Educational Credential Evaluators Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To promote the betterment of individuals lives and society by ensuring that educational qualifications are fairly and accurately recognized across borders. ECE serves persons who have completed part or all of their education outside of the US so that their educational qualifications are properly recognized when they seek employment professional licensure further education or other benefits for which education achievement is a prerequisite.
- Income
- $12.0 million
- Spending
- $11.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- 3.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 97%
- Employees
- 120
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $234,596, president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 81 out of 100. Higher than 75% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.8 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 23% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 94 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
9 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $9.4 million spent. FOREIGN CREDENTIAL EVALUATION: ECE provides evaluation of educational credentials for persons who completed part or all of their education outside of the United States. 50,196 requests for reports were received from clients in 2025. ECE prepares evaluation reports that determine the equivalents of foreign academic work. The evaluation reports are used for further education professional licensure employment and in other situations that require an administrative decision based on academic credentials. Our reports ensure that the education of people around the world is understood and put to good use. Reports facilitated the appropriate admission of students into undergraduate graduate and professional degree programs. Our reports helped dentists and pharmacists and other health professionals enter the practice of professions to the benefit of neighbors in their new country. Our evaluations have helped parents obtain jobs so that they can better support their families. Owing to ECE properly assessing the education completed in other countries our world community benefits from the efforts and energy of those whose education would otherwise have been unrecognized and gone to waste.
- ECE CONNECTION AND CONNECTION ADVANTAGE PROGRAM: ECE Connection or The Connection provides free information on educational systems around the world for credential evaluators admissions professionals and anyone who evaluates foreign educational documents. The website features news and blog articles training videos original publications and resources links to external resources and ECE Connection Advantage -- a paid subscription service that offers additional tools and resources. In 2025 The Connection saw 113,000 page visits per Google Analytics. 73 new user accounts were created and on average 375 account users logged in monthly. ECE staff responded to approximately 618 requests for information via the message board and published 83 news and blog articles on evaluation-related topics. 94 resources were created and 120 were updated including 3 e-learning video recordings from free webinar sessions conducted throughout the year 3 Chart and Key Publications and 23 Credential Equivalencies. For Advantage subscribers 120 samples were added to the collection of 6000 sample documents. In 2025 ECE held 3 ECE snapshot e-learnings with approximately 276 participants
- $43,030 spent. ECE Aid The ECE Aid initiative focuses on offering fee waivers to vulnerable populations such as refugees for academic credential evaluations from ECE. Credential evaluations are a crucial piece of information for admissions counselors employers and licensing boards in understanding the educational background of international candidates. Fee waivers for ECE services help to open the door to educational and professional opportunities for underserved and vulnerable populations and help provide an educated and experienced workforce in high-demand occupations. ECE Aid places no limitations on eligibility based on race ethnicity home country educational background gender identity etc. and has served over 2,015 individuals from 58 countries across the world.
- $1,387 spent. Our professional evaluation staff presented research and educational sessions at approximately 10 international education conferences presented approximately 25 sessions to colleagues served on 6 professional organizations leadership committees responded to public service inquiries and shared additional research and reports via theconnection.ece.org resource website.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1981.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.