Transcript Evaluation Service: 8 Key Things to Know

11/13/2023

Coming from your home country with an advanced degree, you wanted to achieve your American Dream and settle in the US like others do. There are some chances that you may be asked to have your transcript evaluated in USA, although you probably have never heard of it before.

It’s always a good idea to consult a trusted credential evaluation agency before the process, but this article will first give you some hands-on information for your Transcript Evaluation Service in USA.

Continue reading for the 8 key things you need to know.

1. What’s a transcript evaluation?

Transcript Evaluation, aka Course-by-Course Evaluation, is a service provided by professional evaluation agencies to evaluate educational backgrounds, test scores, professional experiences, etc. obtained outside the United States.

In your home country, a transcript can be called a mark sheet, mark book, grades book, etc.., but when you come to an experienced credential evaluation company, transcript evaluation or course-by-course evaluation is more commonly called.

2. Why do you need a transcript evaluation?

1) Look for jobs

In this case, your employer may ask you to show an academic equivalency evaluationn report, in order to give you a job offer. They don’t want to mistaken the valuable education background you have gotten and you also want to show them that your education is the same as those who have degrees here in the US.

(Use Credential Evaluation for Employment)

For example, “high school diploma” is an American term for secondary education and it actually has various names in other countries, such as “bachiller” in Latin America and WASSCE (West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination) in West Africa. And it is the minimum educational requirement for lots of employers in this country.

Overall, to have your education evaluated is important because it will provide you the equal opportunities as Americans have.

Go to “Credential Evaluation for Employment” for more information.

2) Apply for immigration

When you are applying for an immigration visa, a non-immigration visa like H1B, or a green card, USCIS mostly will want you to demonstrate your educational background, such as diplomas, degrees, and transcripts. If you only have a degree from your home country, then USCIS may ask you to provide an USCIS approved education evaluation to showcase you have an equivalency of a US degree.

(Use Credential Evaluation for Immigration)

For instance, an H1b visa requires you to have at least a US bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. An USCIS approved education evaluation can provide evidence that you either have a U.S bachelor’s degree or that your foreign degree is equivalent to a particular U.S degree.

Overall, to have your education evaluated is important because it will provide you the equal opportunities as Americans have.

Go to “Education Evaluation for H1B” or "Education Credential Evaluation for Immigration" for more information.

3) Apply for school

With the help of educational equivalency evaluation, school admission will easily understand your academic achievement from your home country.

Take your advanced degree as an example; credentials in this are called bachelor’s or master’s degrees in the US. Same as different names for high school diploma, Licentiate, Magister, Benke or Zhuanke are all used to represent post-secondary education in other countries.

(Use Credential Evaluation for Education)

For this reason, you may have to use an education credential evaluation to show the university that you have had an equivalence to meet the academic requirements for admission.

Go to “Credential Evaluation for Education” for more information.

3. What does a transcript evaluation report include?

The main purpose of a transcript evaluation is to showcase as much detail as possible to your future employer, institution, immigration department or miliary recruitment, so that they will know your U.S. degree equivalency, credits, grades, and GPA.

In general, a transcript evaluation includes:

Detailed Course Analysis: Each course taken by the individual is listed and described, often including course titles, course codes, and the academic department or subject area. This analysis provides insight into the content and scope of each course.
Credit Equivalence: The evaluation determines the equivalent number of credits for each course, according to the system used by the institution or organization requesting the evaluation. This is especially important for international transcripts, where credit systems can vary widely.
Grade Conversion: Grades for each course are converted to the grading scale used by the receiving institution or organization. This conversion allows for a direct comparison of academic performance.
Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation: The evaluation recalculates the GPA based on the converted grades, providing a standardized measure of academic achievement.
Course Level Identification: Courses are often categorized by their level (e.g., introductory, intermediate, advanced) to gauge the student's progress in their field of study.
Accreditation Status of the Institution: The accreditation of the original educational institution is often noted, as this can affect the perceived quality and transferability of the credits.
Hours of Instruction: Sometimes, the evaluation includes the number of instructional hours for each course, which can be important for professional licensing or when transferring to institutions with different credit hour requirements.
Description of Educational System: A brief overview of the educational system of the originating country (for international transcripts) can be included for context.

4. Transcript Evaluation Sample

To view what a transcript evaluation really includes, click here to look at the Sample of Transcript Evaluation.

(American Education and Translation Services)

5. What documents do you need to submit for a transcript evaluation?

Before you start the process of evaluating your degree, you may need the following documents for the transcript evaluation:

Degree Certificate
Translated degree certificate by a certified translator
Transcripts
Translated transcripts by a certified translator

6. How much does transcript evaluation cost?

Generally, transcript evaluation prices can range from around $180 to $365 or more.

The cost of a transcript evaluation can vary significantly based on several factors, including the agency or service provider conducting the evaluation, the complexity of the transcript, and any additional services required.

Here is a quick glance of some credential evaluation companies and their transcript evaluation service fees：

Credential Evaluation Agency	Service Fee (document-by-document)	Service Fee (course-by-course)	Process Time
American Education and Translation Services	$100	$180	7 Days
A2Z Evaluations	$225	$365	14 Days
Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI)	$105	$195	7-10 Days
American Evaluation and Translation Service (AETS)	$100	$250	10 Days
Bruscan Educational Information Services (BEIS)	$75	$155	N/A
California University FCE	$100	$150	6-10 Days
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)	$100	$195	14 Days
Educated Choices, LLC	$100	$200	7-8 Days
GEO Credential Services	$99	N/A	5 Days
International Evaluations	$100	$275	5 Days
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. (JS&A)	$130	$190	10 Days
Transcript Research	$95	$175	21-28 Days
SpanTran: The Evaluation Company	$95	$190	10 Days
Worldwide Education Consultant Services (WECS)	$110	$160	7-8 Days

7. How long does transcript evaluation service take?

From 8 business days to several weeks.

The duration of a transcript evaluation process can vary depending on several factors.

Generally, the timeline for a standard transcript evaluation ranges from 8 business days to several weeks.

8. Where to evaluate your transcript?

People often ask where to evaluate their foreign transcript in the US. For employment and immigration, the short answer is you can go to any credential evaluation agency that you feel comfortable with.

According to USCIS, “In cases involving foreign degrees, officers may favorably consider a credentials evaluation performed by an independent credentials evaluator who has provided a credible, logical, and well-documented case for such an equivalency determination that is based solely on the noncitizen’s foreign degree(s)”

However, for education purposes, some schools do have requirements regarding who can evaluate your foreign degree. Therefore, ask the school or a credential evaluation agency to keep everything in hand before starting the evaluation process.

Click to see 10 best credential evaluation agencies for you to consider.

(Testimonials of AET)

Conclusion

For various reasons and purposes, you may need a transcript evaluation to showcase the details of your foreign credentials to your future employer, school, immigration office, military recruitment and more.

Today, we explained 8 key things to know about your transcript evaluation:

What’s a transcript evaluation?
Why do you need a transcript evaluation?
What does a transcript evaluation report include?
Sample of transcript evaluation
What documents do you need to submit for a transcript evaluation?
How much does it cost?
How long does the service take?
Where to evaluate your foreign transcript?

We know getting your foreign credentials evaluated can be hectic, but we are here with you.

As an immigrant, the founder of American Education and Translation Services , Jeremy Yan, went through the same as you, and that is why he started this credential evaluation company to help you succeed in the US.

Contact us today for a FREE estimate if you are in need!