If you earned a diploma, degree, transcript, or other academic credential outside the United States, you may be asked to obtain a credential evaluation from a NACES member organization.
NACES stands for the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. NACES does not evaluate diplomas or issue credential evaluation reports itself. Instead, its independent member organizations provide foreign credential evaluation services.
If a university, licensing board, employer, or other institution asks for a “NACES evaluation,” it generally means that the evaluation must be completed by a credential evaluation agency that is a current member of NACES.
What Is NACES?
The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) was founded in 1987 as a U.S. trade association for independent, nongovernmental organizations that provide credential evaluation services.
NACES establishes professional and ethical standards for its member organizations. Applicants seeking a credential evaluation work directly with a NACES member agency.
This distinction is important: you do not submit your diploma to NACES for evaluation. You select a credential evaluation agency accepted by the university, licensing board, employer, or other institution requesting the report.
You can view the current list of organizations directly in the
official NACES member directory.
What Does a NACES Credential Evaluation Do?
A foreign credential evaluation helps a U.S. institution understand how education completed in another country compares with the U.S. educational system.
Depending on the type of report requested, an evaluation may identify the U.S. equivalent of a foreign diploma or degree or provide a more detailed analysis of courses, grades, credits, and academic achievement.
Credential evaluations are commonly requested for:
- College and university admission
- Transfer of academic credits
- Professional licensing
- Employment
- Immigration
- Military purposes
The institution receiving the evaluation determines which evaluation agency and which type of report it will accept.
Document-by-Document vs. Course-by-Course Evaluation
Two common types of foreign credential evaluation are document-by-document and course-by-course evaluations.
Document-by-Document Evaluation
A document-by-document evaluation generally identifies the academic credentials earned and determines their comparable educational level in the United States.
It may be requested for employment, immigration, or other situations where a detailed review of individual courses is not necessary.
Course-by-Course Evaluation
A course-by-course evaluation provides a more detailed analysis of academic study.
Depending on the evaluation agency, the report may include:
- Individual courses or subjects
- U.S. credit equivalents
- Grade equivalents
- Overall GPA
- Degree equivalency
Course-by-course evaluations are frequently requested for university admission, transfer credit, graduate study, and certain professional licensing purposes.
Always confirm the required report type with the institution that will receive your evaluation.
NACES Member Credential Evaluation Agencies
NACES includes a number of independent credential evaluation organizations. Current NACES members include, among others:
- World Education Services (WES)
- Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
- International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
- International Education Evaluations (IEE)
- The Evaluation Company (TEC), formerly SpanTran
- Josef Silny and Associates
- Foundation for International Services
- Educational Perspectives
- Global Credential Evaluators
- Foreign Academic Credential Service
Membership can change over time, so applicants should always verify an organization's current status using the official NACES member directory before ordering an evaluation.
Do You Need a Certified Translation for a NACES Evaluation?
There is no single translation policy that applies to every NACES member.
Each credential evaluation agency establishes its own requirements regarding:
- Original-language academic documents
- English translations
- Certified translations
- Documents sent directly by educational institutions
- Sealed envelopes
- Electronic document delivery
- Document verification
- Country-specific requirements
For this reason, you should first determine which credential evaluation agency you will use and then review its current document requirements.
If an English translation is required,
Carolina Translation Center provides
credential evaluation translation services for foreign academic documents.
Certified Academic Translation for Credential Evaluation
Carolina Translation Center provides certified English translations of foreign academic records for credential evaluation agencies, colleges, universities, licensing boards, employers, and other U.S. institutions.
Documents we translate include:
- Diplomas
- University transcripts
- Degree certificates
- Academic records
- Mark sheets
- Secondary school certificates
- Certificates of graduation
- Academic supplements
- Grading scales
- Other educational documents
Translations are prepared completely and accurately and include the information visible on the original documents, including stamps, seals, signatures, handwritten notations, tables, grades, and other markings.
A Certification of Translation Accuracy is included with certified translations.
Academic Translation Services by Language
We also provide dedicated academic translation services for documents issued in different countries and languages, including:
Additional languages are available upon request.
How to Prepare Documents for Credential Evaluation
Before ordering an evaluation or translation:
- Confirm which credential evaluation agency your receiving institution accepts.
- Determine whether you need a document-by-document or course-by-course evaluation.
- Review the evaluator's current document requirements.
- Check whether English translations are required.
- Provide complete and legible copies of all documents that need translation.
- Include all pages, reverse sides, stamps, seals, signatures, grading scales, and attachments.
- Submit the original-language documents and translations according to the evaluation agency's instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NACES evaluate foreign diplomas?
No. NACES itself does not perform credential evaluations. Evaluations are completed by independent credential evaluation organizations that are members of NACES.
What does “NACES evaluation” mean?
A “NACES evaluation” generally means a foreign credential evaluation completed by an organization that is a current member of NACES.
Is WES a NACES member?
Yes. World Education Services (WES) is currently a member of NACES.
Is ECE a NACES member?
Yes. Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) is currently a NACES member.
Are IERF and IEE NACES members?
Yes. International Education Research Foundation (IERF) and International Education Evaluations (IEE) are currently listed as NACES members.
Is SpanTran a NACES member?
The organization formerly known as SpanTran now operates as The Evaluation Company (TEC) and is currently a NACES member.
Does every NACES member have the same requirements?
No. NACES member organizations are independent evaluation services. Their requirements for academic documents, translations, verification, report types, and document submission can differ.
Do foreign diplomas and transcripts need to be translated into English?
Often, but not always. Translation requirements depend on the specific credential evaluation agency and the institution receiving the evaluation.
Does Carolina Translation Center evaluate foreign degrees?
No. Carolina Translation Center provides certified translations of academic documents. We do not determine U.S. degree equivalencies or issue credential evaluation reports.
For credential evaluation, you must use an evaluation agency accepted by the institution requesting the report.
Need Your Academic Documents Translated?
Send us clear copies of your diploma, transcript, degree certificate, mark sheets, or other academic records for a free quote.
We provide complete certified translations for credential evaluation agencies and other U.S. institutions.