The purpose of this article is to evaluate and measure the development of the quality of the Brazilian higher education system during the period of 1993 to 2004. The chosen period was considered to be associated with the intensification of the mercantilization of Brazilian higher education. The evaluation and measurement of the system’s quality was developed based on a conceptual model of quality and a system of indicators. The study showed that, in times of mercantilization, the quality of Brazilian higher education did not develop positively, since in the period researched no clear evidence was found of improvements in terms of relevance, equity, diversity and efficacy.
Higher education; Evaluation system; Mercantilization of higher education; Quality assessment in higher education; System-level indicators for higher education