By Andrew B. Raupp, Founder & Executive Director, STEM.org Educational Research™
Short answer: Best In STEM™ is STEM.org’s additional Top 5% excellence distinction for eligible STEM.org Accredited™, STEM.org Authenticated™, and STEM.org Reviewed™ evaluations that score 95 out of 100 or higher on the applicable rubric. It is not a standalone award that can be purchased, requested, or separated from the underlying trustmark. The primary trustmark identifies what was evaluated; Best In STEM™ communicates that the same approved scope reached the highest current scoring tier.
What does “Top 5%” mean in the current Best In STEM™ system?
STEM.org’s current public rules define the Top 5% tier by score. On an applicable 100-point rubric, 0–81 does not meet the award threshold, 82–94 reaches the eligible trustmark threshold, and 95–100 enters the Best In STEM™ excellence tier.
0–81
Threshold not met
No trustmark is awarded for that evaluated scope.
82–94
Trustmark tier
The applicable eligible STEM.org trustmark may be awarded.
95–100
Best In STEM™
The underlying eligible trustmark may be accompanied by the Top 5% distinction.
That distinction is important because the phrase “Top 5%” can otherwise sound like a public league table. STEM.org’s current program page instead describes a defined excellence band inside the applicable evaluation framework. Unless a particular editorial list says otherwise, readers should not infer that Best In STEM™ is a ranking of every submission against every other submission.
Which STEM.org Trustmarks can currently qualify?
The current Best In STEM™ page identifies three eligible pathways:
Products
For eligible toys, games, kits, learning tools, and other evaluated products that reach 95+.
Programs
For eligible schools, programs, and educational experiences whose evaluation reaches the excellence tier.
Published content
For eligible books, curricula, educational media, and published learning content scoring 95+.
STEM.org Certified™ and STEM.org Endorsed™ are not listed as current Best In STEM™-eligible pathways. STEM.org Certified™ applies to people, while STEM.org Endorsed™ applies to learner achievement through eligible issuing pathways. Keeping those categories separate prevents a high-scoring program, product, or publication from being misread as a credential for every person connected to it.
For the broader terminology map, see STEM Certification vs. Accreditation: What Each Trustmark Actually Means.
How is Best In STEM™ earned?
The distinction does not begin with an award application. It begins with the correct trustmark pathway and the evidence required for that pathway.
- Choose the correct pathway. Identify what is actually being evaluated: a product, program, or published educational resource.
- Submit the required evidence. The materials vary by pathway, but the claim must be supported by the evidence requested for the specific scope.
- Complete the applicable evaluation. The evidence is reviewed against the relevant 100-point STEM.org rubric, with human accountability for the final determination.
- Reach the excellence tier. An eligible 95–100 result may add Best In STEM™ to the underlying trustmark.
- Keep the claim verifiable. The recognition remains tied to the evaluated scope, current credential status, and the relevant STEM ID or verification record.
This sequence matters because it separates finding the right recognition path from earning the result. Payment begins a review where applicable; it does not guarantee Best In STEM™ or even the underlying trustmark.
The underlying trustmark still does the most important work
Imagine a learning kit receives STEM.org Authenticated™ and also qualifies for Best In STEM™. The Authenticated™ trustmark tells the public what kind of thing was evaluated: a product. Best In STEM™ tells the public how strongly that eligible evaluation performed within the current scoring framework.
The same logic applies to STEM.org Accredited™ and STEM.org Reviewed™. The primary trustmark defines the subject and scope; Best In STEM™ adds the excellence tier. Removing the underlying credential from the explanation would make the claim less precise, not more impressive.
How should the seal be used?
The answer is the same principle STEM.org applies to all of its trustmarks: keep the claim tied to the awarded scope. The STEM.org Trustmark Usage Guidelines require active status, official artwork, accurate terminology, and a presentation that does not imply broader approval than the credential actually covers.
A Best In STEM™ product does not automatically make every product from the same manufacturer Best In STEM™. Recognition for one program location does not automatically cover an entire network. A qualifying publication does not turn every title from the same publisher into an award recipient. The seal should help a reader identify the recognized scope, not blur it.
How do I verify Best In STEM™ recognition?
Do not stop at the image. Follow the credential relationship.
- Identify the underlying trustmark. Is the claim STEM.org Authenticated™, STEM.org Accredited™, or STEM.org Reviewed™?
- Match the subject. Confirm the exact product, program, location, title, version, or other approved scope.
- Check the credential record. Use the associated STEM ID or verification pathway rather than relying on a screenshot or copied seal.
- Confirm current status. Recognition should be active where the credential has a validity period.
- Read Best In STEM™ as an additional distinction. The seal does not replace or widen the underlying trustmark.
The public Best In STEM™ page and STEM.org’s verification system are the right starting points when a claim needs to be checked.
What changed from earlier Best In STEM™lists?
Best In STEM™has a longer history than the current 95+ structure. STEM.org’s present program page dates the recognition to 2010, and in 2020 the organization powered a Newsweek Best In STEM™toy guide that used an editorial selection from the pool of authenticated products.
The current 2026 program is more straightforward to interpret as a credentialing rule: Best In STEM™ is an additional excellence tier attached to an eligible STEM.org trustmark evaluation that reaches 95–100. That makes the present claim easier to inspect because the award, score band, primary trustmark, evaluated scope, and verification path are designed to remain connected.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply directly for Best In STEM™?
No. Under the current program, Best In STEM™ is not a separate application. It may be added when an eligible STEM.org Authenticated™, STEM.org Accredited™, or STEM.org Reviewed™ evaluation reaches 95 or higher.
Does a 95+ score guarantee that every related offering is Best In STEM™?
No. Recognition stays with the scope that was actually evaluated. A score for one product, program, location, or publication does not automatically transfer to related offerings.
Is Best In STEM™ the same as STEM.org Certified™?
No. STEM.org Certified™ applies to people. Best In STEM™ is currently an additional distinction for eligible product, program, and published-content evaluations.
Can a recipient buy the Best In STEM™ seal?
No. The current program page states that Best In STEM™ cannot simply be purchased or requested. The underlying eligible trustmark evaluation comes first, and the evidence must reach the 95+ excellence tier.
What should I look for when I see the seal?
Look for the eligible underlying trustmark, the exact recognized scope, a current credential record, and a verification path. The strongest claim is one that remains understandable even without the graphic.
Recognition is strongest when it stays inspectable
Best In STEM™ is designed to communicate exceptional performance quickly. But speed should not come at the expense of precision.
The useful question is not simply, “Does this have a gold seal?” It is, “What earned it?” When the answer points to a defined evaluation, a 95–100 excellence tier, the correct STEM.org trustmark, and a verifiable credential relationship, the distinction becomes more than decoration. It becomes a compact expression of evidence.
That is the current Best In STEM™ standard: earn the underlying recognition, rise into the excellence tier, preserve the scope, and keep the claim verifiable.
Primary STEM.org references
- Best In STEM™ — current Top 5% distinction and eligibility
- STEM.org Trustmark Usage Guidelines
- STEM.org Accredited™
- STEM.org Authenticated™
- STEM.org Reviewed™
- STEM Certification vs. Accreditation: What Each Trustmark Actually Means
Andrew B. Raupp is the Founder and Executive Director of STEM.org Educational Research™. He writes about STEM education, quality assurance, credentialing, standards, verification, and the systems people use to decide which educational claims deserve trust.
