There are a number of ways in which provinces and territories organize their quality-assurance activities.
Manitoba and Yukon manage quality assurance of both colleges and universities programming directly within the government. In Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, the government also manages quality assurance of colleges.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, each publicly funded postsecondary institution is responsible for its own quality assurance through governing councils and internal mechanisms.
Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, and Saskatchewan each have one body that is responsible for degree-level quality-assurance activities, while college quality assurance is managed internally within government. These degree-level quality-assurance agencies are arm's-length from government, and are primarily responsible for institutional and program renewal audits.
The provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia have collectively developed the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission, which is responsible for degree-level quality assurance across the region, while college-level quality assurance is managed at the provincial level.
Ontario has four different bodies that are responsible for different sectors of higher education (i.e., universities, colleges, Indigenous Institutes, and “other” degree providers).
In all provinces, oversight of private career colleges rests with the government.
For more details about individual provincial and territorial quality-assurance systems, select a specific province or territory from the list below, and consult their website, quality-assurance agency website, or private career college website. You may also visit the CICIC Provinces and Territories of Canada section and select a specific province or territory.
Comprehensive review of this information: March 2022