When applying to an American university, you may stumble upon the phrase credential evaluation.

If your response is something like …wait … what? or How do I know if I need a credential evaluation? or How do I complete a credential evaluation? then you’re in the right place. We’ve got you.

This guide will outline everything you need to know about credential evaluations:

What is a credential evaluation?
Who needs to submit a credential evaluation?
When should I apply for a credential evaluation?
How do I complete a credential evaluation?
What type of evaluation do I need?
What documents are required?
How much does it cost?
How long does it take?

What is a credential evaluation?

A credential evaluation is a document that compares your academic records from your home country to their US equivalents. This allows universities to evaluate your academic records on the same grounds as those of domestic students.

Who needs to submit a credential evaluation?

This will vary a bit depending on the university to which you’re applying. The best way to know if you need to submit a credential evaluation is to check the application requirements for each university you’re applying to. You’ll likely find it listed alongside other admissions requirements particular to international students, such as English proficiency requirements.

Generally speaking, if you studied at an American high school outside of the US or completed the International Baccalaureate, you won’t need a credential evaluation.

But if you completed the high school requirements particular to your home country and will be receiving a national diploma, you probably will need a credential evaluation.

When should I apply for a credential evaluation?

Again, this varies depending on the institution. Some colleges will require your credential evaluation to determine their admissions decision. In that case, it will be due by the application deadline just like the other crucial application elements. However, in most cases, you do not need to submit a credential evaluation at the same time that you apply to the school itself, and colleges will request them later on in the process.

How do I complete a credential evaluation?

Once you’ve determined that you do need one, you’ll want to look into credential evaluation services. These are third-party organizations, meaning they’re not connected to any one university, and they specialize in evaluating international transcripts and degrees.

There is no government agency that monitors them, so it’s important to make sure that they’re certified by Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE) or National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

Some colleges will request a particular evaluation service. If they don’t, feel free to take a look at the options available and compare their offerings. Credential evaluation services will vary in the types of evaluations they offer, their costs, and their processing times.

You can check out the NACES and AICE websites for lists of their endorsed members. Two of the most commonly used evaluators in the US are

What type of evaluation do I need?

After you’ve found a credential evaluation service, the next step is applying for the credential evaluation. You’ll need to indicate what type of evaluation you need. Most college applicants will need a Course-by-Course evaluation, although it’s worth checking the colleges’ websites in case they specify otherwise.

If you’re graduating high school, this Course-by-Course evaluation will include the US equivalence for each high school credential, unit and grade equivalents, and the grade average for each high school credential. If you’re a transfer student who’s completed two years of university study, you may or may not need to include your high school grades in the evaluation.

What documents are required?

Most evaluation services will ask for your high school transcripts and sometimes a high school diploma as well.

Note that some organizations require the original documents sent directly from the institution that issued it (such as your high school or college), while others allow the student to send them. In addition to the original documents, if your documents are in a language other than English, you’ll need to submit a translation of each one. Most evaluation services don’t translate documents! You can actually translate the documents word-for-word yourself or pay for an official translation. Even if the evaluation service does offer translation, it’s often much less expensive to complete the translations in your home country.

Check closely to see how you should submit each document (via courier or email). You may also need to submit some documents in an envelope with a seal from the issuing body. These guidelines can be tricky, so make sure to follow them precisely.

How much does it cost?

Credential evaluation costs vary, but tend to range from $130-$250, plus shipping costs.

How long does it take?

Most evaluation services will take about two to three weeks from the time they receive all the documents. However, processing time will depend on the credential evaluation service and how many applications they’re processing at a given time. Make sure to submit your application with extra time just in case!

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Hopefully your …wait … what? is now something more like a cool, got it, good to go. Get rolling on researching schools and determining whether you need a credential evaluation, and dive into the process.

Special thanks to Rachel for writing this blog post.