A Comparative Review of Evaluation Systems for Private Higher Education in Nine Countries

Abstract

This study conducts a cross-national comparative analysis of the evaluation systems for private universities in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Jordan, Norway, Russia, South Africa, and the United States. The research finds that although there are differences in the evaluation systems of private universities across nations, they exhibit significant commonalities at the national regulatory level. All countries take the legality of school establishment through legislation and higher education quality assurance as fundamental starting points, aligning the accreditation and evaluation standards for private higher education institutions with those of public institutions. Simultaneously, the study reveals the distinctiveness of private university evaluation systems from the perspective of third-party assessments, systematically examining the notable characteristics of quality assurance mechanisms and third-party evaluation approaches in these countries’ private higher education sectors.