How to Verify an Online Degree

Are online degrees treated the same as traditional degrees?

Yes — with one important caveat. A degree from an accredited online institution is treated identically to one from a campus-based school during background checks. Harvard Extension School, Western Governors University, Southern New Hampshire University, and University of Phoenix all have regional or national accreditation, and their degrees appear in the same verification systems as any other university.

The caveat: accreditation matters more for online schools because unaccredited diploma mills exist almost exclusively online. A degree from "Ashwood University" or "Belford High School" looks digital-first just like a WGU degree — but one is a real institution and the other is a credential mill with no academic program. Verification must confirm both the credential and the legitimacy of the institution.

Step 1: Confirm the school is accredited

Before verifying the degree itself, verify the institution. An online degree from a non-accredited school has no standing with most employers, professional licensing boards, or graduate programs — regardless of what the diploma says.

Check accreditation through these official sources:

• U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Institutions (ope.ed.gov/accreditation) — the authoritative source for federally recognized accreditors and the institutions they accredit
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) (chea.org/search) — covers CHEA-recognized accreditors, which includes additional regional and national bodies
• VerifyED's diploma mill database — cross-reference the school name against 2,500+ known diploma mills and unrecognized institutions

The two most important types of accreditation for employment purposes are regional accreditation (e.g., SACSCOC, HLC, WSCUC — most traditional and online universities) and national accreditation (e.g., DEAC, ACICS — common for vocational, career, and for-profit schools). Regional accreditation is more widely recognized by employers and is required for graduate school admission at most institutions.

Step 2: Verify the degree through official channels

Once you've confirmed accreditation, verify the specific credential using one of these methods:

National Student Clearinghouse (NSC)

The NSC (studentclearinghouse.org) is the most comprehensive source, covering degree records from over 3,600 institutions — including most major online universities. Employers can use DegreeVerify to request verification directly. The process returns confirmed dates of attendance, degree level, major, and graduation date.

Most large online schools participate: Western Governors University, Southern New Hampshire University, University of Phoenix, Liberty University, Grand Canyon University, and American Public University System are all in the NSC. If a school is not in the NSC, that doesn't indicate fraud — some smaller or newer schools aren't enrolled — but you'll need to verify directly.

Direct school verification

Contact the registrar's office of the institution directly. Request written confirmation of the applicant's enrollment dates, degree awarded, major, and graduation date. Most accredited schools have a formal verification process; many now use third-party transcript services (Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, eScript-Safe) that provide authenticated digital responses.

Important: You need the applicant's written consent to request records in most cases. Under FERPA, schools are not required to release student records without consent. Include a signed release authorization in your pre-employment paperwork.

Automated verification services

For high-volume hiring, manual verification of each degree is impractical. Verification platforms can automate lookups against the NSC and direct school records, returning verified results alongside accreditation status. VerifyED's API provides instant accreditation checks and can be integrated into your ATS or background screening workflow.

Quick reference: major online universities

These are the most common online schools that appear on resumes. All have legitimate accreditation; verification routes are as noted.

What about Coursera, edX, and online certificates?

Online certificates from Coursera, edX, LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and similar platforms are not academic degrees and do not appear in the NSC. They are professional development credentials issued by the platform, not by an accredited institution.

Exception: some Coursera and edX programs are credit-bearing courses offered through partner universities (e.g., a Coursera course through Johns Hopkins). These credit-bearing offerings may appear in the issuing university's records, but the Coursera certificate itself is separate.

For platform certificates, verification is done through the platform's certificate verification tool. Coursera, edX, and LinkedIn Learning all provide shareable certificate URLs that contain a verification code. Enter the code or URL in the platform's verifier to confirm authenticity.

For hiring decisions: treat platform certificates as demonstrated skills, not as degree equivalents. They are relevant evidence of competency but should not be evaluated against the same standard as an accredited degree.

Red flags for fraudulent online degrees

Diploma mills increasingly target applicants who want credentials fast and cheap. They're designed to look like real online schools. These indicators should trigger additional scrutiny:

• ✗

  Degree earned in weeks or for "life experience"

  Legitimate degrees require coursework measured in semesters or years. Any institution offering a bachelor's degree in 30 days or based on work experience alone is a mill.

• ✗

  School name similar to a well-known institution

  "Columbia State University," "University of Northeastern," "State University of California" — diploma mills frequently choose names that mimic real schools to deceive applicants and employers.

• ✗

  Not in the NSC or DoE accreditation database

  If a school claiming to issue accredited U.S. degrees cannot be found in the NSC and is not listed in the DoE accreditation database, that's a critical red flag. Absence from the NSC alone isn't disqualifying for small schools, but absence from both databases warrants investigation.

• ✗

  Accreditation from an unrecognized body

  Diploma mills create fake accreditation bodies. Accreditation is only meaningful if the accreditor itself is recognized by the DoE or CHEA. "ACICS," "DETC," or similarly named bodies should be verified against official DoE and CHEA lists — not just taken at face value.

• ✗

  P.O. Box or offshore address

  Many diploma mills are registered in countries with minimal educational oversight (Liberia, Dominica, Vanuatu) or have no physical presence at all. A U.S. address that resolves to a mailbox service is equally concerning.

• ✗

  Transcript printable at home

  Official transcripts are sealed, signed by the registrar, and delivered directly to the requesting party — not handed to the student to print and submit. An applicant presenting a PDF they printed themselves is not a verified credential.

Verifying international online degrees

International online degrees — from institutions based outside the U.S. — require an additional step: foreign credential evaluation. Evaluating bodies like NACES members (WES, ECE, Josef Silny & Associates) assess whether an international credential is equivalent to a U.S. degree level and provide a formal equivalency report.

Note that some international institutions offer "distance learning" programs that are well-regarded globally but less familiar to U.S. employers — the University of London Online, Open University (UK), and RMIT Online (Australia) are examples. A foreign credential evaluation establishes equivalency in these cases.

For roles requiring specific professional licensure (engineering, medicine, law), the licensing board — not the employer — sets the education requirements, and the board typically requires its own credential evaluation regardless of what the employer accepts.

Online degree verification checklist for employers

1. 1

   Confirm school accreditation

   Cross-reference with DoE and CHEA databases. Verify the accreditor itself is recognized.

2. 2

   Check diploma mill database

   Search against VerifyED's database of 2,500+ known diploma mills before investing in full verification.

3. 3

   Obtain written consent

   Get signed FERPA authorization before requesting records from the school.

4. 4

   Query the NSC

   Use DegreeVerify for schools in the Clearinghouse. Covers most major accredited online schools.

5. 5

   Request official transcript

   Official transcripts are sent directly from the registrar, sealed and signed — not from the applicant.

6. 6

   Verify with registrar if not in NSC

   Contact the registrar directly. Confirm enrollment dates, degree, major, and graduation date in writing.

7. 7

   Document results

   Retain verification records with the candidate file. Required for federal contractors; best practice for all employers.

Related guides

• What is a diploma mill? How to identify fake degree factories
• How to verify a college degree: complete employer guide
• What to do when education verification returns a discrepancy
• Employee lied about their degree: HR response guide
• How to verify international academic credentials