At a time when higher education is being transformed from the monopoly of the elite to the right of the masses and when global forces are transforming the way higher education is being delivered, the role of a regulatory agency becomes very crucial. To regulate higher education, and to guide the country in the establishment of institutions of higher learning as well as ensure that quality and relevant education is delivered, the National Council for Higher Education was established by the government of Uganda.

The National Council for Higher Education is a statutory agency, a watchdog for quality and relevant higher education established under "The Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2001" for:
(a) regulating and guiding the establishment and management of institutions of higher learning, and;
(b) regulating the quality of higher education, equating of higher education qualifications and to advise government on higher education issues.

1) Vision

The provision of relevant, broad based technology driven, dynamic, sustainable and quality higher education accessible to all qualified Ugandans

2) Mission

To set standards and regulations to ensure that all public and private tertiary education institutions in Uganda will create, sustain and improve the relevance and quality of higher education for all qualified Ugandans and to meet the local, national and global higher education challenges of the twenty first century

3) Functions

The major functions of the National Council for Higher Education are:

i) to advise the Minister of Education on higher education policy issues

ii) to licence higher education institutions

iii)  to accredit all academic and professional programmes taught in higher education institutions

iv) to set national admission standards and ensure that higher education institutions meet those standards

v) to publish information on higher education

vi) to to determine the equivalence of academic qualifications obtained elsewhere with those awarded by Ugandan higher education institutions for recognition in Uganda.