Background: In 1995, a score to measure the quality of private universities in Chile, using excellency indicators as predictors of autonomy certification, was devised by the author. Aim: To compare this score with autonomy certification results of ensuing years, to assess the usefulness of excellency indicators. Materials and methods: During 1995, the records of 21 private universities in Santiago were studied. These universities were qualified using eight indicators of academic excellency. These results were compared with the Superior Education Council qualification results, obtained between 1996 and 1998. Results: The scores obtained by universities ranged from 19 and 137 points. Universities with the better scores obtained autonomy and those with the worst scores were eliminated. There was a good concordance between the score obtained in 1995 and the fate of autonomy certificate autonomy of private universities were the magnitude of indirect budget contributed by the state, the size of academic list of staff and the percentage of admitted students with scores over 573 in the national academic aptitude tests.