Despite more and more individuals claiming that a college degree has become a thing of the past and one doesn’t require it to land a great job, the demand for higher education in the U.S. is high. In 2023, a total of 18.1 million students were enrolled in colleges and universities, according to Mission Graduate, and the number of students in the U.S. is about to reach 19.25 million.
A college degree is necessary in most cases, as practically all high-qualifying jobs require the expertise that is taught in educational institutions.
But how to find out if a person really has a degree? There could be a million and one reasons for this. Let’s say someone at the family gathering said that they went to college but you doubt it. Or, you met someone at a networking event but want to confirm if that person is telling the truth about their education.
Whatever your reasons, the following tips will help you out.
A word of caution: If you’re an employer who needs to verify a potential employee’s educational background, requesting it at third-party background check companies that comply with FCRA regulations is the only right method.
1. Search on a People Search Website
People search websites gather information from public records, such as local and government databases, and combine the collected information in one place.
One such resource is Nuwber.com, a people search engine where you can find a U.S. citizen’s contact information, marital status, court records, social profiles, and more.
While it may not always provide educational background, on this site, you can locate a person’s occupation, which can tell you whether they hold a job relevant to their claimed qualifications.
2. Google Their Full Name + the Word “Education”
When searching for someone’s educational background, eliminating Google, the biggest search engine, from the most effective method to search for someone’s education would be a crime.
As long as the page with the information you require is indexed, nothing will prevent you from locating it. For an effective search, add keywords like “education”, “college degree”, “educational background”, or anything similar to the full name of the person whose degree information you want to find.
Some universities have online alumni directories where they list down all their students alongside other information about them.
3. Check Their Social Media
When someone attends a higher educational institution, especially if it’s a prestigious one, there’s a high possibility that they’ll share the name of the college or university on their social media accounts.
The first place to start is LinkedIn, the largest professional online platform. Scroll down the person’s LinkedIn profile until you find the “Education” section. It usually lists the college or university name, field of study, and years attended.
If you can’t find anything there, try the “About” section or go through the posts on their page for any additional information.
You may also find whether someone has a college degree by checking their accounts on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or similar platforms where the person is registered.
4. Go Through Their Parents’ Social Profiles
When you can’t find anything on a person’s social media pages, it’s a good idea to check their parents’. Most parents publish their kid’s achievements online, including college acceptances, graduations, or any other academic milestones.
Check their pages on Facebook, Instagram, X, or even LinkedIn to find this information.
5. Examine the University’s Website
If you know what school someone went to and only need to verify whether they actually attended it and graduated, check the university’s website. Practically all such websites’ domains end in “.edu” and provide information about their graduates and current students.
For example, on Pennsylvania State University’s website, you can head to the “Alumni” section to find the necessary information. Many college websites have alumni directories where they list down students who graduated.
Another method is to look for press releases or news articles where a person might be mentioned. While the latter doesn’t prove that they actually graduated, you’ll be certain that they attended the school.
6. Contact the University’s Registrar’s Office
When you can’t find anything on the website, try contacting the school directly whether through the site contact form or email. Another way is to call the university’s registrar’s office to request the necessary information.
Note, however, that this method may not always work, as some schools don’t give out details about their students and graduates for privacy concerns. But if you’re determined to find out, this is worth trying.