Click here to go the EDGE Database Home Page

The Edge System

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) project is designed to provide contemporary and ongoing information and standards for the evaluation of foreign credentials of applicants seeking to be admitted to educational institutions in the United States. The Electronic Database for Global Education (EDGE) is also an effective tool in the evaluation and placement of individuals presenting foreign credentials for visa screening, professional licensure, and immigration attorneys. Each EDGE country profile includes the following:

  • An overview of the country's educational system;
  • An educational ladder;
  • Academic credentials awarded by the country;
  • The degrees or credentials required for access to each level;
  • What each credential leads to;
  • The grading scales associated with a country;
  • Advice on how to evaluate coursework from that country for transfer credit to U.S. institutions;
  • A listing of the resources utilized for the profile;
  • Advice to admissions officers placement recommendation for each credential based on a review by three senior credentials analysts appointed by the Executive Director of AACRAO and reporting to the AACRAO Vice President for International Education;
  • A listing of the accredited institutions in country or a link that lists them;
  • A glossary containing terms unique to a country's educational system.
With the dissolution of The National Council on the Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials (The Council) the placement recommendations in EDGE are the only standards reviewed and approved by a higher education organization that is non-profit, voluntary, and broadly representative of American higher education. AACRAO was the charter member of The Council and is comprised of over 10,000 registration and admission professionals who represent approximately 2500 institutions in more than 30 countries.

FCSA's Use of EDGE

FCSA has been a strong supporter of the EDGE Program and has participated in the writing and editing of country profiles within EDGE. As a matter of policy we subscribe to the principle that EDGE represents the only viable national reference point existing in the U.S. today. Our belief is based on the fact that it is the only system in place for the review of credentials for the purposes of establishing placement recommendations, is independent, rigorous, fair and based on best practices in the field.


Reaction to EDGE

Wada, Ronald Y.  The Nth Degree – Issues and Case Studies in Degree Equivalency: Working With the EDGE Database, 15 Bender's Immigr. Bull. XXX (May 15, 2010). Click on icon at left to download article in pdf format.