Established by the Province of British Columbia and administered by BCCIE, EQA is BC's assured brand of quality for all sectors of private and public post-secondary education.

The EQA Designation is:

• a voluntary designation available to all post-secondary institutions in BC
• an assurance of both quality instruction and consumer protection for all students pursuing their studies in British Columbia

An institution’s eligibility for EQA Designation is based on that institution:

• being a British Columbia post-secondary institution;
• having met quality assurance standards determined by the Ministry; and
• being in good standing with both the Ministry and those body(ies) responsible for managing the accepted provincial quality assurance standards.

Please see Appendix 1 of the Ministry’s EQA Policy and Procedures Manual for detailed information on EQA eligibility requirements.

EQA: A Standard Provincial Brand Recognized Worldwide

The EQA Designation provides a standard, easily recognizable brand that enhances the national and international credibility and reputation of excellence in British Columbia’s higher education sector, and reduces confusion for international learners caused by various quality assurance processes for different types of post-secondary institutions in the province.

Access to EQA Brand Use

Only institutions with EQA Designation will be permitted to use the EQA brand and brand use is limited to an institution’s British Columbia-based operations (ie. institutions with multiple campuses cannot use the brand for campuses based outside of British Columbia).

Promoting EQA to the World

Guided by industry stakeholders and funded by the provincial government of BC, BCCIE will utilize the EQA Designation to effectively promote BC’s reputable and rapidly growing international education sector around the world. BCCIE is proud to guide an ambitious program of professional development, networking and marketing for the upcoming year that aims to directly address the interests of EQA-designated post-secondary stakeholders across the province.

Institutions interested in seeking EQA Designation must submit an EQA Application to the BC Council for International Education. Apply Now!.