WES, ECE, and SpanTran Compared: Choosing a Credential Evaluation Service for US Applications
By Muntasir • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 18, 2026
WES, ECE, and The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran) are the three most requested NACES member evaluators for US applications. As of August 2026, a detailed course-by-course report costs about $186 at WES, $199 at ECE, and $190 at The Evaluation Company, with ECE and The Evaluation Company selling paid rush options.
💵 WES course-by-course report starts at $186, document-by-document at $118
💵 ECE course-by-course report costs $199, processed in about 5 business days
💵 The Evaluation Company (SpanTran) course analysis starts at $190, with a 2-day rush for $420
Check your target school's admissions page for the exact agency name it accepts before ordering
Why the agency you pick matters
Not every school accepts every evaluator, even among NACES members. Some name WES specifically because they already have an account set up for receiving reports electronically. Others accept any NACES member. Confirm which agency your target school names before you order, since fees are non-refundable if a school rejects a report from the wrong company.
This comparison covers the three agencies applicants ask about most often, but the full NACES member list has 18 agencies as of August 2026, and several others also process US-bound evaluations at similar prices.
World Education Services (WES)
WES offers a Document-by-Document report, starting at $118, which states your degree's US equivalency without a course list. Its Course-by-Course report, starting at $186, lists every subject with credits, grades, and a calculated US GPA, and is the version most graduate programs ask for. Both report types are valid for life, with no expiration.
WES is one of the most widely recognized evaluators among US graduate programs and is also the designated evaluator for several Canadian immigration programs, which can matter if you are considering Canada as well.
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
ECE prices a General report at $110, a General report with GPA at $135, and its Course-by-Course report, the most ordered option, at $199. ECE states most orders complete in around 5 business days after it receives all required documents, with a $90 rush option. ECE also sells a Translation Waiver add-on for $85 that covers document translation instead of a separate per-page charge.
ECE is a NACES charter member and processes documents for both US and Canadian institutions, with separate fee pages for each.
The Evaluation Company, formerly SpanTran
SpanTran rebranded as The Evaluation Company , a NACES member founded in 1982. Its General Analysis report costs $95 for standard 10-day processing, $135 for 5-day rush, or $160 for 2-day rush. Its Course Analysis report, the closer equivalent to WES and ECE's course-by-course products, costs $190 standard, $270 for 5-day rush, or $420 for 2-day rush. Specialized reports for nursing and engineering credentials cost more, at $400 and $425.
The Evaluation Company's tiered rush pricing gives more control over turnaround than WES or ECE, useful if you are close to an application deadline and willing to pay for speed.
Document submission differences
ECE accepts documents mailed directly from your school in a sealed envelope, addressed to its Milwaukee office, or sent electronically through participating institutions. If your documents are not in English, ECE either requires a separate translation or its $85 Translation Waiver add-on covers translation without per-page fees.
WES and The Evaluation Company also require original sealed documents or direct electronic transcripts from your school, and both offer translation as a separate line item rather than bundling it into the base evaluation fee. Confirm each agency's current document submission page for its exact process, since electronic delivery options expand as more schools sign onto each agency's system.
Side-by-side comparison
| Agency | Entry-level report | Course-by-course equivalent | Fastest paid turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| WES | $118 (Document-by-Document) | $186 | Not listed on the reports page |
| ECE | $110 (General) | $199 | Rush add-on for $90 |
| The Evaluation Company | $95 (General Analysis, 10 days) | $190 | 2-day rush for $420 |
Prices are as of August 2026 and change without notice, so confirm current fees on each agency's own pricing page before ordering.
Planning your order timeline
ECE's standard processing takes about 5 business days once it receives every required document, and The Evaluation Company's standard tier takes 10 days. WES does not publish a standard processing time on its reports page, so confirm current turnaround directly with WES before you rely on a specific number. Rush service costs more at every agency that offers it. The Evaluation Company's 2-day rush costs $420 for a Course Analysis report, more than double the $190 standard price for the same report.
Order as early as your application timeline allows and treat rush service as a backup rather than the default plan, since document collection from your school can itself take longer than the evaluation step.
How to choose
Check your target school's admissions requirements page first. It often names one or two accepted agencies directly.
Choose Course-by-Course or its equivalent if you are applying to graduate school or need transfer credit evaluated subject by subject.
Choose a Document-by-Document or General report if the school only needs a degree-level equivalency statement.
Compare rush pricing across agencies if your deadline is close, since the gap between standard and rush fees differs a lot between WES, ECE, and The Evaluation Company.
Keeping your report for future use
WES states its evaluation reports remain valid for life, with no expiration date. Save a digital copy of every report you order, since a future graduate program, employer, or licensing board may accept an existing report instead of asking you to order a new one, saving you a repeat fee.