Curious about what your international credentials are worth in North America?

When properly evaluated—and fairly recognized—your international education can open doors for you in the United States or Canada. When thinking about your future in a new country, it helps to know what your current degree will be worth.

Knowing what to expect from your degree equivalency results will help you prepare to immigrate or study abroad. It can also help you make decisions about applying for an official credential evaluation.

One way to get an idea of what your degree would be worth is by using the Degree Equivalency Tool from World Education Services (WES).

This free online tool lets you enter the degree (or degrees) you have earned, and then instantly preview what it would equal in the U.S. or Canada.

How to Get Your Degree Equivalency

After you give contact information to the WES Degree Equivalency Tool, you will be required to provide:

• Your country of education
• Name of degree or diploma
• Your major or field of study
• Number of years of study
• Institution attended

Now, you will be able to view your degree equivalency report. Keep in mind that all degree equivalency results are based on information you provide, not on verified information or official documents. Therefore, these results are not official and cannot be used as proof that you attended an institution or earned a degree.

However, now you have an idea of what to expect from your official credential evaluation, and this may eliminate any surprises and help you start planning your journey.

Your sample report may look something like this:

How to Obtain an Official Credential Evaluation

If you are in the process of applying to a college or university in North America, you will likely need to submit an official credential evaluation.

A credential evaluation is a verified report that can be sent to college admissions officers, job recruiters, financial institutions, and other organizations that require official documentation of your academic accomplishments before arriving in the U.S. This report helps institutions and individuals understand your international credentials.

A credential evaluation is a valuable resource because it can help you even after you study abroad. In fact, this report is useful throughout your lifetime, including when applying for jobs or obtaining professional licensure.

To prepare an official evaluation, WES requires that you submit official academic documents, including transcripts and degree certificates, for review.

Your school may have specific requirements about which credential evaluation services are necessary to apply for their international student programs. For example, some schools will not review international applications until a credential evaluation is completed. In other cases, it might not be a requirement, but it is still recommended.

Here are some general tips to follow before you order a credential evaluation:

• Determine your goal. Outlining your goal will help you decide which type of evaluation to order. For example, if you want a credential evaluation that contains your GPA, don’t order a basic Document-by-Document evaluation, as this report only lists a U.S. equivalency for each credential. If you want a detailed credential evaluation with your GPA, the Course-by-Course evaluation is likely your best bet.
• Contact your institution. If you already know which school or employer you might be sending a copy of your report to, reach out to them and see if they have any specific requirements. For example, ask if you need to use a certain credential evaluation provider and if there is a type of credential evaluation report they prefer.