External assessment and institutional effects in Angolan higher education: national evidence from 877 programs

Abstract

Purpose — To analyze the national results of the external assessment and accreditation (EAA) of 877 undergraduate programs in Angola and identify institutional, disciplinary, and territorial associations relevant to higher education regulation. Design/methodology/approach — A quantitative, observational, cross-sectional, and analytical study. The analysis combines robust descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, binary logistic regression, and multilevel models, with programs nested within higher education institutions (HEIs). Findings — Of the 877 programs, 481 (54.85%) were accredited, and 396 (45.15%) were not; no program reached level A, and only 6 reached level B. The material nature of the sponsoring entity provided information beyond the public/private distinction, although the effects were small and no causal interpretation is warranted. The multilevel model revealed strong within-institution dependence, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.512 in the null model and 0.479-0.485 in the adjusted models. Originality/value — The study provides the first integrated national analysis of the five phases of program assessment in Angola. It demonstrates that supervision should combine program-level evidence with institutional context. The results are proposed for prudent use in regulatory intelligence and to support forthcoming institutional evaluation. Research limitations/implications — The cross-sectional nature of the data, the absence of the 11 disaggregated indicators, and small counts in some strata preclude causal inference and limit identification of the internal mechanisms of quality.