A recent survey reveals that protracted accreditation processes are posing a significant bureaucratic burden for private higher education institutions in Germany, hindering their growth and potentially impacting student access to programs. Conducted by the market research institute Management Consult and commissioned by the Verband Privater Hochschulen (VPH), the study highlights the disconnect between a burgeoning private higher education sector and the capacity of accreditation bodies.
The survey, reported by Funke-Mediengruppe, found that a staggering 71.4% of decision-makers at private institutions perceive bureaucratic hurdles as either high or very high. Accreditation and re-accreditation procedures, both for institutions themselves and for individual degree programs, are consistently cited as disproportionately complex and time-consuming. Seven out of the ten most frequently mentioned obstacles fall within this accreditation category.
Ottmar Schneck, Chairman of the VPH, attributes the problem to inadequate structures within the relevant accreditation bodies. He argues that the rapid growth of the private higher education market has outpaced the existing infrastructure. “The private university sector is experiencing a boom, but the accreditation institutions haven’t adapted” Schneck stated, pointing to lengthy decision-making timelines as a direct consequence. The financial implications are substantial, as institutions are legally prohibited from offering unaccredited programs. Delays in accreditation decisions, often resulting from postponements to the Accreditation Council’s infrequent meetings, can push back program launches by entire semesters.
Further exacerbating the situation is the practice of granting accreditations for only five years instead of the more common ten. Given that each accreditation process can take approximately two years, private institutions are perpetually engaged in extensive and resource-intensive evaluation cycles.
While acknowledging the importance of quality assurance and the need to filter out substandard providers, Schneck emphasized the urgency of streamlining the accreditation process. “We believe quality assurance procedures are beneficial and it’s in the best interest of private higher education that unreliable providers are excluded. However, the process needs to be simplified”. The VPH is now advocating for considerable reforms to address the bottleneck and unlock the full potential of the private higher education sector, questioning whether the current system effectively serves the best interests of students and institutions alike.
