{"id":253139,"date":"2026-08-08T20:29:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.madescholarships.com\/?post_type=kennisbank&p=253139"},"modified":"2026-08-11T20:23:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:23:57","slug":"credential-evaluation-us-universities","status":"publish","type":"kennisbank","link":"https:\/\/www.madescholarships.com\/en\/resources\/credential-evaluation-us-universities\/","title":{"rendered":"Credential evaluation for US universities: everything you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":247828,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Credential evaluation US universities: NACES, WES & TEC","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Learn when you need a credential evaluation for US universities. Compare Course-by-Course vs. Document-by-Document evaluations, NACES members, WES, TEC, transfer credits, and more.","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"kennisbank-thema":[609,572],"kennisbank-type":[618],"class_list":["post-253139","kennisbank","type-kennisbank","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","kennisbank-thema-admission-requirements","kennisbank-thema-toelatingseisen","kennisbank-type-artikel"],"acf":{"samenvatting":"If you are applying to study in the United States, your university may ask for a credential evaluation. This is an official review of your foreign diploma and transcripts to determine how they compare to the US education system.\r\nNot every university requires one, but many do\u2014especially for transfer students, applicants seeking transfer credits, or institutions that require an official GPA conversion.\r\nIn this guide, you will learn what a credential evaluation is, when you need one, the different evaluation types, and which evaluation agencies are commonly accepted by US universities.","leestijd":5,"body":"

What is a credential evaluation and why is it required?<\/h2>\r\nA credential evaluation is an independent assessment of your academic qualifications by a recognized evaluation agency.\r\n\r\nThe evaluator reviews your diploma, transcripts, completed coursework, grading system, and academic level before translating them into the American educational framework. Depending on the type of evaluation, this may also include an official Grade Point Average (GPA)<\/strong> calculation and an assessment of possible transfer credits.\r\n\r\nMany universities request a credential evaluation to ensure that all international applicants are assessed according to the exact same academic standards.\r\n\r\nRead more:<\/strong> Understanding GPA calculations for US universities<\/a>.\r\n

When do you need a credential evaluation?<\/h2>\r\nAlthough not every university requires one, there are four situations where a credential evaluation is commonly requested:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. First-year admission requirements (Diploma Equivalency & GPA):<\/strong> Some universities require an official credential evaluation instead of reviewing foreign transcripts themselves. The evaluation confirms that your diploma is academically equivalent to a US High School Diploma and may include an overall GPA calculation.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Transfer students:<\/strong> If you have already completed college or university coursework outside the United States, a Course-by-Course evaluation is mandatory to determine which credits can transfer toward your bachelor's degree.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Students seeking transfer credits (e.g., VWO diploma holders):<\/strong> Some international secondary school qualifications may qualify for university credit. For example, Dutch VWO students may receive transfer credit for selected subjects depending on the evaluation agency and the university's credit transfer policy.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nOur experience:<\/strong> WES (World Education Services)<\/strong> often awards relatively generous transfer credit recommendations for Dutch VWO qualifications compared to other evaluation agencies.\r\n\r\n\u26a0\ufe0f Requirements for VWO Transfer Credits:<\/strong> Transfer credits are generally awarded for subjects that match the US university curriculum (such as Mathematics, Physics, History, or Chemistry\u2014not foreign language studies like native Dutch) and where your final exam grade is a 7 or higher<\/strong> (on a 10-point scale).\r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. NAIA eligibility:<\/strong> Student-athletes enrolling at NAIA institutions must complete an academic evaluation through InCred<\/strong>, the official evaluation partner for the NAIA Eligibility Center.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

      Course-by-Course vs. Document-by-Document evaluations<\/h2>\r\nBefore submitting your application, you will need to select the type of evaluation required by your university.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
      Evaluation Type<\/strong><\/td>\r\nIncludes<\/strong><\/td>\r\nGPA Calculation<\/strong><\/td>\r\nTypical Use<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
      Document-by-Document<\/strong><\/td>\r\nVerifies your diploma and determines its US educational equivalency.<\/td>\r\nMay include an overall cumulative GPA<\/strong> depending on the agency.<\/td>\r\nFirst-year undergraduate admissions when verifying high school graduation equivalency.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Course-by-Course<\/strong><\/td>\r\nReviews every completed subject individually, converts grades and semester credits.<\/td>\r\nCalculates a detailed GPA for every individual course<\/strong>.<\/td>\r\nTransfer students, transfer credit requests, and universities requiring a detailed academic breakdown.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n \r\n\r\nAlways verify which evaluation type your university requires before placing an order. A Course-by-Course<\/em> evaluation is more comprehensive and universally accepted, whereas a Document-by-Document<\/em> report cannot be used if you wish to transfer credits.\r\n

      Recognized evaluation agencies: NACES, WES, TEC and InCred<\/h2>\r\nMost US universities only accept evaluations from agencies that belong to NACES<\/strong> (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services<\/em>). NACES establishes quality standards for international credential evaluations, giving universities confidence that evaluations are consistent and reliable.\r\n\r\nThe most common agencies include:\r\n

      1. The Evaluation Company (TEC) \u2013 Our official partner<\/h3>\r\n