Accreditations & rankings

20+ Years of Experience

in providing innovative education

100,000+ Students

enrolled in Germany’s largest university

State-recognised and accredited

by the German Council of Sciences and Humanities & the German Accreditation Council

Online degree programmes have made it easier to balance work and studies, but you’ll want to know that the university you’ve selected is legitimate and will set you up for success. That’s why it’s important to enrol at an institution like IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) which has numerous accreditations and rankings.

Why Accreditation Matters to You

Quality of Education

Accreditation helps you certify a university’s credibility and competency, so you know the education you’re receiving has been approved for its excellence.

Job Prospects

Your accredited degree is recognised and valued by employers as it reflects that you have received adequate education and assessment necessary to succeed in your field.

Credit Transferability

If you plan to apply for advanced certification, relocate or study abroad, you can easily transfer credits earned from one accredited institution to another.

FIBAA – Excellence in Digital Education

IU is one of the first German universities (of applied sciences) to receive a Premium quality seal in "Excellence in Digital Education" from FIBAA. We topped in Future Orientation, Knowledge Management, Quality Assurance of Teaching, and Academic Support of Students.

System Accreditation

We’re system accredited by FIBAA according to the specifications set out by the German Accreditation Council. Our quality management system met their standards in 2018 and we were accredited for 7 years.

Programme Accreditation

Our system accreditation means that we can accredit our own programmes. We are trusted to carry the Accreditation Seal on all our programmes without the need for an external agency being involved.

German Council of Sciences and Humanities

In 2021, IU was reaccredited for five years by the German Council of Sciences and Humanities. The German Council of Sciences and Humanities has been advising the federal and state governments on issues of higher education development, science and research since 1957, while ensuring the quality of teaching and research at non-state universities.

ZFU (German National Agency for Distance Learning)

All our distance learning study programs and individual training courses are approved by the ZFU, Germany's supervisory authority for distance-learning institutions within the Distance Learning Protection Act (FernUSG).

Institutions we partner with

Our collaboration with UCLA Extension under the IU Study Abroad Alliance allows you to study in Los Angeles, California and earn your IU degree plus an additional certificate from UCLA.

With IU’s Study Abroad Alliance, you can now start your degree online with us and complete your final year on campus at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Canada.

Thanks to the Cambridge Assessment International Education certification, IU offers you a chance to earn a high school diploma and a bachelor's degree at the same time, with no additional costs.

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Our Global Recognition

World Education Services (WES) - Canada & U.S.

We are recognised by WES Canada and U.S., a trusted non-profit providing verified education credential assessments (ECA) for foreign degrees and certificates. This means that our graduates can work or study in Canada and the U.S. as the IU degree can be converted into points according to Canadian academic standards in the Canadian Immigration Point System and American Immigration assessment scheme.

The ECA report is recognised by thousands of academic institutions, government bodies, and employers throughout Canada and the USA, and is also a requirement for those looking to apply to certain Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) programmes and American based immigration schemes.

Cambridge International School

IU is a registered online Cambridge International School. With nearly a million students in over 10,000 Cambridge schools in 160 countries, the curriculum stretches, challenges, and inspires learners of all abilities. Students develop deep subject knowledge, conceptual understanding, and higher order thinking skills. Cambridge qualifications are widely recognised by universities and employers around the world.

Association of African Universities (AAU) Member

IU is the only European member of the Association of African Universities (AAU), a network of over 420 universities and research centers from across the African continent. AAU is a leading force in promoting education in Africa, and its mission is to strengthen Africa’s development by supporting academic connections and collaboration between the region’s knowledge networks.

As an IU student, you’ll benefit from access to AAU’s large database of student research, where you can share your research with others and explore the wide range of research being done by African academics. You’ll also gain access to AAU’s student exchange and scholarship programmes.

Our membership in AAU is another proof of IU’s commitment to making quality education accessible to everyone around the world, and it’s especially beneficial to our African students, as it offers great opportunities to build a strong professional and academic network with students from across the region.

Association of Indian Universities (AIU) Member

Since April 2023, IU is a member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), the largest University Association in the World with Foreign Universities as an Associate Member. This is a significant milestone and reinforces our position as a global education provider.

Take 4 weeks to test your degree

Start your online degree of choice, and if you’re not convinced within the first 4 weeks of your studies, we’ll refund your fee and end your contract.

*The 1 month trial is only available for IU’s Online Studies programmes
*Your trial month must be paid in advance, but if you decide not to study at IU, you get your money back.
*Just cancel at any time before your first 30 days are up and we’ll transfer your advance back.

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Our Ratings and Rankings

QS 5-star Rating

IU was the first German university to achieve a 5-star rating on QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the world’s most popular source for comparative data on universities, and maintains that status since 2021. We topped the ranks in the categories ‘student-faculty engagement’, ‘student interaction’, and ‘services and technology’.

With full points for also the ‘track record’ and ‘commitment to online learning’ categories, this recognition reaffirms our dedication to delivering quality education with state-of-the-art technology.

CHE University Ranking (2023/2024)

In the current CHE University Ranking (2023-2024), IU achieved top ranks in six out of 25 categories – the most categories won out of over 300 institutions assessed. We outperformed in the Business Administration field in the following categories: General Study Conditions, Contact with Lecturers, Study Programmes Offered, Examinations, Study Organisation, and Practical Orientation.

European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR)

EQAR lists FIBAA as a certified and fully reliable agency that has proven substantial compliance with a common set of conventions for quality assurance in Europe. As IU is recognised by FIBAA, we are therefore also validated by EQAR. This means that our programmes, teaching, and resources are aligned with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG).

Our Memberships

AACSB Educational Member: AACSB is the world’s largest business education alliance providing quality assurance services since 1916. As a member, IU works closely with other business schools to help improve the quality of business education worldwide. Our access to AACSB resources helps us continuously enhance teaching and research to provide the very best to our students.
Business Graduates Association (BGA): Established in 1967, the BGA is a sister organisation to the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and a quality assurance body for business schools around the world. As a BGA member, IU is provided with the opportunity to improve our programmes and teaching, as well as play a considerable part in redefining the future of business education.
Member of COVID-19 Global Education Coalition launched by UNESCO: As a member of UNESCO's Global Education Coalition, IU is committed to bridging the digital divide in education and making quality education accessible to everyone across the globe. We strive to support networking initiatives and deliver digital curricula through state-of-the-art technologies to ensure continuity of education for learners in need.
The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA): As a USDLA member, we work towards ensuring that distance learning students have access to a better education. Through USDLA's webinars and conferences, we can network with the Distance Education Professional Community to influence Distance Education Best Practices and Quality Standards and support research in this field.
Hotel Schools of Distinction: The Hotel Schools of Distinction is an exclusive association of prestigious hospitality management institutions worldwide, with only ten member institutions including IU, one of its founding members. Membership in HSD is the gold standard in hospitality education and IU is currently the only member university in Germany.

What Matters To Us is You

Your satisfaction is our top priority! That’s why we make sure that you are optimally supported from the very beginning – an aspiration that has proved its worth. Our quality objectives are taken from our guiding principles and the university’s development goals:

To develop high-quality, innovative degree courses that enable us to achieve the targeted level of growth.
To continuously develop our teaching quality, taking into account the latest technologies and innovative teaching formats to increase student satisfaction.
To ensure high levels of transparency concerning the quality of the teaching and of the administrative and technical support for students.
To involve the relevant stakeholders in the quality assurance process through regular evaluations and active inclusion in the quality assurance process.

Our Awards

DtGV Service Award

IU is the only training provider to receive the Service Award 2022 from the German Society for Consumer Studies (DtGV). This recognises the dedication of our customer service team and study coaches in supporting our students and their needs throughout their study journey at IU.

DISQ Award

IU came top of the pile in the 2021 German Institute for Service Quality (DISQ) Awards for Distance Learning! We were ranked for our study programme offerings, quick replies to students, and user-friendly website above everyone else’s.

elearning Journal Award

In the University category, the IU Learning Hub received the eLearning Journal Award 2022 as "Project of the Year 2022". For over 10 years, the eLearning Journal has given awards to innovative projects and products in the areas of eLearning, Corporate Learning and L&D.

FAQs

Are IU International University of Applied Sciences degrees recognised?: Yes, IU and its degrees are recognised by national and European authorities.
Is IU International University of Applied Sciences accredited?: Yes, IU is accredited by FIBAA according to the standards of the German Accreditation Council and the German Council of Sciences and Humanities.
What is IU International University of Applied Sciences’ ranking on QS?: IU International University of Applied Sciences achieved a 5-star rating in Online Learning and 99 out of 100 points on QS Quacquarelli Symonds – the first German university to accomplish this.