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California State University (Cal State): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

The CSU system requires official foreign records not in English to come with certified English translations, on file at least eight weeks before first-term registration, and leaves the details to each of its campuses. Campuses differ: Cal State LA wants word-for-word certified translations and points to ATA-certified translators; San Jose State accepts undergraduate translations only from an approved government or school official, so an eVerbary translation does not meet SJSU's rule; and CSU Long Beach asks for certified English copies without naming the translator. Graduate applicants to Cal State LA and SJSU also need a report from a listed evaluation agency, which we do not provide, while CSULB evaluates records itself.

Cal State requirements at a glance

Checked on October 12, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Cal State's own page before you submit.

One system rule, campus-by-campus details

The systemwide international page sets only a baseline: official records from every postsecondary institution, and secondary records if required, with certified English translations, on file at least eight weeks before first-term registration. It does not say who may translate and warns that many campuses want records sooner. Everything else, from the translator to the evaluation agency to the deadline, is decided by the campus you apply to, so the rules below apply only to the three campuses whose pages were read.

Cal State LA, San Jose State and Long Beach compared

Cal State LA asks for certified English translations that are word-for-word, not interpretations, sent with the documents, and its submitting documents page sends applicants to the ATA directory for certified translators. Its evaluation page goes further for graduate applicants: certified "mirror" or direct translations, and no summaries, interpretations or self-made translations. eVerbary is an ATA corporate member; the page refers to ATA-certified translators, so confirm with Cal State LA before you order. Records must reach Cal State LA directly from the institution in sealed envelopes; if you have only one original, copies are accepted for initial review and you show the originals in person before enrollment.

San Jose State requires undergraduate translations by an approved government or school official, and states that notarized translations will not be accepted (source). A private translation company is not on that list, so for SJSU undergraduate admission an eVerbary translation does not meet the rule; ask your school or the relevant government office for the translation. Records must arrive in separate sealed envelopes sent directly to Undergraduate Admissions. Graduate applicants send records to WES, ACEI, ECE or TEC/SpanTran, which transmit record and evaluation to SJSU; SJSU computes its own GPA and equivalency rather than using the agency's (source).

CSU Long Beach asks transfer and graduate applicants for original and certified English copies of transcripts, as individual mark sheets rather than consolidated ones, and does not name the translator (transfer, graduate). International Admissions does its own preliminary evaluation, so no agency report is needed for admission, except a state-approved agency for College of Education credential programs. Graduate applicants send transcripts only after at least six semesters of grades are posted; three-year degrees, such as many from India, go through a degree equivalency questionnaire.

Graduate evaluations at Cal State LA and SJSU

International graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants with non-US records at Cal State LA need a report from IERF, WES or TEC, and the report type must be course-by-course, course analysis or detailed transcript evaluation; the wrong type may delay or withdraw the application (source). Send the agency your records as soon as first-term grades of your final year post, since reports take about four to six weeks. At SJSU, a WES document-by-document or course-by-course report (Basic or ICAP), or an ACEI, ECE or TEC report, is required for any coursework outside the US and Canada, and seventh-semester evaluations must be updated after graduation (source). Each agency has its own translation instructions; check them before sending a translation.

Where Cal State's pages differ

Cal State LA's evaluation reports page lists only IERF, WES and TEC, while its submitting documents page also accepts any NACES member. SJSU's undergraduate documents page says records must arrive in sealed envelopes with no exceptions and that copies sent by the applicant are not accepted, yet the same page tells applicants to upload documents through the To-Do List link without separating academic records from other uploads. We have not resolved these differences; ask the campus admissions office.

Documents applicants usually translate

• Secondary school transcripts and diploma for first-year applicants
• University transcripts and individual mark sheets with the grading scale
• Degree certificates for graduate applicants
• Graduation certificates and national exam results
• Bank statements and the declaration of finance

What an eVerbary translation includes

• A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
• Grades exactly as recorded, with the grading scale the document prints. We never convert marks to a US GPA.
• A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload.
• $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.

Uploading the translation to Cal State

Every campus uses Cal State Apply; after that, follow the campus: SJSU lists missing items in the MySJSU To-Do List, Cal State LA and SJSU want academic records sent directly by the institution in sealed envelopes, and graduate records at Cal State LA and SJSU go to the evaluation agency first (SJSU, Cal State LA, evaluations).

What we do not do

eVerbary is a translation service, not a credential evaluation service: we do not issue evaluations, US equivalencies or GPA conversions, and we cannot send documents on behalf of the school that issued them. At Cal State that means we translate; the IERF, WES, TEC, ACEI or ECE report that Cal State LA and SJSU graduate programs require comes from the agency, and for SJSU undergraduates the translation must come from a government or school official.

How to order

• Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
• Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
• Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and upload it with the copy of the original wherever the institution asks for it.

Sources

California State University (Cal State)'s own pages, read on October 12, 2026. Enrollment figure: the California State University system is not ranked as a single institution in Open Doors (IIE).

• California State University: getting into the CSU (international)
• Cal State LA: submitting documents
• Cal State LA: foreign credential evaluation reports
• San José State: international freshman documents required
• San José State: international graduate steps to admission
• CSU Long Beach: international transfer admission requirements
• CSU Long Beach: international graduate admission requirements

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