German Degrees and Grades: Your U.S. Equivalent
How German certificates, diplomas and degrees compare with U.S. education, and how German grades convert to U.S. grades. Certified evaluation within 24 Hours.
Evaluations from $49Course by Course from $109Immigration $199
- Rated A+ by the BBB
- 3,000+ client reviews
- 100% Acceptance Guarantee (Course by Course)
- Chat 24/7
German credentials at a glance
| German credential | U.S. equivalent |
|---|---|
| Certificate of General Maturity for Higher Education (I or II) - Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife (I or II) | High School Diploma |
| Bachelor's Degree - Bachelor | Bachelor's Degree |
| Diploma from a university of applied sciences - Diplom FH | Bachelor's Degree |
| Master's Diploma - Master | Master's Degree |
| Master's Diploma - Magister | Master's Degree |
| Doctorate - Doktorgrad | Doctor of Philosophy |
How German university grades convert to U.S. grades
| German mark or grade | U.S. grade |
|---|---|
| 1-1.5 | A |
| 1.51-2.5 | A |
| 2.51-3.5 | B |
| 3.51-4 | C |
| 4.01-6 | F |
German secondary school grades in U.S. terms
| German mark or grade | U.S. grade |
|---|---|
| 13-15 | A |
| 10-12 | A |
| 7-9 | B |
| 4-6 | C |
| 1-3 | D |
| 0 | F |
Every German credential we evaluate (36)
Our evaluation data for Germany, by level. The U.S. equivalent on your evaluation also depends on your program, school and transcripts.
Secondary school (21)
| German credential | Typical length | U.S. equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate from a Nursing, Medical Assistant, Physical Therapist or other school for medical paraprofessionals | 2-3 years | High School Diploma |
| Certificate of Completion of Primary School - Zeugnis des Hauptschulabschlüsses | 9 years | One Year of High School (9th grade) |
| Certificate of Completion of Qualified Secondary Education - Zeugnis de qualifizierten Sekundarabschlüsses | 10 years | Two Years of High School (10th grade) |
| Certificate of Completion of Secondary Commercial Education - Zeugnis über den Wirtschaftsschulabschluss | 10 years | Two Years of High School (10th grade) |
| Certificate of Completion of Secondary School - Zeugnis des Realschulabschlüsses | 10 years | Two Years of High School (10th grade) |
| Certificate of Completion of Vocational Technical School - Abschlusszeugnis der Berufsfachschule | 2-3 years | High School Diploma |
| Certificate of Extended Vocational Secondary Education - Zeugnis des erweiterten Berufsbildungsreife | 1 year | Two Years of High School (10th grade) |
| Certificate of Extended Vocational Secondary Education - Zeugnis der erweiterten Hauptschulabschlüsses | 1 year | Two Years of High School (10th grade) |
| Certificate of Subject-Restricted Higher Educational Maturity - Zeugnis der Fachgebundenen Hochschulreif | 6-7 years | High School Diploma |
| Certificate of General Maturity for Higher Education (I or II) - Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife (I or II) | 6-7 years | High School Diploma |
| Certificate of Maturity for Universities of Applied Sciences - Zeugnis der Fachhochschulreife | 1-2 years | High School Diploma |
| Certificate of Qualified Completion of Primary School - Zeugnis des qualifizierenden Hauptschulabschlüsses | 9 years | One Year of High School (9th grade) |
| Certificate of Secondary Education - Zeugnis des mittleren Bildungsabschlüsses | 10 years | Two Years of High School (10th grade) |
| German International Abitur - Deutsche Internationale Abiturprüfung | 2 years | High School Diploma |
| High School Diploma | 4 years | High School Diploma |
| Secondary Education Maturity - Mittlere Reife | 10 years | Two Years of High School (10th grade) |
| Technical School Diploma - Abschlusszeugnis der Fachschule | 1-3 years | High School Diploma |
| Technical Upper School Maturity - Fachoberschulreife | 10 years | Two Years of High School (10th grade) |
| Vocational Education Maturity - Berufsbildungsreife | 9 years | One Year of High School (9th grade) |
| Vocational Maturity - Berufsreife | 9 years | One Year of High School (9th grade) |
| Vocational School Leaving Diploma - Abschlusszeugnis der Berufsschule | 2-3.5 years | High School Diploma |
Undergraduate (10)
| German credential | Typical length | U.S. equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree - Bachelor | 3-4 years | Bachelor's Degree |
| Bachelor's Degree - Bakkalaureus | 3 years | Bachelor's Degree |
| Diploma from a university of applied sciences - Diplom FH | 3-4.5 years | Bachelor's Degree |
| First State Examination - Erste Staatsprüfung | 4-4.5 years | Bachelor's Degree |
| Intermediate Examination - Zwischenprüfung | 2 years | Associate Degree |
| Master's examination in Veterinary Sciences - Zeugnis über die Tierärztliche Prüfung | 5 years | Bachelor's Degree (First Professional Degree in Veterinary Sciences) |
| Pre-Degree - Vordiplom | 2 years | Associate Degree |
| State Examination Certificate in Dentistry - Zeugnis über die zahnärztliche Prüfung | 5 years | Bachelor's Degree (First Professional Degree in Dentistry) |
| State Examination Certificate in Medicine - Zeugnis über die ärztliche Prüfung | 6 years | Bachelor's Degree (First Professional Degree in Medicine) |
| State Examination Certificate in Pharmacy - Zeugnis über die pharmazeutisch Prüfung | 4-4.5 years | Bachelor's Degree (First Professional Degree in Pharmacy) |
Graduate (4)
| German credential | Typical length | U.S. equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma - Diplom (2-4 and 4-6 years) | 2-6 years | Master's Degree |
| Master's Diploma - Magister | 2-4 years | Master's Degree |
| Master's Diploma - Master | 2-3 years | Master's Degree |
| Master's FH Diploma - Master FH | 2 years | Master's Degree |
Doctoral and professional (1)
| German credential | Typical length | U.S. equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Doctorate - Doktorgrad | 2-5 years | Doctor of Philosophy |
German credential evaluation: common questions
Is a Certificate of General Maturity for Higher Education (I or II) - Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife (I or II) from Germany equal to a U.S. high school diploma?
Yes. A Certificate of General Maturity for Higher Education (I or II) - Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife (I or II) is evaluated as equivalent to a U.S. High School Diploma.
Is a German Bachelor's Degree - Bachelor equal to a U.S. bachelor's degree?
Yes. A Bachelor's Degree - Bachelor from Germany is evaluated as equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's Degree.
How are German grades converted to U.S. grades and GPA?
Each subject's mark or grade is converted to a U.S. letter grade using Germany's grading scale, then to grade points on the U.S. 4.0 scale. A Course by Course evaluation shows every subject and your GPA.
Do my documents need to be translated?
Documents that aren't in English need a translation. We translate them as part of your order, at $27.50 per page (up to 250 words), normally within one day.
How fast can I get my German credentials evaluated?
Within 24 Hours of payment and receipt of your documents, or it's free (conditions apply). Rush evaluations are delivered within 8 hours.
