SMU has been audited three times by the Ethiopian Higher Education Relevance and Quality Assurance (HERQA). It was the first higher learning institution in Ethiopia to undergo an external quality audit process. Following its self-initiated request to be audited by external body, SMU was audited in 2004 when the issue of quality was at its infant stage.

Making significant improvement after getting feedback in the first assessment, it applied to HERQA for another external audit in 2008. The audit took place in the same year and the report got published in March 2009.

Striving for excellence, the University laid down its quality enhancement plan and worked hard to realize its stated objectives after the report was published by HERQA. Cognizant of the fact that quality is not a one-time exercise, SMU underwent the third-round audit process by HERQA in 2018. The findings of the audit were published in the same year.

In addition to the above institution level audits, SMU had two of its undergraduate programs, namely, Computer Science and Management, audited by external bodies. These exercises have contributed a great deal toward improving the rigor and performance of the University.