Diploma equivalency (credential evaluation)

There is no single federal institution in the U.S. that “recognizes” the diploma you obtained in Türkiye. The school, employer, state professional board, or immigration authority you apply to evaluates your diploma for its own purpose. Often, you will be asked for a “credential evaluation” report from a private evaluation organization. This page explains who makes the decision, the types of reports, which documents to prepare from Türkiye, fees and processing times, and common mistakes.

• If you are applying to a school: the school. Ask the admissions office. Most schools evaluate credentials themselves; some refer applicants to an evaluation organization.
• If you are applying for a job: the employer. Ask the human resources department. Some employers require a report from a specific organization.
• If you will work in a licensed profession: the professional board in the state where you will work. The evaluation may be conducted by the board, a general organization, or a profession-specific organization. See 5.7 Licensed professions.
• For a visa or green card: federal immigration authorities.
• The U.S. Department of Education does not evaluate foreign diplomas. Do not send documents to it.

• Private, non-governmental organizations conduct evaluations for a fee.
• There is no federal regulation of these organizations. The U.S. Department of Education does not recommend any organization or association of organizations.
• Choose the organization recommended by the institution you are applying to. If there is no recommendation, research one yourself.
• Some state agencies impose organization requirements. For example, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) includes only organizations that are members of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) or AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators) on its list.
• Different organizations may evaluate the same diploma differently.
• Most organizations have an appeals process. The federal government has no role in appeals.

• General report: shows which U.S. degree your diploma is equivalent to.
• Course-by-course report: evaluates courses individually according to the U.S. system.
  • Example: In California, if foreign courses are used for a teaching credential, a detailed course-by-course evaluation is always required, even if the course has been accepted by a U.S. university. A general report is sufficient only for the 30-day emergency substitute teaching permit.
• Profession-specific evaluation: such as NCEES for engineering, TruMerit (formerly CGFNS) for nursing, or an organization directed by NABP for pharmacy.
• Ask the institution you are applying to which report is required.

1. Find out who requires the report and which type they require. Check the list of organizations recommended or approved by the institution.
2. Collect your documents from Türkiye:
   • diploma or graduation certificate
   • transcript
   • additional documents for a master's or doctoral degree
   • a copy of any teaching certificate or professional license you obtained in Türkiye
3. Find out the organization's document requirements. For example, organizations approved by California CTC require original, official documents in every case. Ask the organization who must send the document and how it must be sent.
4. Obtain an apostille if necessary. In Türkiye, apostilles are issued by the governor's office in provinces and by the district governor's office in districts; for judicial documents, go to the courthouse. Some documents can be obtained through the e-Apostille system. Details: 1.10 Passports and documents and 11.4 Powers of attorney, notarial procedures, and apostilles.
5. Add an English translation. Organizations require English translations of documents in Turkish. Ask the organization about its translation requirements.
6. Apply to the organization and pay the fee. Pay attention to who will send the report:
   • For teaching in New York, the report must be sent directly to the state by the evaluation organization. A report sent by the applicant is not accepted.
7. Review the report. If you find an error, use the organization's appeals process.

• The organization sets the fee. The amount varies according to the complexity of the file and the documents you submit.
• Example official fee: NCEES engineering evaluation: $400; reevaluation: $100.
• All organizations approved by California CTC offer expedited processing for an additional fee.
• Processing times vary by organization. The time required for documents to arrive from Türkiye is added as well; start before your job or school application deadline.

• For H-1B jobs requiring a U.S. bachelor's degree or equivalent, equivalency may be shown through:
  • an education evaluation by a reliable organization that evaluates foreign diplomas
  • an evaluation by an authorized official at an accredited university who is authorized to award credit for education and work experience
  • the results of recognized equivalency examinations
  • certification from a nationally recognized professional organization in the field
  • USCIS's combined evaluation of education, specialized training, and work experience
• Three-to-one rule: In USCIS's evaluation, 3 years of specialized training or work experience are shown for each missing year of university education.
• Master's degree equivalency: a bachelor's degree followed by at least 5 years of experience in the field.
• USCIS decides equivalency; an evaluation report is one type of evidence that may be used. For H-1B, see 2.4 Work visas; for a green card through employment, see 3.4 Employment-based green cards.

• The professional board in the state where you will work: the sole authoritative source for evaluation requirements in licensed professions. You can find boards using CareerOneStop's License Finder tool.
• California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC): 651 Bannon Street, Sacramento, CA 95811 · Approved evaluation organizations
• New York State Education Department (NYSED), Office of Teaching: Accepted evaluation organizations
• Equivalency when returning to Türkiye: For YÖK and MEB procedures, see 6.7 Equivalency when returning to Türkiye.

• Obtaining a report from an organization without asking the institution you are applying to.
• Sending only a general report where a course-by-course report is required.
• Sending the report yourself; some institutions accept reports only when sent by the organization.
• Sending an incomplete transcript or sending it only in Turkish.
• Mistaking the evaluation report for a “license”; the report does not grant permission to work or practice a profession.
• Waiting until the last week to request documents from Türkiye.

• Is my four-year bachelor's diploma from Türkiye equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree? The school, employer, or board you apply to makes the decision. The evaluation organization provides an opinion.
• Does the government conduct the evaluation? No. Private organizations do it for a fee; the U.S. Department of Education does not conduct evaluations.
• Is an organization's report accepted everywhere? No. Each institution may determine which organizations it accepts.
• Is an apostille required? It varies by organization and institution. First find out which documents are required.
• I am not satisfied with the report. You can use the organization's appeals process or apply to another organization accepted by the institution you are applying to.

• U.S. Department of Education – Recognition of foreign qualifications
• U.S. Department of Education – Licensing boards by profession
• CareerOneStop – License Finder
• California CTC – Approved evaluation organizations
• NYSED – Accepted evaluation organizations
• NCEES – Engineering diploma evaluation
• e-Apostille