The article first considers a characterization of higher education in Latin America, the principal problems and the scenarios that have led to the inclusion of quality assessment and accreditation processes in higher education as a priority in the regional agenda. The following aspects are then developed from a comparative perspective: the main current conceptions in the region concerning quality and its assurance; current regulation of evaluation and accreditation, with a detailed description; the quality assurance organizations and a comparative approach to their institutional functions and characteristics; and the main methodological approaches to quality assessment and accreditation. For each of these topics the article gives a resume of the regional situation with, if necessary, a description of the most representative national situations. Finally, the main trends and achievements are analyzed, along with the challenges to regional quality assurance, with a special focus on the Latin American experience. (Contains 8 notes and 4 tables.)