A Statistical Analysis of NAAC Accreditation Outcomes in Indian Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Accreditation has become an essential instrument for promoting quality assurance and accountability in Indian higher education. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) serves as the principal national agency responsible for evaluating institutional performance through a criterion-based accreditation framework. Although NAAC grades and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) scores are widely used for institutional benchmarking and policy decisions, limited empirical research exists that systematically examines accreditation outcomes at the national level. This study presents a statistical analysis of NAAC accreditation outcomes of higher education institutions in India using secondary data obtained from official NAAC records and All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) reports covering the period 2018–2024. The analysis examines grade-wise distribution of institutions, criterion-wise mean performance, variations in overall CGPA across institutional categories, relationships between individual NAAC criteria and CGPA, and changes in accreditation outcomes across successive accreditation cycles. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, correlation, and regression techniques are employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that accreditation outcomes are largely concentrated in mid-level grades, with relatively few institutions attaining higher accreditation status. Performance is comparatively stronger in infrastructure and curricular dimensions, while research, innovation, and governance-related criteria remain weaker. Significant differences in CGPA are observed across institutional categories, and strong positive relationships are identified between selected accreditation criteria and overall CGPA. The study provides national-level, evidence-based insights relevant for institutional quality enhancement and higher education policy formulation in India.