Abstract: Resume Le systeme universitaire est complexe et subit de nombreuses pressions pour qu’on evalue sa performance. Comment definir la performance des universites? Il existe une diversite d’opinion quant au choix des dimensions, des criteres et des indicateurs a privilegier. Cet article a pour but de presenter une typologie des conceptions des universites en vue d’evaluer leur performance. A partir d’une recension des ecrits, un prototype de la typologie a ete elabore, lequel comporte sept conceptions des universites. De maniere a valider cette typologie, un processus d’anasynthese (Legendre, 2005; Sauve, 1992; Silvern, 1972) a ete utilise. Onze experts ont ete rencontres dans le cadre d’entretiens semi-structures. Ces experts ont porte un jugement sur la typologie proposee en fonction de six criteres de validation (clarte, consistance logique, exhaustivite, economie, utilite et acceptabilite par les usagers). L’article sous reference presente les resultats de cette recherche, de meme que les sept types de typologie optimale (service public, marche, academique, apprenante, politique, entrepreneuriale et milieu de vie). Abstract The university system is complex and is constantly pressured to evaluate its performance. How should university performance be defined? There is no agreement on the dimensions, criteria and indicators to choose. This article presents a typology of the conceptions of universities so as to evaluate their performance. Based on an extensive literature review, a typology prototype consisting of seven conceptions of universities was developed. A method of anasynthesis (Silvern, 1972; Sauve, 1992; and Legendre, 2005) was used to verify the typology. Semi-structured interviews were held with eleven experts. These experts assessed the proposed typology in relation to six validation criteria (clarity, logic consistency, comprehensiveness, economy, usefulness and acceptability by users). This article presents the results of this research as well as the seven optimal typology categories (public service, market, academic, learner, political, entrepreneurial and living environment).