New university accreditation requirements 2026: what rectors must certify

Key data

Spanish universities that want to obtain or maintain their institutional accreditation face two new requirements from September 16, 2026 that did not exist in the previous procedure. The Resolution of September 8, 2026 from the General Secretariat of Universities modifies the 2022 instructions and introduces specific certification obligations that fall directly on the rector or rector of each center.

This is not a minor procedural change: the regulation adds substantive requirements that can block accreditation if not properly documented. And it affects both public and private universities without distinction.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution introduces two blocks of changes to the institutional accreditation procedure for university centers:

1. New mandatory requirements to obtain accreditation

Two conditions are added that centers must meet and document:

• Compliance with faculty standards of RD 640/2021: the center must demonstrate that its teaching staff complies with the categories, percentage of doctors and dedication required by the Royal Decree 640/2021.
• Adequate availability of facilities and equipment: the center must accredit that it has the physical and digital resources necessary to conduct its teaching activity.

2. Certifications that the rector must sign

To accredit compliance with the new requirements, the rector must sign certifications that include, in detail:

• Teaching categories of the center's faculty
• Percentage of doctors on staff
• Faculty dedication (full-time / part-time)
• Inventory of physical facilities
• Inventory of digital facilities and equipment

3. New obligations in renewals (every 6 years)

When a center requests renewal of its accreditation—which occurs every 6 years—two additional aspects are added that must be evaluated:

• Student academic results: student performance and results from the center are incorporated as an evaluation criterion.
• Quality of external internships: the quality of external internships offered by the center is specifically evaluated.

Comparison: before and after the resolution

Economic and operational impact

The impact is not economic in terms of direct fees or fines, but rather operational and reputational: a university that does not obtain or renew its institutional accreditation loses the authorization to teach official programs, which has direct consequences on its activity and income.

The most relevant practical implications are:

• Immediate administrative burden: university management teams must collect and structure faculty data (categories, % doctors, dedication) and inventories of physical and digital facilities, data that in many centers are not centralized or updated.
• Direct responsibility of the rector: by requiring the personal signature of the rector on the certifications, any inaccuracy or non-compliance falls directly on the highest authority of the center.
• Risk in renewals: centers that already have accreditation but are approaching renewal (every 6 years) must now incorporate measurement of academic results and evaluation of external internships, which may require new monitoring systems.
• Private universities especially exposed: in the private sector, accreditation is a sine qua non condition to operate. Loss or non-renewal can have direct consequences on student recruitment and financing.

Who does it affect?

• Spanish public universities and their university centers that request new accreditation or are in the renewal process
• Spanish private universities and their centers, for whom accreditation is a requirement to operate
• Rectors and university governing teams, who assume responsibility for signing the certifications
• Academic management and quality services of universities, responsible for collecting and documenting the required data
• ANECA and regional evaluation agencies registered in the European EQAR register, which conduct the evaluation

Practical example

A private university with several university centers requests renewal of its institutional accreditation in 2027 (within the 6-year cycle). Under the new rules, its rector must:

1. Sign a certification detailing the teaching categories of the entire faculty, the percentage of professors with a doctoral degree and the dedication of each one (full or part-time), all in accordance with the standards of RD 640/2021.
2. Attach an inventory of physical facilities (classrooms, laboratories, libraries) and digital facilities (platforms, technological equipment).
3. Provide data on the academic results of its students (performance rates, graduation, dropout) and an evaluation of the quality of external internships offered.

If any of these documents is incomplete or does not meet the standards, ANECA or the corresponding regional agency may deny renewal, which would prevent the center from continuing to teach official programs.

What should universities do now?

1. Review the current state of faculty against RD 640/2021: verify that teaching categories, percentage of doctors and faculty dedication meet the required standards. If there are deviations, act before starting the accreditation process.
2. Centralize and update the inventory of facilities: both physical and digital. This inventory must be ready to be certified by the rector, so it must be accurate and verifiable.
3. Implement academic results tracking systems: especially for centers facing renewal, it is necessary to have structured data on student performance, graduation and dropout.
4. Evaluate and document the quality of external internships: establish evaluation mechanisms for external internships if they do not already exist, since they become a renewal criterion.
5. Inform the rector and governing team: signing the certifications is the direct responsibility of the rector. The governing team must be aware of the new requirements and the timeline of the accreditation or renewal process for their center.
6. Consult with ANECA or the corresponding regional agency if there are doubts about the interpretation of the new protocols, especially regarding the standards of RD 640/2021.

Official source

View complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-19254