The model of a “knowledge-based society” represents an ideal towards which the whole world strives. Today’s society is based on knowledge as the main good, virtue and competitive advantage and higher education plays a crucial role in shaping a knowledge-based society. The purpose of this article is to position higher education within knowledge-based societies and to emphasis the growing importance of higher education. Discussions about the shift from elite to mass higher education will be outlined as well as the concept of “universal higher education“in the 21st century. With this theoretical basis the need of quality assurance in higher education will be stressed in to enhance, improve and even maintain a quality-focused orientation. Higher education institutions are in a time of great tensions – they have to react quickly to educational needs of a fast-changing society and to assert one’s position with other higher education providers. At present as well as for the future the necessity to assure quality for higher education systems to compete in a knowledge-based society at all levels – national and global – is evident.