Address
Ministry of Education and Children
Eurydice Unit Iceland
Borgartún 33
105 Reykjavík
Iceland
Tel: +354 545 9500
E-Mail: mrn@mrn.is
Types of Higher Education Institutions
There are currently seven higher education institutions in Iceland, found public and three privates.
Public Higher Education institutions:
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University of Iceland
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University of Akureyri
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Agricultural University of Iceland Hólar University
Private Higher Education institutions:
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Reykjavík University
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Bifröst University
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Iceland University of the Arts
These institutions:
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offer programs across Bachelor, master’s and (where accredited) doctoral levels.
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combine academic and professional education within the same institutional framework.
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operate under accreditation for specific fields of study.
The system includes both comprehensive universities (e.g. University of Iceland) and specialized institutions (e.g. arts, agriculture, marine sciences), reflecting national priorities and regional development.
All higher education institutions in Iceland are governed by the same legal framework, although there is also an additional Act on Public Higher Education institutions, that does not apply to the private higher education institutions.
Legal framework:
External Quality Assurance of Higher Education is carried out by the Icelandic Agency for Quality Sssurance (IAQA) within the remits of the Icelandic Quality Enhancement Framework (QEF). The main objective of the QEF is to drive enhancement in the Icelandic higher education sector and create information and knowledge about quality in higher education. This is done by supporting institutions in identifying good practice and key challenges, and by giving recommendations for quality enhancement. This enhancement-led approach is at the heart of the QEF, simultaneously allowing institutions to demonstrate public accountability, quality, and transparency.
The QEF is designed in close dialogue with the Icelandic higher education sector. While firmly rooted in the national context, the QEF is benchmarked against standards and approaches to quality assurance across the European Higher Education Area and designed to fulfil national requirements for quality assurance in higher education.
The framework's current and third cycle runs from 2024 to 2029.