Educational verification is a standard practice in the modern hiring process. Companies incorporate degree checks into background screening procedures to ensure the accuracy of a candidate’s qualifications. This process involves cross-referencing the information a job applicant provides against official academic records. Understanding the reality of these checks is essential for navigating the competitive job market.
Frequency of Educational Verification
Most large companies and those operating in regulated sectors include educational verification as a routine part of pre-employment screening. The frequency of these checks depends heavily on the industry and the seniority of the role. Fields like finance, healthcare, and government, which have strict regulatory compliance requirements, are the most likely to conduct checks on nearly all new hires. Data suggests that approximately 50% of employers confirm a candidate’s educational history, and this number is steadily rising. Positions requiring a specific license, certification, or an advanced degree face a near-certainty of verification.
Why Companies Verify Credentials
Companies verify academic credentials primarily for risk mitigation. They ensure a new hire possesses the foundational knowledge necessary to perform the job, as hiring an under-qualified individual can lead to costly errors and potential liability. Verification also serves to meet compliance and regulatory obligations, especially where specific educational qualifications are legally mandated. Employers seek to ensure that all candidates are evaluated based on accurate data, fostering a fair and honest hiring environment. A candidate’s truthfulness about their education is viewed as a measure of their overall trustworthiness.
The Verification Process
The educational verification process typically begins after a candidate receives a conditional job offer. The employer usually contracts with a third-party screening service, known as a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA). CRAs streamline verification by using specialized databases, such as the National Student Clearinghouse, which holds records for nearly all accredited US institutions. Before any check is performed, the candidate must provide signed, written consent, which is a legal requirement. The screening service then cross-references the candidate’s provided information against institutional records, contacting the registrar directly if database information is unavailable.
Scope of the Educational Background Check
The scope of an educational background check is highly focused, designed to confirm the veracity of claims listed on a resume or application. The check is generally not concerned with a candidate’s coursework or performance, but rather the fundamental details of their academic history. Employers seek to confirm specific data points that directly relate to the credential earned.
Degree Type and Major
The verification process confirms the specific type of credential earned (e.g., Bachelor of Arts versus Bachelor of Science) and the exact academic major. Employers use this information to ensure the candidate meets the foundational requirements of the role, especially when a specific field of study is mandated. The check ensures the degree listed is not a vocational certificate or a diploma misrepresented as a full academic degree.
Dates of Attendance and Graduation
The screening service confirms the dates a candidate attended the institution and the actual date the degree was conferred. This step verifies the timeline provided on the candidate’s application, ensuring the period of study aligns with the claims made. Inconsistencies in attendance dates can sometimes signal an attempt to conceal a gap in employment history or a failure to complete the program.
Institutional Accreditation
A background check often includes verifying the accreditation status of the degree-granting institution. Accreditation from a recognized body confirms that the school meets established educational standards and is not a fraudulent entity, such as a diploma mill. This is important for degrees earned from online or lesser-known institutions, where the rigor of the program must be confirmed.
GPA and Honors (When Applicable)
Grade Point Average (GPA) and academic honors are not automatically released during a standard educational verification due to privacy rules. Employers must specifically request this information, and the institution will only release it if the candidate provides explicit, additional consent. GPA checks are most common for entry-level positions or highly selective programs where academic performance is a primary metric.
Handling Verification Complications
Candidates with complex educational histories may encounter complications that slow down the verification process. Proactive preparation can significantly reduce delays and prevent a verification from failing due to administrative issues.
Closed Institutions
A common challenge occurs when the degree-granting institution has since closed. The verification service will attempt to locate the custodian of the school’s records, which may be a state archive, a successor institution, or a records management company. Candidates can expedite this by proactively contacting the state’s department of education or the relevant accreditation body to learn where their academic records were transferred.
International Degrees
International degrees frequently complicate the verification process due to differences in educational systems and documentation. For these credentials, employers often require a formal evaluation from a credential evaluation service, such as World Education Services (WES). This service translates the foreign degree into its U.S. educational equivalent, providing an official report that employers can readily understand and accept. Providing this evaluation report with the application can prevent significant delays in the background check.
Consequences of Falsifying Educational History
The repercussions for misrepresenting educational history are severe. The most common consequence is the withdrawal of a job offer or, if discovered after hiring, immediate termination of employment. Companies consider falsification a fundamental breach of trust, regardless of whether the degree was required for the job. Discovery of a fabricated credential can permanently damage a professional reputation, potentially leading to the candidate being blacklisted. In highly regulated fields, such as medicine or finance, falsifying credentials can also lead to the revocation of professional licenses or certifications.