Country profiles
Information on the HE system in the selected country is displayed below.
Indicators are grouped by categories. You can click on a category to show the associated indicators. For each indicator, the country value is contrasted with the distribution of the indicator in the world, the country's income group and the world region (calculated based on countries integrated in the Higher Education Policy Observatory).
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See more information on country classifications by regions and income groups.
Tunisia
World Region: Arab States
Income Groups: Lower middle income countries
Total population (thousands): 12046.66
GDP per capita (current US$): 3807.14

Higher education system governance
In Tunisia: National level
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
National level
Shared decision-making between national and subnational levels
Subnational level
missing information
Level and type of governmental unit directly responsible for the national higher education system
In Tunisia: Ministry of HE, or equivalent (1st level in the governmental hierarchy)
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
Ministry of HE, or equivalent (1st level in the governmental hierarchy)
Vice-Ministry of HE, or equivalent (2nd level in the governmental hierarchy)
Section within a sub-unit of a Ministry (3rd level in the governmental hierarchy)
Unidentified
Not applicable - Responsibility for higher education lies at the subnational level
Legislative framework regulating higher education
In Tunisia: Only a national law specifically for HE identified
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
Both a national law specifically for HE and a section on HE in the general education law
Only a national law specifically for HE identified
Only a section on HE in the general education law identified
No national law for HE identified
Not applicable - responsibility for this aspect lies at the subnational level
Purposes of HE according to key legislation
In Tunisia: The purposes of higher education are explicitly stated in key national legislation
- The national higher education law ( Article 2)
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
The purposes of higher education are not explicitly stated in key national legislation
The purposes of higher education are explicitly stated in key national legislation
Unknown - part of the key national legislation was not identified
Not applicable - subnational authorities are responsible for defining the purposes of higher education.
Themes mentioned within the scope of the purposes of HE in the legislation
Social responsibility
Research and scientific dissemination
Culture
Sustainability
Economic Development
Human Capital Formation
Human Development
Keywords highlighted in blue are stated in the above-mentioned national plan or legislation
Legal authorization for private HE providers within the system
In Tunisia: Private HE providers are allowed, by law, to operate in the system
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No legislation allowing private HE providers to operate in the system was identified
Private HE providers are allowed, by law, to operate in the system
Not applicable - responsibility for this aspect lies at the subnational level
Legal recognition of the autonomy of higher education institutions
In Tunisia: Institutional autonomy is recognized by law
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No legislation recognizing institutional autonomy was identified
Institutional autonomy is recognized by law
Not applicable - responsibility for this aspect lies at the subnational level
Legal recognition of academic freedom
In Tunisia: No legislation recognizing academic freedom was identified
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No legislation recognizing academic freedom was identified
Academic freedom is recognized by law
Not applicable - responsibility for this aspect lies at the subnational level
Higher education quality assurance
In Tunisia: The law establishes a national quality assurance agency (or multiple agencies)
Quality assurance is led by: National Authority for Evaluation, Quality Assurance and Accreditation (IEAQA) (Instance nationale de l’Evaluation, de l’Assurance-Qualité et de l’Accréditation (IEAQA) ) .
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No legislation establishing a national quality assurance agency identified
The law establishes a national quality assurance agency (or multiple agencies)
Not applicable - subnational responsibility
Legal status of the national quality assurance agency
In Tunisia: Public organization
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
Public organization
Private not-for-profit organization
Private for-profit organization
Unknown status of the QA agency
Not applicable - QA is a subnational responsibility
No national QA agency identified
Autonomy of the national quality assurance agency
In Tunisia: The autonomy of the national QA agency(-ies) is recognized by law
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No legislation recognising the autonomy of the QA agency was identified
The autonomy of the national QA agency(-ies) is recognized by law
Not applicable -QA is a subnational responsibility
No national QA agency identified
Responsibility of the national quality assurance agency to set evaluation standards
In Tunisia: The QA agency is legally mandated to set standards for evaluation
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No legal mandate identified for the QA agency to set standards for evaluation
The QA agency is legally mandated to set standards for evaluation
Not applicable - QA is a subnational responsibility
No national QA agency identified
Higher education system planning
In Tunisia: National plan for HE
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No national plan for HE identified
Both a national plan for HE and a section on HE in a general plan
National plan for HE
Section on HE in a general plan
Not applicable - responsibility for HE planning lies at the subnational level
Key dimensions and objectives stated in the national plan(s) for higher education
Access
Inclusion
Quality
Internationalization
Relevance
Research
Innovation
Rankings and visibility
Keywords highlighted in blue are stated in the above-mentioned national plan or legislation
Key principles for access to higher education
In Tunisia: The right to higher education is explicitly recognized in the key national legislation
- the Constitution ( Article 44)
- the national higher education law ( Article 7).
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
Neither the right to education in general (i.e. without reference to specific levels), nor the right to higher education, are explicitly recognized in the key national legislation
The right to higher education is explicitly recognized in the key national legislation
The right to higher education is potentially, but not explicitly, recognized in key national legislation as part of the right to education in general
Unknown - part of the key national legislation was not identified
Not applicable - responsibility for one or several key legislations lies at the subnational level
Cost of public higher education
In Tunisia: Key national legislation mandates public HE to be free
- the Constitution ( Article 44)
- the national higher education law ( Article 7)
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
Key national legislation does not mandate public HE to be free
Key national legislation mandates public HE to be free
Unknown - part of the key national legislation was not identified
Not applicable - subnational responsibility
Financial support to students
In Tunisia: The legislation mandates one, or multiple, national organization(s) to administer student financial support
Scholarships and Loans Department of the Ministry of Higher Education (Direction des Bourses et des Prêts du Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur )
Associated legislation: Decree No. 2008-2876 of August 11, 2008, concerning organization of the Ministry of Higher Education scientific research and technology (Décret No. 2008-2876 du 11 août 2008, portant organisation du ministère de l’enseignement supérieur, de la recherche scientifique et de la technologie )
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No legislation mandating a national organization to administer student financial support was identified
The legislation mandates one, or multiple, national organization(s) to administer student financial support
Not applicable - subnational responsibility
National public scholarship programs
In Tunisia: National scholarship programs are administered to support students to enrol in HE
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No national scholarship programs identified
National scholarship programs are administered to support students to enrol in HE
Not applicable - subnational responsibility
No information for this indicator was identified because the related legislation/policy is missing, was not adopted or does not mention this aspect.
Admission pathways to higher education
In Tunisia: No legislation mandating students to pass a national exam to enroll in HE was identified
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No legislation mandating students to pass a national exam to enroll in HE was identified
The legislation requires students to pass a national examination to enroll in HE
Not applicable - subnational responsibility
National quotas for access to higher education
In Tunisia: No legislation establishing national quotas for access to HE was identified
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No legislation establishing national quotas for access to HE was identified
National quotas are set by law to facilitate access to HE for specific population groups
Not applicable - subnational responsibility
No information for this indicator was identified because the related legislation/policy is missing, was not adopted or does not mention this aspect.
Recognition of higher education qualifications
In Tunisia: A national policy organises the recognition of HE qualifications acquired abroad
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
No policy for the recognition for HE qualifications acquired abroad was identified
A national policy organises the recognition of HE qualifications acquired abroad
Not applicable - subnational responsibility
Ratification of UNESCO regional Convention for the recognition of foreign HE qualifications
In Tunisia: Ratified
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
Not ratified
Ratified
Missing information
Not applicable - subnational responsibility
Ratification of UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education
In Tunisia: Ratified
Across borders, in comparison to:
All countries:
Arab States:
Lower middle income countries:
Not ratified
Ratified