What Does “U.S. Equivalency” Mean on a Credential Evaluation?

If you earned a degree, diploma, or other academic credential outside the United States, you may be asked to obtain a credential evaluation for education, employment, professional licensing, or another purpose. One of the most important parts of that evaluation is the U.S. equivalency.

But what does it mean when an evaluation says that your credential is equivalent to a particular U.S. degree?

U.S. equivalency provides a way to understand education completed in another country within the context of the U.S. education system. It does not rename your original credential or turn it into a U.S. degree. Instead, it identifies the U.S. credential that most closely corresponds to your education based on its academic level, structure, and field of study.

What Does “U.S. Equivalency” Actually Mean?

A U.S. equivalency is a professional determination of how an international academic credential compares to a credential in the U.S. education system.

Importantly, equivalent does not mean identical. A foreign credential does not need to have the same name, program length, or structure as a U.S. degree to be considered comparable to it.

This is also why simply translating the name of a credential is not enough. Terms such as “diploma,” “licence,” or other country-specific qualification names can represent very different levels of education depending on where they were awarded. The evaluator must consider what the credential represents within its own education system before determining its U.S. counterpart. If your documents are not in English, certified translation can be added to your evaluation order at the quote stage. To see what that translation covers, see our academic translation service.

The result gives U.S. institutions and organizations a familiar point of reference for understanding an otherwise unfamiliar credential.

How Do Evaluators Determine U.S. Equivalency?

Determining U.S. equivalency involves more than comparing the number of years someone attended school.

Credential evaluators examine the qualification within the context of the education system where it was earned. Several factors can contribute to the final determination.

One is the official status of the institution that awarded the credential. Evaluators consider whether the institution is appropriately recognized, accredited, authorized, or otherwise accepted within that country's education system.

They also examine the level and purpose of the credential. This includes where the qualification sits within the national education framework, what education is normally required for admission, and what opportunities for further study it provides.

The program itself is another important part of the analysis. Its length, structure, academic requirements, curriculum, and field of study can all help establish how the completed education compares with a U.S. credential.

These factors are considered together rather than through a simple formula. To learn why separate foreign degrees cannot simply be added together to reach a higher U.S. degree, read our article on combining degrees for U.S. equivalency. Two programs of the same length, for example, do not necessarily represent the same academic level. Likewise, a shorter or differently structured program should not automatically be assumed to fall below a particular U.S. degree simply because its format differs from the American model.

The goal is to understand the credential on its own terms first and then establish the appropriate comparison within the U.S. system. Because this is a professional judgment, two evaluation companies can reach different conclusions for the same credential. To learn why, see our guide to why evaluators may give different U.S. equivalencies.

What Do U.S. Equivalency Results Look Like?

U.S. equivalency statements for postsecondary credentials are specific. They typically identify both the comparable U.S. degree and the field of study. For example, an international credential might be evaluated as equivalent to an:

• Associate of Science in Mathematics
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance
• Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

The exact degree title and major will depend on the credential being evaluated and the academic program the student completed. To see how a course-by-course evaluation adds a breakdown of individual courses to that conclusion, read our guide to general and course-by-course evaluations.

Some equivalencies can be more general. At the secondary level, for instance, an evaluation may identify completed education as equivalent to a U.S. High School Diploma. To learn how foreign secondary school records are compared, see our guide to high school diploma equivalency.

This distinction is important because the wording of the equivalency is itself part of the evaluation. A conclusion such as “Bachelor of Science in Computer Science” communicates more than the fact that the applicant completed education at the bachelor's level. It also identifies the type and field of the comparable U.S. degree.

For that reason, an equivalency statement should be read as a complete conclusion rather than reduced to a single word such as “bachelor’s” or “master’s.”

How Is a U.S. Equivalency Used?

U.S. equivalency is useful because the people reviewing international credentials may not be specialists in every education system in the world.

A university admissions office may need to determine whether an applicant has the educational background required for a graduate program. An employer may need to understand whether an international degree meets an educational requirement for a position. A licensing authority may need a clear description of an applicant's academic qualifications. MotaWord prepares academic evaluations for U.S. university and college admissions and academic evaluations for employment in the United States.

Credential evaluations can also be requested for immigration-related purposes and other situations where international education needs to be understood in U.S. terms. For work visa petitions, see our education evaluation for H-1B visas.

The evaluation provides that bridge, but it is important to distinguish the evaluator's role from the role of the organization receiving the report.

A U.S. equivalency does not convert an international credential into a degree issued by a U.S. institution. Nor does the evaluation itself guarantee admission to a university, employment, professional licensure, immigration approval, or any other outcome.

The evaluator determines how the academic credential compares within the U.S. education system. The receiving institution, employer, licensing board, government agency, or other organization then decides how that equivalency applies to its own requirements.

How Much Does a Credential Evaluation Cost, and How Fast Is It?

MotaWord's academic evaluations are done within 72 hours for $65. If your diploma or transcript is not in English, certified translation can be added to the same order at the quote stage. If you have a question along the way, live chat is available 24/7 for support.

Understanding Your Education in a U.S. Context

At its core, U.S. equivalency answers a practical question: How does this international credential compare to education in the United States?

Answering that question requires more than translating a degree title or counting years of study. Credential evaluators consider the institution, the credential's position within its national education system, admission and completion requirements, program structure, academic content, and field of study to determine the appropriate U.S. comparison.

The resulting equivalency gives schools, employers, licensing authorities, and other organizations a clear way to understand academic qualifications earned in another education system.

Your original credential remains exactly what you earned. The U.S. equivalency provides the context needed to understand what that achievement represents in the United States.

When you need a U.S. equivalency for your own diploma or transcript, MotaWord's academic evaluation services can evaluate your credentials within 72 hours for $65. If you have a question along the way, live chat is available 24/7 for support.

Mark Rogers - Evaluation Specialist at MotaWord

Written and reviewed by Mark Rogers, Evaluation Specialist at MotaWord, drawing on hands-on credential evaluation work at MotaWord for university admissions, employment, and immigration filings. MotaWord is SOC 2 Type II certified and a corporate member of the ATA and ITI, providing academic evaluations and certified translations in 120+ languages. See our course-by-course evaluation service →