As indian graduates increasingly seek opportunities in the global job market, the question of how international employers assess indian degrees has gained urgency. According to a world economic Forum report (2024), more than 1.2 million indian students study abroad each year, the largest outbound student population globally. Many aim to transition from education to employment overseas — a process that hinges on how their qualifications are interpreted by employers, credential evaluation agencies, and immigration authorities.

Why Evaluation Matters

Unlike domestic recruitment, international hiring often requires formal credential evaluation to determine whether a foreign degree matches local academic standards.
For indian candidates, this can be a complex process due to differences in academic structure, grading, and duration of study.

india traditionally follows a 10 + 2 + 3 model — three–year undergraduate programs and two-year master’s degrees. In contrast, countries like the united states and canada follow a 12 + 4 model, where a four-year bachelor’s degree is the standard.

This structural difference means a three-year indian bachelor’s degree may not automatically be considered equivalent to a North american bachelor’s, though evaluation outcomes vary by agency and country.

Who Evaluates degrees

1. Credential Evaluation Agencies

Many employers and institutions rely on authorised credential evaluation bodies such as:

• world education services (WES) – Recognised in the U.S. and canada

• educational Records Evaluation Service (ERES) – U.S.

• international education Evaluations (IEE) – U.S.

• UK ENIC (formerly UK NARIC) – United Kingdom

• Australian education international (AEI-NOOSR) – australia

these organisations compare a foreign qualification against local educational benchmarks and issue an equivalency report. This report often becomes part of an applicant’s immigration, university, or employment file.

these organisations compare a foreign qualification against local educational benchmarks and issue an equivalency report.

How indian Degrees Are Interpreted

WES (world education services) notes that:

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• Three-year indian bachelor’s degrees are sometimes considered equivalent to U.S. or canadian bachelor’s degrees if earned from a recognised university and followed by postgraduate study or extensive professional experience.

• four-year degrees (engineering, pharmacy, B.tech, etc.) are typically recognised as fully equivalent to U.S. bachelor’s degrees.
  (Source: WES, “How to Get Your indian Degree Evaluated”, 2024)

IEE (international education Evaluations) confirms that evaluation outcomes depend on the institution’s accreditation status, curriculum rigor, and purpose of evaluation (employment vs. further study).
(Source: IEE Blog, “assessing indian education Degrees”, 2024)

In the UK and europe, most indian bachelor’s degrees are accepted as equivalent to Level 6 qualifications (Bachelor’s level) under the European Qualifications Framework, provided they come from UGC-recognised or NAAC-accredited institutions.
(Source: UK ENIC, global recognition report 2023)

Factors Influencing Recognition

1. Degree Duration

   • Three-year undergraduate programs may face scrutiny in North america, especially for employment or graduate study.

   • four-year B.tech or integrated programs are widely accepted.

2. Accreditation and reputation

   • Degrees from institutions recognised by the university grants commission (UGC) or AICTE carry higher credibility.

   • autonomous or “deemed” universities are generally accepted if nationally accredited.

     technical and professional degrees (engineering, medicine, IT) have clearer equivalency paths due to structured curricula.

3. field of Study

   • technical and professional degrees (engineering, medicine, IT) have clearer equivalency paths due to structured curricula.

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   • General arts or commerce degrees require detailed course evaluation.

4. Transcripts and Documentation

   • Official transcripts, syllabus outlines, and proof of accreditation are often required by evaluators like WES or ERES.

5. purpose of Evaluation

   • employment evaluation: Focuses on comparable academic level and professional readiness.

   • immigration evaluation: Used to assign points under systems such as Canada’s Express Entry.

   • Academic evaluation: Determines eligibility for postgraduate study.

Country-Specific Recognition Overview

emerging trends

• Four-Year UG programs in india:
  under the national education policy (NEP) 2020, many indian universities are introducing four-year undergraduate degrees (FYUP). This is expected to improve global equivalency and reduce ambiguity in the next 3–5 years.
  (Source: Ministry of education, govt. of india, 2024)

• digital Verification Systems:
  platforms such as DigiLocker and national Academic Depository (NAD) now allow secure, verifiable electronic transcripts — increasing trust among foreign evaluators.

• Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs):
  india is negotiating bilateral recognition frameworks with countries like the UK and australia under recent education cooperation agreements (2023–24).
  (Source: MEA and British council reports, 2024)

  limited employer awareness: Some recruiters remain unfamiliar with indian institutions.

challenges still Facing graduates

• Inconsistent interpretation: Different agencies may assess the same degree differently.

• limited employer awareness: Some recruiters remain unfamiliar with indian institutions.

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• Extra documentation costs: Evaluation reports and verified transcripts can cost ₹8,000–₹15,000 per application.

• online degrees: Many employers abroad remain cautious about fully online indian programs, though UGC has authorised them since 2020.

practical steps for indian graduates

1. Obtain a credential evaluation from WES, ERES, or UK ENIC before applying for overseas roles.

2. Include the evaluation summary in your job or visa application.

3. Ensure transcripts are official and verified via your university or DigiLocker.

4. Stay informed about NEP reforms and four-year degree rollouts.

5. highlight accreditation and coursework details on your résumé or linkedin.

Looking ahead

As indian higher education aligns more closely with global frameworks, the evaluation gap is narrowing. The adoption of four-year undergraduate structures, credit transfer systems, and international benchmarking under NEP 2020 will make future degrees more easily comparable.

However, for current graduates, clarity and documentation remain key. A degree alone doesn’t guarantee recognition — proper evaluation, verified credentials, and transparent communication do.

Looking ahead As indian higher education aligns more closely with global frameworks, the evaluation gap is narrowing.