CIEES Becomes First Latin American Accreditor to Receive CHEA Recognition
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CIEES Becomes First Latin American Accreditor to Receive CHEA Recognition
(WASHINGTON, DC) – (Feb. 19, 2026)—The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) announced today that the CHEA Board of Directors accepted the Committee on Recognition’s (COR) recommendation for CHEA recognition for the Interinstitutional Committees for the Evaluation of Higher Education (CIEES, Comités Interinstitucionales para la Evaluación de la Educación Superior, A.C.) based in Mexico City, Mexico. CIEES is the first international accrediting organization in Latin America to receive CHEA recognition. CIEES accredits approximately 201 institutions and in the last 10 years, 3,756 programs that offer associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
"CHEA’s recognition of CIEES marks an important milestone for quality assurance in higher education across Latin America,” said F. Javier Cevallos, PhD, chair of the CHEA Board of Directors. “CIEES has demonstrated a sustained commitment to institutional improvement, transparency, and student-centered outcomes. This recognition affirms the value of shared principles of quality and accountability across national and regional contexts.”
CIEES was officially established in 1991 to promote the continuous improvement of higher education programs and institutions. It is dedicated to quality assurance of both educational programs and higher education institutions with an emphasis on student and program outcomes. As an accrediting organization, CIEES promotes the quality of higher education institutions through evaluation of educational programs and institutional functions.
“As higher education becomes increasingly interconnected, shared expectations around academic quality, integrity, and continuous improvement are more important than ever,” said CHEA President Nasser H. Paydar, PhD. “We look forward to working with CIEES and other international partners to advance these principles worldwide.”
CIEES’ application for recognition was reviewed by CHEA’s Committee on Recognition (COR) during its November 2025 meeting. Based on its findings, COR recommended initial recognition of CIEES. The CHEA Board accepted COR’s recommendation and granted CIEES CHEA recognition as its first international accreditor in Latin America on January 26, 2026. Incorporating international accrediting organizations into CHEA's recognition process offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen global collaboration and elevate higher education standards worldwide.
“We are honored that CIEES’ long-standing commitment to continuous improvement and quality assurance in higher education has earned CHEA’s recognition,” said Dr. Miguel Ángel Tamayo, general coordinator, CIEES. “This recognition reinforces our work to strengthen academic quality, institutional effectiveness, and student outcomes across Mexico, and it connects that work to a broader international community committed to shared standards and mutual learning.”
International accreditors seeking to learn more about the CHEA international recognition process and procedures can visit the CHEA website for more information.