Quality assurance at the school level rests with the Education Review Office within the Ministry of Education. The Education Review Office reviews and reports on the quality of education in all New Zealand schools and early childhood education services.

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is responsible for quality assurance at private training establishments (PTEs), institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs) and wānanga (Mäori tertiary institutes). The NZQA approves and registers all courses and national qualifications offered by these bodies. The NZQA also oversees and administers qualifications at the secondary school level.

NZQA registers and monitors all national qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework; runs national senior secondary school examinations; registers and monitors private providers of education and training to ensure they meet quality standards; and administers a qualifications recognition service for overseas people wanting to live, work or study in New Zealand.

Universities in New Zealand are largely self-regulating. The body responsible for quality assurance in is Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara, an organisation made up of the eight New Zealand universities represented by their Vice-Chancellors. Universities New Zealand administers quality assurance through two agencies: the Committee on University Academic Programs (CUAP) and the New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit (UZUAAU).

CUAP is responsible for approving substantial changes to existing university qualifications or new qualifications. The CUAP operates a graduating year review process in which universities report on the outcomes of the first cohort to pass through any new qualification.

UZUAAU is an independent body established by Universities New Zealand. NZUAAU conducts institutional-level audits on New Zealand universities. This audit process begins with an institutional self-review. The findings of the self-review are addressed by the NZUAAU audit panel. The audit panel then works with the institution to develop plans for future improvement.