Quality assurance in higher education

11.Quality assurance

11.2Quality assurance in higher education

Last update: 22 May 2025

Responsible Units

YÖKAK was established as a public legal entity with administrative and financial autonomy in order to make evaluations on the quality levels of higher education institutions’ education, training, research and social contribution activities and administrative services according to national and international quality standards, to carry out internal and external quality assurance, accreditation processes and authorization of independent external evaluation institutions.

History of Quality Assurance Studies in Higher Education Institutions

Quality assurance efforts in higher education started with the Law on Higher Education, which defined the roles and responsibilities of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), and accelerated with Türkiye’s inclusion in the Bologna Process in 2001. In 2005, the Regulation on Academic Evaluation and Quality Development in Higher Education Institutions was published and the Academic Evaluation and Quality Development Commission of Higher Education Institutions (YÖDEK) and Academic Evaluation and Quality Development Boards (ADEK) in universities were established. The YÖDEK structure, the first initiative in the Turkish higher education system, lasted until 2015. In 2015, YÖKAK was established and strengthened its independent nature with a regulation in 2017. YÖKAK carries out its activities within the scope of the Regulation on Higher Education Quality Assurance and Higher Education Quality Board published in 2018.

Structure and Duties of the Higher Education Quality Council

The Higher Education Quality Council consists of 13 members. The Board consists of three members elected by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE), three members elected by the Interuniversity Council (IUC), one member elected by the Ministry of National Education (MoNe), one member each representing the VQA, the Presidency of the Turkish Institutes of Health (TÜSEB), TÜBİTAK, the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) and TOBB, and one member representing students.

Within the scope of the Regulation updated in 2023, the main duties of YÖKAK are to conduct external evaluation of higher education institutions, to ensure the internationalization and dissemination of quality assurance culture in these institutions, and to carry out the processes of authorization and recognition of accreditation bodies.

Quality Assurance Methods and Approaches

The methods and approaches used by YÖKAK within the scope of its main tasks are outlined below.

Institutional External Evaluation Program

The Institutional External Evaluation Program (IEEP) is a program by YÖKAK that aims to evaluate the education, research and development, social contribution and administrative service processes of higher education institutions within the scope of YÖKAK Evaluation Criteria. Higher education institutions are evaluated within the scope of IEEP no later than the fifth year following the academic year in which they first graduate.

The output of the IEEP is institutional feedback reports. As a national organization, YÖKAK focuses on accountability, transparency, learning outcomes, evidence-based approach and innovation in the evaluation of the quality assurance system. By the end of 2024, the institutional external evaluation process of 200 higher education institutions was completed. Institutional Internal Evaluation Reports (IER) are prepared by higher education institutions every year as a basis for the IEEP. After the higher education institutions included in the program are determined, the evaluation team, which will carry out the evaluation process, makes a preliminary visit and field visit to the institution to be evaluated. The Institutional Feedback Report (IRR) prepared after the visits is shared with the public by YÖKAK.

Monitoring Program

The Monitoring Program aims to evaluate the development process of higher education institutions following the Institutional External Evaluation Program (KDDP). The main evaluation scope of the monitoring system consists of areas identified for improvement in the Institutional Feedback Reports (KGBRs) prepared as a result of the external evaluation of the institution. In addition, the sustainability of the institution’s strengths, as highlighted in the KGBRs, is also assessed.

Institutions evaluated under the KDDP are included in the monitoring process no earlier than the second year following the evaluation year. Once the institutions to be monitored are determined, the evaluation team conducts a preliminary visit and a field visit to the institution. The Monitoring Report prepared after the visits is published by YÖKAK. As of the end of 2024, YÖKAK has conducted monitoring activities in 182 higher education institutions.

Institutional Accreditation Program

Following the KDDP and the Monitoring Program, the Institutional Accreditation Program (IAP), which utilizes a rubric-based approach aligned with YÖKAK Evaluation Criteria, was developed. As of April 2025, 109 institutions have been evaluated, and 103 of them are accredited through the program, which was first launched in 2020 in voluntary higher education institutions.

The IAP is an external evaluation method that enables the assessment of leadership, governance and quality assurance, education and training, research and development, and social contribution processes in higher education institutions within the framework of the “plan, implement, control, and take measures” cycle. The process is carried out by evaluation teams formed by YÖKAK, in accordance with the YÖKAK Evaluation Criteria and the Evaluation Programs Guide. Each year, institutions to be evaluated under the IAP are selected by YÖKAK, and evaluation teams are formed based on the structure of the institutions. These teams conduct preliminary and field visits to the relevant institutions.

Based on these visits, the evaluation teams prepare Institutional Accreditation Reports (KAR). YÖKAK then decides on full accreditation (for five years), conditional accreditation (for two years), or denial of accreditation (while providing support to the institution within the scope of quality assurance practices). At the end of the process, KAR is made public.

Interim Evaluation Program

Higher education institutions that are evaluated under the IAP and granted full or conditional accreditation are included in the interim evaluation process in the second year following the accreditation decision. The purpose of the interim evaluation is to assess the development of quality processes in institutions with full or conditional accreditation.

The method used in these evaluations is based on the accreditation decision made under the IAP and the reasoned recommendation of the relevant commission. As a result of the interim evaluation, a decision is made either to continue full accreditation or to reject the conversion of conditional accreditation to full accreditation. Interim Evaluation Reports are made public at the end of the process. By the end of 2024, the interim evaluation process of 16 institutions had been completed.

Program Accreditation

Program accreditation refers to the assessment and external quality assurance process that measures whether a higher education program meets the academic and field-specific standards predetermined by an accreditation body.

The authorization of national accreditation bodies and the recognition of international accreditation bodies are carried out according to principles and criteria set by YÖKAK. In this context, YÖKAK has published the Guidelines for the Authorization, Recognition, and Monitoring of External Evaluation and Accreditation Bodies.

Since 2016, the Guide to Higher Education Programs and Quotas, used in university entrance exams, has included information on programs accredited by YÖKAK-authorized or -recognized bodies. Authorized/ recognized organizations are also listed on the official YÖKAK website.

International accreditation bodies that are not recognized by YÖKAK may also operate in Türkiye. However, to be included in the Guide to Higher Education Programs and Quotas, these organizations must first be recognized by YÖKAK.

Student Engagement

Awareness and efforts related to student participation in quality assurance activities in higher education are increasing day by day. One of the steps taken in this regard is the establishment of a Student Commission within YÖKAK. In addition, the inclusion of a student as a member of the YÖKAK Board reflects the importance placed on student involvement in quality assurance. The main duties of the Commission include:

Ensuring the internalisation and dissemination of a quality culture in higher education by students
Increasing student participation in quality assurance processes in higher education
Conducting student participation-based studies at national and international levels
Recommending student evaluator candidates to the relevant committee for the evaluation programs conducted by the Council
Preparing an activity report regarding the works carried out by the committee in the relevant year and presenting it to the Council.

Since 2020, both members of the Student Commission and other students from higher education institutions have been accepted into the European Students’ Union (ESU) Quality Assurance Student Expert Pool. In addition, to support internal quality assurance activities, student quality communities, established voluntarily by students, are currently active in 165 institutions.

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