. The criteria to get one are often low or non-existent, as long as one pays the tuition fees.
Where I'm at, the situation with public universities is slightly better but far from confidence-inspiring. The forums I frequent are full of lost students falling off the uni's assembly lines with neither knowledge nor real-world experience. Of course, there are some brilliant people, too, but they're almost an exception to the rule.
TL;DR: how to pick a good school?