NOKUT’s 2025 Annual Report: Increased capacity reduces application backlog
NOKUT has submitted its 2025 annual report to the Ministry of Education and Research. The report shows that efforts to strengthen accreditation capacity have produced clear results.
A combination of increased funding, additional staff, and improved work processes has led to a significant reduction in NOKUT’s application backlog. Processing times are decreasing, and this development will contribute to faster responses and greater predictability for applicants.
The annual report shows that NOKUT processed nearly twice as many accreditation applications for tertiary vocational education as the previous year, and the number of processed applications for bachelor’s and master’s degrees was nearly four times higher than in 2024.
“We are seeing clear results from the work that has been done. Application processing is moving faster, and we have reduced parts of the backlog. This is positive both for applicants and for the sectors as a whole,” says Kristin Vinje, Director General of NOKUT.
For tertiary vocational education, the backlog has been reduced by over 40 %, from 114 applications as of 31 December 2024 to 64 applications as of 31 December 2025.
More large-scale accreditation applications expected in the coming years
Even though processing times are now improving, NOKUT expects continued high pressure on accreditation work in the years ahead. There will still be a need to apply for accreditation of programmes, both from tertiary vocational schools and higher education institutions, and an increase in applications for institutional accreditation is anticipated.
Several specialised universities have indicated that they will apply for university accreditation following the changes to the criteria in 2025. During the year, tertiary vocational schools will also be able to apply for institutional accreditation. In addition, several colleges without institutional accreditation plan to apply, as such accreditation will become a requirement for receiving state funding.
“Institutional accreditations are more complex and time consuming than study programme accreditations and require substantial capacity. Institutional accreditation for tertiary vocational schools is also entirely new, meaning we must develop systems and routines to guide, receive, and process applications. We expect many such applications in a relatively short period, which means we must prioritise what we process and when,” says the NOKUT Director General.
An institutional accreditation carries significant trust and responsibility. Once accreditation is granted, the institution must have systems in place to ensure that both new and existing programmes continuously meet the applicable accreditation requirements. For NOKUT, it is therefore essential to conduct a thorough assessment of whether the institution is at the level required to assume the responsibilities that come with accreditation.
“Receiving accreditation from NOKUT should be a mark of quality. Accreditation has no expiry date and can only be changed through supervision, so we must be fully confident that the quality is sufficient before it can be granted,” says Vinje.
Part of a broader effort
Accreditation is only one of NOKUT’s activities for ensuring and developing the quality of higher education and higher vocational education. The Director General emphasises that the activity must function as a coherent whole and be viewed in relation to one another.
“NOKUT is responsible for ensuring quality and creating trust in Norwegian education. We do this through a broad and coordinated set of activities: from reviews/supervision, accreditation, and evaluations to guidance, knowledge sharing, and policy advice. Together, these strengthen our ability to fulfil our societal mission and meet the expectations of the sectors and society,” says Kristin Vinje.