Do High School Diplomas Show up on Background Checks?
Thomas Fine - April 22, 2025
As you transition into adulthood after graduation and begin your job search, you may wonder: do high school diplomas show up on background checks? Will employers really dig that far back, or are they more interested in recent qualifications? While employers do run basic checks to make sure their candidates have the qualifications they claim, it’s often unclear how thorough these investigations are.
In most cases, high school diplomas don’t automatically show up on basic background checks, but employers might still ask for education verification. It just depends on the type of check you’re going through and how the process works.
Let’s look at the factors that can influence whether high school diplomas are verified during background checks, the tools used to confirm someone’s education history, and the challenges people might run into when verifying these documents.
High School Diplomas in Background Checks
High school diplomas can be important documents for employers, especially if the job requires a confirmation that employees have basic communication, comprehension, literacy, and math skills. While the primary focus is usually on criminal history, identity, and past employment records, high school diplomas can show up if the employer specifically requests an education verification.
There are several factors that influence whether or not your high school diploma will be analyzed during the background check process:
1. Type of Background Checks
An employment background check is the most common process where education verification might be required. If you’re applying for a teaching job, for example, your employer will want to verify not just your high school diploma but also any college degrees, teaching credentials, and specialized training you might have to make sure you meet the qualifications for the role.
Similarly, jobs that require specific licenses or certifications might also demand proof of your high school education as part of the application process. These checks often go beyond a simple background check and include detailed verification of all qualifications. Government roles or positions requiring security clearance have a similar take with employers often requesting full documentation, including high school diplomas.
However, if you’re applying for a more creative role in fields like art, music, or writing, your portfolio or relevant experience will usually be prioritized over formal education credentials. The same goes for tech companies, hospitality positions, and gig-style jobs.
On the same note, background checks for potential tenants, loan applications, and membership organizations might focus on other factors that are more relevant to financial stability, community involvement, or personal interests, making it less likely for a high school diploma to show up on a background check.
2. Employer Policies
Every company has its own policy regarding education verification during the background checking process. Some might emphasize traditional education, whereas others might have policies that prioritize experience or skills.
This means that even if a job applicant lacks a formal degree, they may still be seriously considered for a position if they seem like a good fit. In such cases, the background check will likely be less detailed and won’t focus on the specifics of their educational history.
3. State Laws and Regulations
Different states also have different laws governing background checks and educational verification. Some have strict regulations about the types of background checks that can be conducted, specifying details like how far back employers can look into an applicant’s history and whether consent is required from candidates.
Some also require employers to send a written notice to candidates before conducting a background check, and candidates have the right to dispute any discrepancies found in the report.
Certain regions can limit the use of specific types of information in hiring decisions, such as education-related information that is a bit outdated. This can help protect job seekers from discrimination if they, for instance, don’t have a formal diploma for a legitimate reason. In such situations, these documents might not show up on the background check at all.
How to Find High School Diplomas for Verification
There are various methods you can use if you want to verify someone’s high school diploma for any reason — be it personal or social. Here are the top three verification methods we recommend:
Contacting the School Directly
A simple and free way to verify someone’s diploma is to reach out directly to the educational institution they claim to have attended. Most schools, colleges, and universities have a registrar’s office or similar department that is responsible for maintaining student records.
You can put in a verification request by identifying the student’s name, date of birth, and any other identifying information that might be needed like enrollment number. However, some states only allow the person whose diploma it is or a direct family member to access this information.
A school can provide you with official confirmation of the degrees the student earned and their graduation dates. However, your background check can take a long time so be prepared for lengthy waiting periods or any possible fees you’ll need to pay to speed the process up. Every school has its own set of procedures that you’ll need to follow.
Checking Online Databases and Accreditation Records
Many educational institutions are listed in online databases that track accredited schools and their programs. You can verify a diploma by checking the institution against these databases, which often include information on the school’s accreditation status and the degrees offered.
While this might not give specific information about a person’s diploma, you can confirm whether the institution is credible and recognized, which can be a great starting point for verifying someone’s background.
Use a Reverse Lookup Tool
A reverse lookup tool like Information.com can help you verify someone’s educational background by searching for information based on their name or other identifiers, such as their phone number or email address. This tool compiles data from public records, including educational history, to give you more insight into a person’s qualifications.
One advantage of using a people search site is that it’s quick and convenient, plus you can access a wealth of information about the person. This includes their past employment history, public records, personal details, criminal history, and any professional licenses or certifications.
It’s important to note that you cannot use a reverse lookup tool as part of an official background check, and you will need someone’s consent before conducting an official background check and looking into their personal history.
Challenges in Verifying Diplomas
Verifying high school diplomas is not always a straightforward process, and there are several challenges that you or any prospective investigator can run into:
- Records can be outdated or incomplete. If a diploma was issued decades ago, the school records may no longer be available or fully intact. Schools might have closed, merged with other institutions, or experienced data losses, which can make verifying graduation difficult.
- Diplomas can often be fraudulent. The rise of online diploma mills and fake certificates has made it challenging to determine whether a diploma is genuinely authentic. You need to be more diligent than ever and use reliable sites like Information.com for your research so that you can ensure the documents you’re reviewing are legitimate.
- Verifying diplomas often requires sensitive personal information. Schools, verification services, and reverse lookup tools must handle this data with care to avoid privacy violations or misuse of information. Both employers and applicants need to be mindful of how their personal information is used during this process.
- Communication problems can come up if the person you’re trying to verify went to a high school in another country that uses a different language system. This can unnecessarily complicate the process and lead to delays or misinterpretations of the information provided, so tread with caution if you’re dealing with international students.
- Different educational institutions have varying standards and practices for record-keeping, so you might encounter inconsistencies in how diplomas and transcripts are documented, stored, or archived. This can be especially problematic for schools that have changed management or policies over the years. Be mindful of these changes as you carry out your search.
High School Diplomas and Background Checks
As the process of conducting a background check differs across states and companies, it’s not always clear whether or not a high school diploma will show up on your background check. However, it is usually an important step for employers to make sure that their applicants have the necessary qualifications.
If you have any concerns or questions about your high school diploma being included on an official background check, speak to the person requesting this check to learn more about the details they might be looking for.
