WES Credential Evaluation Guide
WES (World Education Services) is the credential evaluator most US and Canadian universities ask international applicants to use. This guide covers what it does, what it costs, which report to order, and when a cheaper alternative is enough.
What WES does — and doesn't do
WES verifies that your academic documents are authentic and converts your grades to a US (or Canadian) equivalent using a published per-country methodology. It does not judge admissibility, guarantee admission, or evaluate course content quality — universities do that themselves using the WES report as a standardised input.
Before spending ~$200, preview your likely outcome free: enter your grade in the GradeBridge converter to see the US GPA range your country's grading bands point to. How we get there is set out in full on our methodology page.
Document-by-document vs course-by-course
- Course-by-course (CBC) — lists every course with credit and a US grade equivalent, and computes an overall GPA. Required by almost all graduate programs. This is the one most students need.
- Document-by-document (DBD) — verifies your credential is genuine and states its US equivalency, without per-course detail or a GPA. Used for immigration (e.g. Express Entry ECAs in Canada) and some employers.
Ordering DBD when your program needs CBC is the most common and most expensive mistake — you cannot upgrade a report; you pay again.
Document requirements by country
Requirements differ by country of study — the pattern that trips up most applicants:
- India: transcripts must come from the university (not the college) in a sealed envelope, or via WES's digital partnerships. Individual mark sheets for every year are required.
- China: WES requires verification through CDGDC/CSSD — a separate, slower step. Consider a Scholaro estimate first to confirm it's worth the fee.
- Nigeria: transcripts sent directly by the university; WES Nigeria processing has dedicated instructions due to volume.
- Europe (Bologna countries): diploma supplements usually satisfy requirements; some countries allow academic-institution digital delivery.
Always check the country-specific checklist on wes.org before requesting anything from your institution.
Timeline and cost
- Cost: ~$200 USD for course-by-course, plus delivery fees and any fees your university charges to send transcripts.
- Timeline: 4–7 weeks processing after documents arrive and verify — plus however long your institution takes to send them. Start 3 months before deadlines.
- Validity: WES stores your file; you can send the report to additional universities later for a per-report fee.
WES vs Scholaro vs ECE
| Service | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WES | US/Canada admissions, Canadian immigration | Most widely required; strictest document rules |
| ECE | NACES-accepting universities, often faster | Common WES alternative; check your program accepts it |
| Scholaro | Free/cheap GPA estimates before committing | Estimate tool is free; full reports accepted less widely |
Check your route first
These are the most common routes our users convert — each has a preset converter:
- India to the United States grade conversion
- India to the United Kingdom grade conversion
- India to Canada grade conversion
- India to Germany grade conversion
- India to Australia grade conversion
- China to the United States grade conversion
- Nigeria to the United Kingdom grade conversion
- Nigeria to the United States grade conversion
- South Africa to the United States grade conversion
- South Africa to the United Kingdom grade conversion
Frequently asked questions
How much does a WES evaluation cost?
A WES course-by-course evaluation costs approximately $200 USD plus delivery fees; document-by-document is cheaper. Prices change — check wes.org for current fees before ordering. Budget extra for institution transcript-sending fees in your home country.
How long does WES take?
Standard processing is about 4–7 weeks after WES receives and verifies all documents — the document-gathering step on your side is usually the longest part. Start at least 3 months before your earliest application deadline.
Which WES report type do graduate schools require?
Almost always course-by-course (CBC), which lists every course with a US grade equivalent and computes a GPA. Document-by-document only verifies that your degree is authentic — it is meant for immigration and some employers, not admissions.
Do all universities require WES specifically?
No. Many accept any NACES-member evaluator (ECE is the most common alternative), and some large universities evaluate international transcripts in-house. Check each program's requirements before paying for any evaluation.
Can WES reject or change my grades?
WES converts your grades using its published country methodology, which can produce a higher or lower GPA than a naive calculation — for example it credits grade compression in Indian and French systems. It cannot be negotiated, but you can preview the likely outcome with the free GradeBridge converter first.