Kosovo Accreditation Agency

What Kosovo Accreditation Agency does

The Kosovo Accreditation Agency (Agjencia e Kosovës për Akreditim / AKA) is an independent public institution established in March 2008 by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology under the Law on Higher Education and the Law on KAA. It is the sole national authority responsible for accreditation, re-accreditation, monitoring, and validation of higher education institutions and study programmes (Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate) in the Republic of Kosovo. KAA oversees more than 600 accredited study programmes across public universities (University of Prishtina, Prizren, Peja, Gjakova, Gjilan, Mitrovica, Ferizaj), the Kosovo Academy for Public Safety, and private institutions such as AAB College, RIT Kosovo, and UBT College.

KAA's operational core is the e-Akreditimi electronic platform (e-akreditimi.rks-gov.net), which handles application submission, documentation, and status tracking during annual review windows. The agency also publishes accreditation standards (aligned with the European Standards and Guidelines), Self-Assessment Report guidelines, and a public list of accredited programmes. Decisions are made by the State Council of Quality (KShC), an 11-member body including three international members, with a separate 5-member Appeals Committee handling institution challenges within 30-day windows.

As a government agency, KAA is funded through public budgets rather than fees from institutions. It has built a distinctive international profile: it is the only Western Balkans agency registered in the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR), a full member of CEENQA, INQAAHE, and GAIN, an affiliate member of ENQA (pursuing full membership), and the first and only European agency recognized by the U.S. Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) until December 31, 2033. In 2024 KAA expanded its organizational structure to 32 approved staff across two departments and six sectors to support its growing scope.

Name

Kosovo Accreditation Agency

Legal name

Agjencia e Kosovës për Akreditim

Website

https://akreditimi.rks-gov.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Kosovo Accreditation Agency is the sole national public authority responsible for accrediting, re-accrediting, and monitoring higher education institutions and study programmes in Kosovo, operating the e-Akreditimi platform and serving all public and private universities and colleges under a government-funded mandate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Accreditation Services

NAICS

Public Administration (92), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Coordination, Recognition & Meta-Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accreditation Evaluation, Peer Review & Site-Visit Organizations (EDADACAI)

Keywords

• Higher education accreditation
• Quality assurance services
• Institutional accreditation
• Program accreditation standards
• Regulatory compliance education

Headquarters

HQ city

Prishtinë

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Services: KAA operates as a public government agency providing accreditation services to public and private higher education institutions. As a public institution, KAA's operations are funded through government budgets while processing accreditation applications from institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Kosovo Accreditation Agency is an independent public institution mandated to conduct accreditation, re-accreditation, monitoring, and quality assurance of higher education institutions and their study programmes (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate) in the Republic of Kosovo. It operates the e-Akreditimi electronic platform for application management and processes accreditation decisions through the State Council of Quality, in alignment with European Standards and Guidelines (ESG).

Product overview

The Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA/AKA) operates as a single integrated accreditation ecosystem rather than a modular platform. Its core offerings centre on institutional and programme accreditation services, supported by the e-Akreditimi electronic platform for application management. The Agency delivers five primary services: institutional accreditation and re-accreditation, study programme accreditation (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate), continuous monitoring of accredited institutions, and appeals processing through the Appeals Committee. Supporting these are the State Council of Quality (SCQ/KSHC) as the decision-making body, published lists of accredited programmes, Self-Assessment Report guidelines, and accreditation standards aligned with European Standards and Guidelines (ESG). Verification tools complement the offering by enabling public confirmation of accreditation status.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• e-Akreditimi (e-Accreditation) Platform Electronic platform used by higher education institutions in Kosovo to submit institutional and programme accreditation/re-accreditation applications, upload required documentation, and track their accreditation status through a digital workflow.
• Institutional Accreditation Services Accreditation and re-accreditation evaluation of higher education institutions against national and international quality assurance standards, conducted with international experts and reviewed by the State Council of Quality.
• Study Programme Accreditation Accreditation and re-accreditation of Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate study programmes across social sciences, engineering and technology, natural sciences, health sciences, business and economics, education, and other academic fields.
• Monitoring Services Continuous quality control and monitoring of accredited institutions and their programmes to ensure ongoing compliance with quality standards and implementation of recommendations from international experts.
• Appeals Committee Services Processing of appeals submitted by higher education institutions against decisions of the State Council of Quality, handled within 30 working days (extendable by another 30 days upon request).
• Accreditation Verification and Confirmation Services Online tools for generating and verifying accreditation confirmations to verify the accreditation status of programmes and institutions.
• List of Accredited Programmes Official annual publication of accredited study programmes for each academic year (e.g., 2026/2027), covering public and private higher education institutions organized by institution and study cycle (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate).

Quantifiable outcome

• International recognition by EQAR and CHEA enhances credibility of Kosovo higher education qualifications globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EUDRES (European University Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026KAA organized a strategic dialogue meeting with EUDRES Alliance representatives, Ministry of Education and Science, University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj, and higher education institutions from Kosovo and the region. Meeting focused on role of universities of applied sciences, internationalization, quality assurance, and cooperation with industry.
• MAB (Hungarian Accreditation Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026KAA and MAB signed a cooperation agreement in the field of quality assurance in higher education during the ENQA General Assembly in Budapest (April 2026). The agreement provides a basis for deepening inter-institutional cooperation and exchanging professional experiences.
• EQAR (European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAA is registered in EQAR, making Kosovo the only country in the Western Balkans whose national agency holds this status. This registration confirms that KAA operates in accordance with European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) for quality assurance.
• ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAA is an affiliate member of ENQA and is in the process of applying for full membership. KAA participates in ENQA General Assemblies, member forums, and workshops. In April 2026, KAA participated in the ENQA Members Forum in Budapest, Hungary.
• CEENQA (Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAA is a full member of CEENQA, participating in the regional network of quality assurance agencies in Central and Eastern Europe.
• INQAAHE (International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAA is a full member of INQAAHE, a global network promoting quality assurance in higher education worldwide.
• GAIN (Global Academic Integrity Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAA is a full member of GAIN, contributing to global academic integrity initiatives.
• CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation, USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAA was recognized by CHEA as an 'accrediting authority' for 7 years until December 31, 2033. KAA is the first and only agency in Europe to hold this status from CHEA. Recognition was preceded by KAA hosting a CHEA evaluation panel and KAA Director General addressing the CHEA Board in Washington.
• Austrian Development Agency (ADA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADA supports KAA through the HEI 25 project, which helped develop KAA's new organizational structure and regulation for job position systematization (approved January 2024).
• Heras PlusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeras Plus project supported the development of new accreditation standards through a two-year process with public hearings involving all higher education stakeholders.
• QAINTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in quality assurance development projects.
• U.S. Embassy in KosovominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe U.S. Embassy in Kosovo supports KAA's internationalization efforts and has congratulated Kosovo on CHEA recognition.
• EU Office in KosovominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU Office in Kosovo is listed as a partner in KAA's international cooperation efforts.
• University of Split (Croatia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAA leadership visited University of Split to learn Croatian experiences in developing joint and double degree programs. The collaboration aims to support Kosovo institutions in implementing similar programs.
• RCC (Regional Cooperation Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCC invited KAA Director General to participate in the Regional Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Skopje (March 2026), organized under the patronage of North Macedonia's Ministry of Education.
• Arizona State University (USA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAA Director General and senior official visited Arizona State University in March 2026 as part of KAA's strategic orientation for internationalization and strengthening international cooperation in quality assurance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain (ANECA): Spain's national QA agency, a larger and more established peer with a broader portfolio including programme accreditation, institutional evaluation, and Academic Standing Committee functions. KAA's activities mirror a subset of ANECA's mandate.
• Higher Learning Commission (HLC, USA): One of the largest US regional accreditors, providing institutional accreditation to colleges and universities. HLC is comparable in type of activity but operates at substantially larger scale across multiple US states.
• Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA, UK): The UK's well-established national quality assurance body for higher education. Operates at materially greater scale and scope than KAA, but performs the same fundamental function of institutional and programme quality assurance.
• National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC, India): India's national QA body for higher education institutions, evaluating very large numbers of universities and colleges. A larger-scale peer in the same category of national accreditation agency.

Direct peers

• Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB): Hungary's national quality assurance and accreditation agency for higher education. KAA and MAB signed a cooperation agreement in April 2026, making MAB a directly comparable peer in mandate and scope.
• Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE): Croatia's national agency responsible for quality assurance in higher education and science. A regional peer in the same ecosystem with near-identical accreditation and quality assurance functions.
• Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency (SQAA / NAKVIS): Slovenia's national QA agency for higher education. A direct peer operating in the same Central European ecosystem with comparable institutional and programme accreditation duties.

Others

• European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA): Umbrella European membership organization for QA agencies; KAA is an affiliate member. Not a peer agency but a key ecosystem body that establishes European Standards and Guidelines referenced by KAA.
• Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies (CEENQA): Regional network of QA agencies in Central and Eastern Europe in which KAA holds full membership. Not a peer agency but a relevant ecosystem and benchmarking body.
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA, USA): US-based meta-accreditation and recognition body. KAA is the first European agency recognized by CHEA as an accrediting authority. A strategic recognition partner rather than an operating peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KAAKosova
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kaa-kosova

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kosovo Accreditation Agency