Higher Education Accreditation Standards: The Eight SAC Domains
SAC standards are built on a transparent, evidence-based quality-assurance approach in the Swedish tradition, applied to institutions worldwide. Here is what is assessed and how it is scored.
What Do the Eight Quality Domains Cover?
The SAC Higher Education framework groups what an accreditation review looks at into eight quality domains. Your self-evaluation addresses each one, and every assessor rates each one. The summaries below describe what assessors look at; they are plain-language overviews, and the formal rubric detail is still being developed.
Institutional Governance & Strategy
Leadership and accountability, how decisions are made and recorded, strategic planning and monitoring, and the institution's financial and organisational sustainability.
Programme Design & Learning Outcomes
How programmes are designed, approved and reviewed, whether learning outcomes are clear, and whether teaching and assessment are aligned to them.
Research Environment & Output
The research and scholarly activity the institution supports, how it is resourced and governed, and what it produces.
Faculty Qualifications & Development
How staff are recruited, qualified and developed, and how the quality of teaching is assured and improved.
Student Admission & Support Services
Fair and transparent admission, and the academic, welfare and career support students receive throughout their studies.
Quality Assurance Processes
The internal processes the institution uses to monitor and improve quality, who owns them, and evidence that findings lead to change.
Internationalization & Partnerships
The partnerships, exchanges and collaborations the institution has, how they are governed, and the value they bring to students and staff.
Graduate Employability & Impact
What happens to graduates, how employer and alumni views shape programmes, and how the institution tracks its wider impact.
Preparing an application? Read how to write a self-evaluation report for practical prompts on each domain, and see the university accreditation requirements for the evidence to gather.
How Are Institutions Scored?
Scoring is designed to be consistent, explained and impartial.
- A 1 to 5 scale for every domain. Each assessor rates each quality domain from 1 to 5 and must explain the rating in a written comment.
- Independent first, consensus second. Assessors score independently. The panel of three (up to five for complex cases) then agrees a documented consensus.
- No simple averaging when it would mislead. Where assessors materially disagree, or a critical requirement is not met, the panel records its reasoning for the final recommendation instead of averaging the numbers.
- Assessors recommend; a committee decides. A separate Accreditation Decision Committee decides the outcome: Accredited, Conditionally Accredited, Not Accredited. Minor, remediable gaps can lead to Conditional Accreditation rather than a refusal.
- Written findings. You receive a report with domain-by-domain findings and recommendations, whatever the outcome.
Read more about how SAC separates assessment from decisions, or follow the accreditation process steps.
Three Frameworks, Opening in Stages
Higher Education is open for applications. The K-12 and Vocational & Technical frameworks will be published once their standards are approved.
Informed by the Swedish quality-assurance tradition
Quality Domains:
- Institutional Governance & Strategy
- Programme Design & Learning Outcomes
- Research Environment & Output
- Faculty Qualifications & Development
- Student Admission & Support Services
- Quality Assurance Processes
- Internationalization & Partnerships
- Graduate Employability & Impact
For: Universities, colleges and higher education institutions
Standards under development
Quality Domains:
Standards under development. Domains will be published once approved.
For: Primary, middle and secondary schools
Standards under development
Quality Domains:
Standards under development. Domains will be published once approved.
For: TVET institutions and professional education providers, including corporate training and non-profit education providers where their activity fits
Guides to the standards and process
Institutional vs programme accreditation
What each one covers and how to decide which you need.
Read moreUniversity accreditation requirements
Eligibility rules and the evidence an application usually needs.
Read moreHow to write a self-evaluation report
The eight Higher Education domains, a step-by-step method and common mistakes.
Read moreWhat is accreditation in higher education?
A plain-language definition, why it matters and how a review works.
Read moreAccreditation glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms used in accreditation.
Read moreUniversity accreditation services
Institution and programme scope, and what is open today.
Read moreFrequently Asked Questions
How are institutions scored?
Each assessor rates every quality domain on a 1 to 5 scale and must explain each rating in a written comment. The panel then agrees a documented consensus. Where assessors materially disagree, or a critical requirement is not met, the result is not a simple average: the panel records its reasoning for the final recommendation.
What does the accreditation review include?
Your institution completes a structured self-evaluation across eight quality domains and submits supporting evidence, which SAC checks for completeness. A panel of independent assessors then reviews the file, scores each domain with written comments, and visits your institution for two to three days to validate the evidence. A separate committee then decides the outcome.
What are the possible outcomes?
SAC uses three final outcomes: Accredited, Conditionally Accredited, Not Accredited. Institutions may reapply once they have had sufficient time to implement the requested changes.
How long does accreditation last, and how is it renewed?
4-year accreditation with annual monitoring. Annual monitoring is a proportionate progress review rather than a re-accreditation. Renewal at the end of the period is risk-based and focuses on changes since the last cycle, monitoring history and any open conditions.
Which institutions can apply?
Institutions must hold a valid licence or authorisation from the competent authority in their country, have been operating for at least two academic years, name a focal contact point, and have adequate governance, learner records and evidence. SAC accepts applications from any country. At launch, applications are open for Higher Education only.
Can we apply for programme accreditation as well as institutional accreditation?
Yes. Institutional and programme accreditation are separate applications, each with its own review, decision, certificate and renewal date.