Centro Escolar University (CEU) has received institutional certification from the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA), becoming one of only four universities in the Philippines and 11 in the ASEAN region to achieve this recognition.

The AUN-QA is an organization established by the ASEAN University Network to harmonize educational standards and promote continuous improvement of academic quality among universities in the region.

It conducts quality assessments at both program and institutional levels for its member institutions.

Prior to this institutional certification, AUN had assessed various CEU programs since 2015, including Pharmacy, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Business Administration, Dentistry, Tourism Management, Nursing, Optometry, Psychology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Biology, Dental Medicine, Medical Technology, Social Work, Music Education, Communication and Media, and Cosmetic Science.

The institutional assessment evaluates universities based on three major criteria: Strategic QA (management and functional aspects), Systemic QA (quality assurance system, information management, and enhancement), and Results (educational, research, service, financial, and market outcomes).

The AUN-QA assessment highlighted several strengths of CEU, including its Learning Management System (CEU LEAPS), program accreditations, Autonomous Status granted by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), policies embedding institutional values, graduate employability, and high academic achievement reflected in licensure examination results.

Dr. Teresa Perez, CEU senior vice president for Academic Affairs, emphasized the university's commitment to quality education. "Our membership in the AUN is a testament of our commitment to our stakeholders—to be accountable for giving them the education they deserve," she said.

"Since 2015, we have been working to acquire certification for our programs to show unbiased proof that our programs are at par with international standards. This year, we took the commitment to another level and worked on getting our first AUN-QA institutional certification," she added.

The assessment also identified areas for improvement to help the university further enhance its educational offerings. Dr. Perez noted that third-party assessments like AUN-QA are valuable for refining strategies and identifying areas needing attention.