{"id":8990,"date":"2026-05-26T08:32:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T12:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcmillaneducationinternational.com\/?p=8990"},"modified":"2026-05-26T08:37:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T12:37:13","slug":"foreign-degree-equivalency-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcmillaneducationinternational.com\/fr\/blog\/foreign-degree-equivalency-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"How Foreign Degree Equivalency Works in the USA: What International Students and Professionals Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

The United States has no central authority that recognizes foreign academic credentials. For international students applying to US universities<\/a>, professionals seeking state licensure, and skilled workers entering the US job market, that gap has a direct practical consequence. Foreign degree equivalency must be established through a formal evaluation process before most institutions will review any application.<\/p>\n

This article covers how degree equivalency is determined in the US, what evaluation reports assess, and how to navigate equivalency challenges for specific credential types.<\/p>\n

What Foreign Degree Equivalency Means in the US System<\/h2>\n

Foreign degree equivalency, in the American context, is a formal determination that an academic credential earned outside the United States corresponds to a specific level of the US degree framework.<\/p>\n

The determination is produced by an independent credential evaluation agency. The agency examines the foreign credential against the educational system that issued it and maps it to the closest US equivalent: associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate. Most US institutions require that the agency be a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES<\/a>), the trade association that sets professional standards for the field in the absence of any federal oversight body.<\/p>\n

Credential evaluations assess the academic structure of a foreign degree rather than its language of instruction. Documents already in English require the same evaluation as those in any other language. What evaluators examine is the credential itself: years of study completed, curriculum level, grading scale, and whether the degree grants access to the next level of study within the issuing country’s own system.<\/p>\n

How International Degrees Map to US Degree Levels<\/h2>\n

The table below reflects standard equivalency determinations for the most common international credentials.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer<\/em><\/strong>: Equivalency determinations are indicative. Individual evaluations may differ based on evaluator methodology and institutional requirements.<\/em><\/p>\n

Evaluators determine equivalency by examining years of study completed, the academic level of the curriculum, the grading scale, institutional accreditation standing in the country of origin, and whether the degree qualifies its holder for graduate study within that same country.<\/p>\n

Document-by-Document vs. Course-by-Course Evaluations<\/h2>\n

There are two types of foreign degree equivalency reports, and understanding the difference before submitting an application saves significant time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Foreign Credential<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Typical US Equivalent<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Secondary leaving certificate (Niveaux A<\/a>, Abitur<\/a>, French BAC<\/a>, Maturit\u00e9\/Matura, Attestat, IB Diploma<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

High school diploma; may satisfy partial first-year credit<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Foundation degree \/ Higher National Certificate (HNC)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Partial associate’s credit<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Vocational qualification \/ BTec<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Varies; generally below associate’s degree level<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Two-year diploma or Higher National Diploma (HND)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Associate’s degree or partial bachelor’s credit<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Three-year bachelor’s degree (Bologna-compliant, Indian BA\/BSc, Licence)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Varies by evaluator and institution<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Ordinary \/ pass bachelor’s degree (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Varies by evaluator and institution<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Honours bachelor’s degree (UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Bachelor’s degree<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Licenciatura (Latin America, Spain)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Bachelor’s degree<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Four-year bachelor’s degree<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Bachelor’s degree<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Specialist degree \/ Diplom (Germany pre-Bologna, Eastern Europe)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Master’s degree<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Postgraduate diploma (one year post-bachelor’s)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Post-baccalaureate study<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Two-year master’s degree<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Master’s degree<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Doctorate<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Doctorate<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

1. Document-by-Document<\/h3>\n

This report confirms the credential, its US degree level equivalent, the year of completion, and the issuing institution. It does not break down individual courses, credit hours, or grades, which is why it is usually sufficient for employment purposes, immigration filings, and licensing boards that only need a general credential assessment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Course-by-Course<\/h3>\n

This report goes considerably further. It lists every course with its US credit hour equivalent, converts grades to a 4.0 GPA scale, and calculates a cumulative GPA, producing essentially the same academic record a US institution would have for a domestic applicant. Graduate admissions offices almost universally require this report, and some licensing boards require it specifically to verify that prerequisite coursework in a given field has been completed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. Which One to Order<\/h3>\n

If the institution or licensing board specifies a report type, follow that requirement. If no specification is given, course-by-course is usually the safer choice for admissions contexts, since it includes the document-by-document determination as a component. The reverse is not true; a document-by-document report cannot be resubmitted as a course-by-course report. Upgrading after submission is possible with some agencies, but it adds both time and cost, which matters when most standard evaluations already take several weeks to complete.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Which US Institutions Require an Equivalency Determination<\/h2>\n

Requirements for foreign degree recognition vary by institution type in the US<\/a>, and the role a credential evaluation plays differs between an admissions office and a licensing board.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Graduate and Undergraduate Admissions<\/h3>\n

Graduate programs require a credential evaluation in almost every case. Admissions offices use the report to establish whether the applicant holds the foreign equivalent of a US bachelor’s degree, the baseline requirement for graduate study, and to assess the academic record behind it. The evaluation does not replace the broader application review, but without it the review does not proceed.<\/p>\n

At the undergraduate level, the requirement arises most commonly for transfer applicants. The institution uses the evaluation to determine how many credits from a foreign university apply toward the US degree program. Credits that do not map to recognized US equivalents generally do not transfer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Professional Licensing Boards<\/h3>\n

Licensing boards in the United States are state-governed, and each sets its own credential requirements independently. The same foreign degree can satisfy a board’s standards in one state and fall short in another.<\/p>\n

Healthcare, engineering, and education are the fields most commonly affected. Foreign-trained physicians looking to become licensed doctors in the US<\/a>, alongside nurses, engineers, and teachers, will almost always encounter a formal evaluation requirement as part of the state licensing process.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to Get Your Foreign Degree Evaluated in the USA: Step-by-Step<\/h2>\n

For students planning to work or \u00e9tude aux \u00c9tats-Unis<\/a>, evaluating a foreign degree follows the same defined process regardless of the credential or country of origin.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step 1: Confirm the Institution’s Requirements<\/h3>\n

The starting point is always the receiving institution, not the agency. Some institutions specify a NACES member agency<\/a>; others name a preferred agency or maintain their own approved list, which is particularly common among state licensing boards. Confirm the required report type at this stage as well, document-by-document or course-by-course, since this determines which application to submit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step 2: Select an Agency and Obtain Your Reference Number<\/h3>\n

Most agencies manage the process through an online account where the report type is selected at the application stage. The agency issues a reference number that your institution will need when sending academic documents. Sharing it with the institution promptly keeps the process moving without gaps.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step 3: Submit Your Documents<\/h3>\n

Academic documents: transcripts, mark sheets, and degree certificates, are sent directly from the issuing institution to the agency in a sealed envelope. Non-English documents require certified translations submitted alongside the originals. The processing clock starts when the agency confirms all documents have been received and verified.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step 4: Plan Around the Full Timeline<\/h3>\n

Standard processing runs between 5 and 15 business days after documents are verified. The full end-to-end timeline commonly runs 4 to 6 weeks. Students applying to programs with deadlines in peak seasons, December through January and July through August, consistently find that starting two months in advance is the more reliable approach.<\/p>\n

McMillan Education International has guided students from over 65 countries through the full admissions process, including the credential evaluation stage. Those planning graduate study in the US are welcome to speak with one of our US university admissions consultants<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Common Foreign Degree Equivalency Challenges in the US<\/h2>\n

Most foreign credentials map cleanly to US degree levels. The cases that create complications tend to fall into four categories, each defined by the structure of the credential rather than the country of origin.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Three-Year Bachelor’s Degrees<\/h3>\n

The most common equivalency complication involves three-year bachelor’s degrees. US bachelor’s degrees are four years and 120 credit hours, and a three-year degree does not automatically evaluate as the equivalent.<\/p>\n

Three-year bachelor’s degrees are common across several regions:<\/p>\n