Saudi education authority gains US Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognition

The Education and Training Evaluation Commission, represented by the National Center for Academic Accreditation and Evaluation, has achieved a major international milestone by receiving official recognition from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in the United States. The commission is the first national accreditation body in the Arab world and the Middle East to receive this recognition, which was granted by CHEA’s board of directors on September 28, 2026, for a period of seven years.

In a statement on its X platform account, the commission said the recognition reflects the advancement and maturity of Saudi Arabia’s model for ensuring and monitoring the quality of education and training. It also highlights the reliability, quality, and effectiveness of the Kingdom’s academic accreditation system, which meets international standards that promote continuous improvement and transparency.

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation is one of the leading organizations in the US responsible for recognizing accrediting bodies and ensuring the quality of higher education. It evaluates institutional and programmatic accreditors to verify their compliance with academic quality, effectiveness, and continuous improvement requirements.

The scope of recognition for the center includes accrediting public and private higher education institutions and their academic programs, from associate diploma to doctoral levels, whether delivered in-person, online, or through distance learning.

The center’s accreditation also extends to international educational institutions operating legally outside Saudi Arabia that voluntarily seek its accreditation, as well as programs offered by international institutions legally operating within the Kingdom. This broadens the international presence of Saudi Arabia’s academic accreditation system and opens new opportunities to provide its services globally.

This recognition enhances global confidence in Saudi higher education institutions and programs, supports their competitiveness and international presence, expands opportunities for academic partnerships and cooperation with global universities and educational institutions, and strengthens the Kingdom’s appeal as a global education destination. It also supports the recruitment of international students and distinguished universities, and boosts the credibility of the national quality system among academic institutions and students worldwide.

The recognition also supports initiatives to attract international students, notably the “Study in Saudi Arabia” program, and provides a nationally recognized quality environment for global universities and educational institutions seeking to offer or expand their programs in the Kingdom.

With this recognition, institutions accredited by the National Center for Academic Accreditation and Evaluation are now eligible to apply for international membership in CHEA, allowing them to join a community of more than 1,600 higher education institutions and benefit from networks, resources, programs, and professional development opportunities provided by the council.

This achievement builds on the efforts of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission to establish an integrated national system for quality, evaluation, and accreditation, and to strengthen its international presence and recognition. It supports the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program, and enhances the Kingdom’s standing and attractiveness on the global higher education map.

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