Admission Policy — Equivalency Exemption for Internationally Accredited Institutions
Applicants who graduated from a high school or post-secondary institution accredited by a recognized U.S. regional or national accrediting body, whether located in the U.S. or operating internationally, are exempt from submitting a foreign credential evaluation.
Verification Requirements
Exemption eligibility can be confirmed through either of the following:
- An official accreditation certificate or letter sent directly from the accrediting agency.
- Verification of the institution’s active status in the accreditor’s official public directory.
Recognized U.S. Regional Accrediting Agencies
Recognized accreditors include, but are not limited to the following agencies:
- Cognia (formerly AdvancED/AGNA, incorporating SACS CASI, NCA CASI, and NWAC)
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) — Middle States Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) and Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- SACSCOC — Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- WASC — Western Association of Schools and Colleges, including ACS WASC (Accrediting Commission for Schools)
- NEASC — New England Association of Schools and Colleges (New England Commission of Higher Education)
- Any other agency formally recognized by Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education.
Policy Note
Once this exemption is verified, academic documents issued by these institutions do not require foreign credential evaluation.
If the exemption cannot be verified, then students must have their foreign documents evaluated through a recognized evaluation service.