How do I check a university in another country?

Find that country's national quality-assurance agency or education ministry (see the table), confirm the institution is on its recognized list, and cross-check the WHED database.

Who assures quality in UK higher education?

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), with the Office for Students (OfS) as the regulator in England; qualification recognition runs through UK ENIC (Ecctis).

Who regulates Australian universities?

TEQSA for higher education and ASQA for vocational education and training; TEQSA maintains a public National Register of providers.

Does Canada have a national accreditor?

No. Quality assurance in Canada is handled provincially; recognition information is available through CICIC.

Who accredits universities in Germany and France?

Germany uses the Akkreditierungsrat (German Accreditation Council) and recognized agencies; France uses Hcéres with the higher-education ministry as the accrediting authority.

What if my destination country isn't listed?

Every country has its own ministry or QA agency. Confirm via the WHED database, the ENIC-NARIC network, or the country's education ministry.

How does this connect to the country guides?

Use the K12 Academics country guides for the education system and context, then use the agency here to confirm a specific institution.

How do I make sure my foreign degree is recognized back home?

Before enrolling, check the recognition route — ENIC-NARIC in Europe or U.S. credential evaluation — for where you intend to use the degree.

Study-Abroad Destinations & Their Quality-Assurance Agencies

Overview

One country, one system

When you study abroad, the credential that matters is recognition by that country’s own authority — a national quality-assurance agency, a regulator, or the education ministry. Below are the bodies for the most common destinations. For any country not listed, the WHED database and the country’s ministry are the authoritative check.

The Reference

Major destinations

Country	Higher-ed quality body / regulator
United Kingdom	QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) and the Office for Students (OfS) regulator in England; recognition via UK ENIC (Ecctis).
Australia	TEQSA (higher education) and ASQA (vocational education/VET); public National Register of providers.
Canada	No single national agency — quality assurance is provincial; recognition information via CICIC.
Germany	The Akkreditierungsrat (German Accreditation Council) plus recognized agencies (e.g., ACQUIN); EQAR-listed.
France	Hcéres (Haut Conseil de l’évaluation) with the Ministry of Higher Education as the accrediting authority.
Netherlands / Flanders	NVAO (Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders).
Ireland	QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland).
New Zealand	NZQA (New Zealand Qualifications Authority).
Japan	JUAA and NIAD-QE (National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement).
China	The Ministry of Education (MOE), with the CDGDC and the Higher Education Evaluation Center (HEEC).
India	NAAC (institutions), NBA (programs), overseen by the UGC and AICTE.
Other countries	Each has its own ministry or national QA agency — confirm via WHED, ENIC-NARIC, or the country’s education ministry.

This is a starting reference, not an exhaustive list — agencies and names change. Always confirm a specific institution in the WHED database or with the country’s education ministry.

How To Check

Verifying a university in any country

1 · Find the national authorityIdentify the country’s QA agency or education ministry (the table above, or a WHED lookup).
2 · Confirm the institution is recognizedCheck the institution appears on the national list and in WHED.
3 · Check the specific programmeFor regulated fields, confirm the programme is recognized (and, if relevant, covered by an accord such as the Washington Accord).
4 · Plan for recognition back homeIf you’ll use the degree elsewhere, check the recognition route (ENIC-NARIC, or U.S. credential evaluation) before you enroll.

Go Local

Pair this with the country guides

For the education system, admissions, and context of a specific country, use the K12 Academics country guides, and the study-abroad and teach-abroad libraries — then use the agency above to confirm a specific school.

Do It Yourself

How to verify

WHED (IAU) ↗ENIC-NARIC ↗Country Guides ↗

Go Deeper

Official sources

WHED (IAU) ↗ENIC-NARIC ↗CHEA international directory ↗

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a university in another country? Find that country's national quality-assurance agency or education ministry (see the table), confirm the institution is on its recognized list, and cross-check the WHED database.
Who assures quality in UK higher education? The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), with the Office for Students (OfS) as the regulator in England; qualification recognition runs through UK ENIC (Ecctis).
Who regulates Australian universities? TEQSA for higher education and ASQA for vocational education and training; TEQSA maintains a public National Register of providers.
Does Canada have a national accreditor? No. Quality assurance in Canada is handled provincially; recognition information is available through CICIC.
Who accredits universities in Germany and France? Germany uses the Akkreditierungsrat (German Accreditation Council) and recognized agencies; France uses Hcéres with the higher-education ministry as the accrediting authority.
What if my destination country isn't listed? Every country has its own ministry or QA agency. Confirm via the WHED database, the ENIC-NARIC network, or the country's education ministry.
How does this connect to the country guides? Use the K12 Academics country guides for the education system and context, then use the agency here to confirm a specific institution.
How do I make sure my foreign degree is recognized back home? Before enrolling, check the recognition route — ENIC-NARIC in Europe or U.S. credential evaluation — for where you intend to use the degree.

Destinations & Agencies