Accreditation is one of the most important tools used globally for quality assurance of higher education systems. There are two types of accreditations: institutional accreditation and programme accreditation. Accreditation is based on the Accreditation: Principles, Processes and Standards for the Tertiary Education Institutions in Bhutan 2012. Accreditation aims to assess its own performance, review its planning procedure and identify ways to enhance its educational effectiveness. The accreditation process is based on a thorough and independent evaluation carried out by a team of trained assessors. A Higher Education Institution shall be evaluated against eight standards outlined in the Institutional Accreditation Manual (IAM) 2020. link to the Institutional Accreditation Manual and Rubrics for Institutional Accreditation, and the Accreditation Principles
The accreditation process as outlined in the IAM will assess a HEI based on a set of eight Standards which are formulated through wide stakeholder consultations, research and international best practice. Each Standard has Key Aspects and Indicators that are significant, relevant, measurable and achievable. The eight Standards are:
- Governance, Leadership and Management
- Curriculum Design and Review
- Teaching Learning and Assessment
- Human Resources and Services
- Research, Publications and Linkages
- Infrastructure and Learning Resources
- Student Services
- Internal Quality Assurance and Enhancement System
The grading is based on the marks obtained out of 1000 as follows:
| Range of Total Weighted Average Score | Grade | Performance Descriptor | Validity |
| 851-1000 | A+ | Excellent | 5 years |
| 751-850 | A | Very Good | 4 years |
| 501-750 | B | Good | 3 years |
| 376-500 | C | Satisfactory | 2 years |
| 375 and below | D | Unsatisfactory/Not Accredited | Not Accredited |
The Council conducted pilot accreditation in 2015 with help of two experts from Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The Council embarked on real accreditation in 2016 and by the end of 2022, the first cycle of accreditation was completed for all eligible HEIs in Bhutan. The Council began the 2nd cycle accreditation from 2021-2022.
The details of the accreditation status and their validity are as follows:
| S/No | Institutions | Date of Site Visit | Grade | Validity of Certificate | Accreditor’s Report |
| 1. | Gaeddu College of Business Studies www.gcbs.edu.bt | 23 – 26 May 2016 | A (Very Good) | 28.06.2022 | ➢ View report |
| 2. | Royal Thimphu College www.rtc.bt | 1 – 4 June 2016 | A+(Excellent) | 28.06.2023 | ➢ View report |
| 3. | Arura Academy of Health Sciences www.arura.edu. | 21-24 October 2019 | C (Satisfactory) | 15.12.2022 | ➢ View report |
| 4. | Faculty of Nursing and Public Health www.fnph.edu.bt | 12 – 15 June 2017 | B (Good) | 27.06.2022 | ➢ View report |
| 5. | Faculty of Traditional Medicine www.ftm.edu.bt | 5 – 8 June 2017 | B (Good) | 27.06.2022 | ➢ View report |
| 6. | Paro College of Education www.pce.edu.bt | 22 – 25 May 2017 | B (Good) | 27.06.2022 | ➢ View report |
| 7. | Samtse College of Education www.sce.edu.bt | 15 – 18 May 2017 | A (Very Good) | 27.06.2023 | ➢ View report |
| 8. | College of Science and Technology www.cst.edu.bt | 6-9 November 2017 | A (Very Good) | 07.01.2024 | ➢ View report |
| 9. | Jigme Namgyel Engineering College www.jnec.edu.bt | 13-16 November 2017 | A(Very Good) | 07.01.2024 | ➢ View report |
| 10. | Sherubtse College www.sherubtse.edu.bt | 20-23 November 2017 | A (Very Good) | 07.01.2024 | ➢ View report |
| 11. | College of Natural Resources www.cnr.edu.bt | 19-22 March 2018 | A (Very Good) | 09.05.2024 | ➢ View report |
| 12. | College of Language and Culture Studies www.clcs.edu.bt | 26-29 March 2018 | A (Very Good) | 09.05.2024 | ➢ View report |
| 13. | Royal Institute of Management www.rim.edu.bt | 2-5 April 2018 | A (Very Good) | 09.05.2024 | ➢ View report |
| 14 | Faculty of Postgraduate Medicinehttp://fopgm.edu.bt/ | 10-14th May, 2021 | B (Good) | 01/06/2024 | ➢ View report |
Details of Second Cycle of Accreditation
| S/No | Institutions | Date of Site Visit | Grade | Validity of Certificate | Accreditor’s Report |
| 1 | Gedu College of Business Studies | 25-29 April 2022 | B (Good) | 28.06.2025 | ➢ View report |
| 2 | Faculty of Traditional Medicines | 25-29 April 2022 | A (VeryGood) | 27.06.2026 | ➢ View report |
| 3 | Faculty of Nursing and Public Health | 3-7 May 2022 | A (VeryGood) | 27.06.2026 | ➢ View report |
| 4 | Paro College of Education | 3-7 May 2022 | A (VeryGood) | 27.06.2026 | ➢ View report |