Getting Japanese Transcripts and Degrees Evaluated for US Admission
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026
US schools read your Japanese diploma and transcript through a credential evaluation that converts your grades and years of schooling into US terms. Get transcripts from your school office, add a certified English translation, and send both to a NACES member evaluator if your target school asks for one.
🎓 12 years of Japanese school (shōgakkō, chūgakkō, kōtōgakkō) equal a US high school diploma
📩 A 4-year gakushi (bachelor's) degree from a Japanese university equals a US bachelor's degree
⏱️ Order transcripts early, Japanese schools issue them only during set office windows
🛂 Medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science run 6 years in Japan and need a closer look from an evaluator
Why US schools need an evaluation
US admissions offices and employers do not automatically know how a Japanese diploma or degree compares to a US one. A credential evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) states this comparison in terms a US registrar recognizes. Many graduate programs and some undergraduate programs require this step before they process your application.
How Japan's school system maps to US grades
Japan's compulsory and standard school stages run in a fixed order, and evaluators use this structure as the base for comparison.
| Japan stage | Years | US equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Shōgakkō (elementary school) | 6 | Elementary school |
| Chūgakkō (junior high school) | 3 | Middle school |
| Kōtōgakkō (senior high school) | 3 | High school, completing 12 years total qualifies as a US high school diploma equivalent |
| Tanki daigaku (junior college) | 2 | Associate degree equivalent |
| Daigaku (university), gakushi degree | 4 (6 for medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, and pharmacy) | Bachelor's degree, longer professional programs need individual evaluation |
| Daigakuin (graduate school), shūshi degree | 2 beyond the bachelor's | Master's degree |
Grades and GPA conversion
Japanese universities grade on different scales depending on the institution. Common formats include a 100-point numeric scale, a letter scale such as S, A, B, C, and D, or pass and fail categories like yūryō (excellent) and ryō (good).
Few Japanese schools compute a 4.0 GPA on the US model.
A course-by-course evaluation recalculates your individual course grades onto a US 4.0 scale and lists credit values for each course. A general evaluation only confirms the degree equivalency without a course-level breakdown. Ask your target school which type it wants before you order one, since a course-by-course report costs more and takes longer to produce.
Step by step
Request your official transcript and diploma copy from your school's gakumuka (academic affairs office). Japanese schools issue these on paper during set windows, so ask months before you need them.
Get a certified English translation if the documents are in Japanese. Some evaluators offer translation as part of their service, others require you to submit one separately.
Choose a NACES member evaluator that your target school accepts. Schools sometimes list preferred evaluators on their admissions page, follow that list if one exists.
Submit your documents directly, either through the evaluator's online portal or by mail, following that evaluator's exact document list.
Pay the evaluation fee, which varies by evaluator and by report type. Check the current fee on the evaluator's own site before you order.
Have the evaluator send the finished report directly to your target school, or request extra copies if you are applying to more than one.
Common issues to plan around
Processing time varies by evaluator and by season, order early rather than close to an application deadline.
A 6-year Japanese professional degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, or pharmacy does not map directly to a US bachelor's or master's, evaluators handle these case by case.
If your Japanese school closed or merged, contact the successor institution or Japan's Ministry of Education (MEXT) for a replacement transcript.
Keep a personal copy of every original document you submit, evaluators and schools sometimes request resubmission.