An education background check confirms the schools, degrees, majors and dates you put on your application by asking the school or a degree verification database, and it shows what you actually earned, not your grades, unless you give separate permission for a transcript.
You may also see it called an educational background check, an academic background check or an education verification background check. Employers usually add it when a job requires a diploma, a degree or a license tied to schooling. Most results come back in a few business days; older records, closed schools and schools in other countries take longer. Here is what gets checked, how, who sees it, and what happens if a school cannot confirm your degree.
Quick answers
The answer
It confirms schools, degrees, majors and datesGrades
Not shared without your consentHow
A degree database or the school's registrarTime
Often 1 to 5 business days, longer for schools abroadWho sees it
The employer that ordered it, with your written permissionIf unverified
Send your diploma, transcript or a registrar letter
What an education background check shows
| Item | Usually confirmed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| School name and location | Yes | The exact campus can matter for large systems |
| Dates of attendance | Yes | Start and end terms |
| Degree, diploma or certificate earned | Yes | Or a note that no degree was awarded |
| Major or field of study | Often | Minors less often |
| Graduation date | Yes | Can differ from the ceremony date |
| Honors | Sometimes | Listed when the school releases them |
| GPA and grades | Only with your consent | Usually through an official transcript |
| Discipline records | Rarely | Private education records under federal law |
So yes, a background check can show education, and a college degree does show up when the employer orders this step. A plain criminal search leaves it out.
Background check education verification: how it works
- You list the school, dates and degree on the application and give written permission on the FCRA consent form.
- The screening company checks a national degree verification database that many U.S. colleges report to.
- If the school is not in it, the company contacts the registrar's office by phone, email or online request.
- For high schools, it contacts the school or district, or the state agency that keeps high school equivalency records.
- For schools abroad, it contacts the school or the country's education ministry, sometimes after you sign an extra release.
- The school's answer goes into the report the employer receives.
Under FERPA, the federal student privacy law, schools may release "directory information" such as dates of attendance and degrees received. Grades are part of your protected education record. See the definitions on the Department of Education's FERPA page.
Who sees the result and your rights
Only the hiring company that requested the check receives it, and only once you have signed. Because a screening company prepares it, federal consumer report rules (the FCRA) cover it: if the result might cost you the offer, you are first sent the report and an FCRA rights summary, and you can dispute an error. The FTC explains this in its worker guide.
If you asked your school to keep your directory information private, it may not confirm your degree without your written release. Tell the screening company early so it can send the right form.
How long education verification takes
| Situation | Often takes |
|---|---|
| Degree in the national verification database | Same day to 1 business day |
| U.S. school that answers by phone or email | 2 to 5 business days |
| Older records, closed schools, name changes | 1 to 2 weeks or more |
| Schools in other countries | Often 1 to 4 weeks |
School breaks and registrar backlogs add time. Use our background check time estimator to see how this step changes the total, and read why a check takes long if yours stalls.
What happens if a background check cannot verify education
A result like "unable to verify" is not the same as "false". It often means the school closed, records were lost, your name changed, or the school needs a signed release. The screening company or employer will usually ask you for proof.
- a photocopy of the diploma or degree certificate
- an official or unofficial transcript
- a letter from the registrar
- for closed schools, the state agency or other school that now holds the records
"I understand my degree could not be verified. I earned a [Bachelor of Science in Nursing] from [School name] in [month], under my former name [Name]. I have attached my diploma and transcript and can sign any release the school needs."
Lied about a high school diploma or degree?
Listing a diploma or degree you did not earn is one of the easiest false statements to catch, because the school simply says no. On a private employer's form, a made up degree rarely leads to criminal charges, yet it gives the employer every reason to pull the offer or let you go, even years later. Federal applications are stricter: a knowingly false answer there can be prosecuted.
Write "[School name], coursework toward [degree], [years attended]" if you did not finish, or "High school equivalency diploma" if that is what you earned.
Write a degree or a graduation date you do not have, or list a school that sells diplomas without real study.
If the job requires a diploma you do not have yet, say when you expect to finish: "Expected [month], [School name]". Honesty here protects your offer.
How to pass an education background check
- Find your diploma, transcript and the exact degree name before you apply.
- Use the legal name you had at the school, and list any former names on the consent form.
- Copy dates and degree titles exactly, including the major.
- Run an education background check on yourself by asking your registrar to confirm what it will report.
- Answer the screening company quickly if it asks for a release or a copy.
For what else may come up, see the full list of what employers can see and our employment history guide. If something still looks wrong, the Department of Education and FTC pages above explain the rules, and an attorney can review your file.
Questions people ask
Does a background check show high school diploma?
Only if the employer orders education verification. Then the screening company contacts the school or district to confirm the diploma and graduation date.
Does a background check show GPA?
Usually not. Schools release degrees and dates as directory information, but grades need your consent, often through a transcript.
Do colleges do a background check on applicants?
Some colleges ask admission applicants about criminal or school discipline history on the application, and many run checks on people they hire. Rules vary by school and state.
What is a 3rd degree background check?
That phrase is not a standard term in employment screening. People may mean a deeper, multi level check or a fingerprint based level 2 check. See our page on background check levels for those terms.
Can I do an education background check on myself?
Yes. Ask your registrar what it will confirm, request a transcript, and make sure your degree name and dates match your application.
What if my school closed?
Records from a closed school often go to the state education agency or another school. Ask the state agency where the records went and get an official copy.