Key takeaways
Romania's educational system is well-structured – primary education through upper secondary, feeding into a higher education system aligned with the Bologna Process. But for families who want a US-recognized qualification alongside or instead of the Bacalaureat, there's a clear path. Legacy Online School has been operating since 2023, serves learners in 30+ countries, and offers a WASC-accredited American diploma entirely online. No relocation. No gap in schooling. Just a different credential, built on a different system.
- Legacy awards a WASC-accredited US high school diploma recognized by American universities and internationally
- 19 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, all College Board-reviewed – school code 000114
- Admissions open year-round; no school year gaps for transferring families
- AP exam scores accepted at 500+ universities in 75+ countries
Contents
- 1 Romania’s Compulsory Education System and the US Diploma Track
- 2 What US Based WASC Accreditation Means in Romania
- 3 The AP Advantage
- 4 How the Program Runs
- 5 How It Compares to Local Options
- 6 A Real Case: Vlad’s Family, Bucharest
- 7 A Second Case: Teodora’s Family, Cluj-Napoca
- 8 Top Tips from Our Expert
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, or tax advice. Immigration law, visa requirements, and taxation rules change. Families should verify all details with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a qualified Romanian immigration lawyer, or a certified tax advisor. Legacy Online School does not provide legal or immigration advice.
Romania’s Compulsory Education System and the US Diploma Track
Romania’s system of education runs from preparatory grade through doctoral studies. Pre-university schooling covers primary education (grades 1–4), lower secondary (grades 5–8), and upper secondary – the high schools that culminate in the national baccalaureate exam, all in the Romanian language. That exam is administered by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research (RMER), and passing it is the standard route into higher education institutions in Romania.
But it’s not the only route into higher education. Not everywhere.
For families targeting US universities, or for expat children who need to maintain an American curriculum during a posting in Romania, the Bacalaureat is the wrong credential. What they need is a US diploma – ideally from an accredited school whose qualifications are recognized by American colleges and universities, and by higher education in the European region too.
That’s what Legacy provides. A fully accredited American diploma. Online. Live teachers. No physical campus required.
What US Based WASC Accreditation Means in Romania
WASC – the Western Association of Schools and Colleges – is one of six regional accreditation bodies recognized by the US Department of Education. When Legacy’s accreditation is listed on a student’s transcript, every accredited American university knows what it means. First verification always at acswasc.org.
Romania has its own quality assurance framework. ARACIS – the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education – oversees accreditation of the national higher education institutions (HEIs). WASC and ARACIS operate in different jurisdictions. A Legacy diploma is not an ARACIS-recognized qualification; it’s a US credential, assessed by receiving institutions on its own terms.
For families planning university studies in the US, that distinction doesn’t matter. WASC is the standard. For families who want to apply to Romanian higher education institutions with a Legacy diploma, the CNRED equivalence process applies – the same process used for any foreign secondary qualification.
Romania is a signatory to international conventions on the recognition of qualifications concerning higher education in the European region, including the Lisbon Recognition Convention. That provides a legal framework for how foreign diplomas get assessed. It doesn’t make the process automatic, but it does make it documented and transparent.
The AP Advantage
Legacy offers 19 AP courses, all reviewed by the College Board. AP – Advanced Placement – is the program that lets secondary schoolers take college-level courses and earn externally scored credentials that US universities recognize directly.
For local or international students from expat families in Romania aiming at American colleges, AP scores are one of the strongest signals in an application. Standardized. External. Comparable across countries.
AP scores from Legacy are accepted at 500+ universities in 75+ countries. That includes institutions across Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and beyond. See the College Board partnership page for details.
“College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity.”
Two-year AP sequences matter too. A learner who takes AP Calculus AB in grade 10 and BC in grade 11 builds a transcript that looks sustained, not rushed. Universities notice the difference.
How the Program Runs
Three learning plans. The curriculum is built on FlexPoint Education Cloud, developed by Florida Virtual School – one of the most established virtual curriculum providers in the US.
Live Group – daily live classes, qualified teachers, groups capped at 15 pupils. Follows the US school year calendar.
One-on-One – fully individualized. One teacher, one student. Schedule and pace built around the child.
Self-Paced – no fixed class times. From $149/month for elementary. Full tuition and fees on the website.
Enrollment is open year-round. No waiting for the next school year intake. The admissions team handles onboarding within 48 hours.
Dual enrollment options exist too – through partnerships with Arizona State University (ASU) and University of South Florida (USF). Enrollees can earn transferable university credits while still in secondary school.
How It Compares to Local Options
The American International School of Bucharest offers an IB (International Baccalaureate) program – it offers the International Baccalaureate as its main advanced track. Legacy’s advanced track is AP, not IB. Both are internationally recognized; they serve different university targets and learning structures.
Legacy is not a local school in Romania. It doesn’t operate within the national educational system, doesn’t prepare pupils for the Bacalaureat exam, and doesn’t hold any authorization from the Ministry. What it does hold: WASC accreditation, College Board approval for 19 AP courses, and a track record of serving families in 30+ countries since 2023.
“WASC advances and validates quality ongoing school improvement by supporting its private and public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary member institutions to engage in a rigorous and relevant self-evaluation and peer review process that focuses on student learning.”
— WASC Accrediting Commission for Schools
A Real Case: Vlad’s Family, Bucharest
Vlad’s parents relocated from New York to Bucharest in 2023 for a three-year corporate posting. Vlad, 15, had been in a US public high school. Romanian secondary schools didn’t offer the American curriculum he needed to stay on track for US university applications.
They enrolled in Legacy’s Live Group online high school plan in October 2023. By the end of the school year, Vlad had completed AP US History and AP English Language. Both scores came back at 4. His Legacy transcript, combined with his AP score reports, was the foundation of his US university applications the following year. Total annual cost: under $3,000. The family had originally budgeted for an international school place at over four times that amount.
A Second Case: Teodora’s Family, Cluj-Napoca
Teodora, 13, moved to Cluj-Napoca with her parents from the US in late 2023 – her mother took a two-year research position at a local university. Teodora had been in 7th grade in Boston. Romanian middle schools taught entirely in Romanian, which she didn’t speak.
Her parents enrolled her in Legacy’s online middle school Live Group plan within a week of arriving. No waitlist. No intake calendar. Classes started on day three. By the end of the school year, Teodora had completed her full 7th grade curriculum on the US academic timeline, with documented grades and an academic transcript from a WASC-accredited institution. Her parents requested an Enrolment Confirmation Letter on enrollment day – that document covered the family’s administrative needs for the duration of the posting. Total annual cost: under $2,500.
Top Tips from Our Expert
Maya Robinson, College Prep Advisor at Legacy Online School
- Request your Enrolment Confirmation Letter immediately after signing up – it formally documents your child’s enrollment in an accredited US school program and is recognized by institutions in multiple countries
- Start AP courses in 9th or 10th grade, not 11th – a two-year AP history on a transcript reads very differently to a single course taken senior year
- If you’re in Romania and planning to apply to the national HEIs with a Legacy diploma, start the CNRED equivalence process at least three months before your target university’s deadline
- Explore dual enrollment with ASU or USF – earning post-secondary college credits in high school is a concrete academic advantage, not a footnote
We are a US-accredited international online school that coexists with local schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local education requirements applicable to their situation.
