Verifying Your Degree for Employers and Licensing Boards

Why your diploma alone doesn't count as verification

Employers and licensing boards need proof that came straight from the school, not a copy you provide yourself. A background-check firm or licensing board contacts the registrar directly, or uses a verification service, to confirm your degree, dates of attendance, and sometimes your major. This process protects against resume fraud and confirms your credential meets a licensing requirement.

How employer background checks work

When you apply for a job, many employers use a third-party background-check company to confirm your education history. These firms typically query the National Student Clearinghouse's DegreeVerify service, which holds degree records for a large share of US colleges and universities . If your school participates, verification returns within a day or two. If it doesn't, the firm contacts the registrar directly, which can take longer.

Setting up DegreeVerify for yourself

You can also request your own verification directly through the Clearinghouse rather than waiting on an employer's background-check firm. Log in at studentclearinghouse.org, search for your school, and order a verification of your degree to send to a specific recipient. This route works well when you need to submit proof for a job offer, a professional license, or an immigration application.

Licensing boards and primary source verification

State licensing boards for professions like nursing, teaching, law, engineering, and accounting require primary source verification, meaning the board confirms your degree directly with the school or an approved verification service rather than accepting a transcript you submit yourself. Each state board sets its own process and fee, so check your specific board's website for the exact form and where to send the verification request. Some boards accept a DegreeVerify report, while others want the registrar to mail or fax an official verification letter.

What to do if your school can't verify you

Contact the registrar directly if a verification request comes back with no record found or an error. This happens most often after a name change, a school merger, or a data entry mistake in your original enrollment record. Bring your student ID number, dates of attendance, and any name you used at the time, since these details help the registrar locate your file even if the automated system missed it.

Protecting your privacy in the process

The Clearinghouse lets you opt out of certain automated data sharing tied to your enrollment record, such as marketing lists, while still allowing verified requests for employment or licensing. Check your privacy settings on the Clearinghouse's student portal if you want to control who can query your record. Opting out of everything can slow down a legitimate verification request from an employer or licensing board, so review the settings before you need them urgently.

How long verification takes

Electronic verification through DegreeVerify or a similar service usually completes within one to three business days once the request goes through. A manual request straight to the registrar can take one to two weeks, especially during peak hiring seasons in spring and fall or right after a semester ends. Give yourself extra time if a licensing board sets a hard application deadline, and follow up with the registrar if you don't hear back within the expected window.

Costs to expect

Some employers and background-check firms cover the verification fee as part of their hiring process, while others pass a small charge on to you if you order it yourself through the Clearinghouse or the registrar. Licensing boards often charge a separate verification fee on top of your license application fee. Check your specific board's fee schedule before you submit payment, since amounts differ by state and profession.

Fields where verification checks are strict

Healthcare, education, law, accounting, and financial services roles often run the most thorough degree verification, since a licensing board or regulator sits behind the hiring decision in addition to the employer. Government jobs and positions requiring a security clearance also verify education closely, sometimes cross-checking your transcript against your resume for exact dates and majors. Double check that your resume matches your official record exactly, including graduation dates and degree titles, before you submit an application in one of these fields.

If you changed your name since graduating

Marriage, divorce, or a legal name change can cause a verification request to come back as no match, since the system searches by the name on file at the time you enrolled. Provide both your current legal name and the name you used as a student when you request verification, and be ready to show supporting documents like a marriage certificate if the registrar or Clearinghouse asks. Update your name on file with the registrar once, and future verification requests go more smoothly.

Keeping records for future verification requests

You'll likely need degree verification more than once over your career, whether for a new job, a promotion tied to a credential, or a license renewal. Keep a note of your student ID, dates of attendance, and the exact degree title and major as they appear on your official transcript. Having these details ready speeds up every future request, whether you're ordering it yourself or an employer's background-check firm is doing it for you.