Guide
How to Verify an Online Degree
Written for the hiring manager holding a résumé and wondering 'is this real?' — the exact steps to confirm any online credential, plus the red flags that mean walk away.
The process
Verifying a degree in three steps
Takes about two minutes when the institution did its job.
Step 1: Get the verification code
Every genuine ACLAS credential carries a verification code. Ask the candidate for it — exactly as you'd ask for any other hiring document. A candidate who can't produce one is either disorganized or credential-less; either way, you have your answer.
Step 2: Check it yourself on the official site
Type aclas.edu.gr/verify into your own browser — don't click a link the candidate sends you — and enter the code. The lookup is free, instant, and needs no account. What you should see: the graduate's name, the credential earned, and the issue date, matching what the résumé claims.
Step 3: Match it against the résumé
Name, credential title, dates — all three should agree with what the candidate told you. Small discrepancies (a middle name, a month) deserve a question; big ones deserve a decision.
Why this matters more for online degrees A campus degree comes with a physical institution you could visit. An online degree is pure information — which makes independent verification not a nice-to-have but the entire basis of trust. Any online college without a public, free verification tool is asking you to take its word for everything. Don't.
Red flags
When verification fails — or isn't possible
The warning signs, ranked by severity.
| Signal | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| No public verification tool exists | The school never built one — or doesn't want you checking | Verify via the accreditor's directory instead; be skeptical |
| Lookup always returns "valid" | The tool may be theater, not a database | Test it with a fake code — a real system rejects it |
| Verification costs money or takes weeks | Friction the institution chose not to remove | Ask why; prefer instantly verifiable credentials |
| Contact details don't match the official domain | Possible impostor site or mill | Stop and investigate the institution itself |
| Candidate pressures you to skip verification | The oldest trick in the book | Verify anyway — urgency is not an exemption |
Beyond the lookup
Two more ways to confirm an ACLAS credential
Defense in depth: three independent confirmations.
1. The ACLAS lookup — free, instant, at aclas.edu.gr/verify. The primary check; start here.
2. Qualification Check — an independent UK-based verification service used by employers worldwide. An extra layer for regulated hiring processes.
3. IECC evaluation — the International Evaluation and Certification Center can independently evaluate the credential. Useful when an employer or authority wants third-party confirmation rather than the issuer's own word.
Keep reading
FAQ
Questions, answered
For employers, HR teams, and careful graduates.
How can an employer verify an online degree?
Ask the candidate for their verification code, then check it on the issuing institution's public lookup — for ACLAS, that's aclas.edu.gr/verify, free and instant, no account required. Legitimate schools want their credentials checked; the lookup exists precisely so employers don't have to take anyone's word for it. If a school has no public verification, that's a red flag.
What information do I need to verify a degree?
Usually just the verification code or certificate number printed on the credential, sometimes plus the graduate's name. You should not need the graduate's permission, an account, or a fee. Any verification process that charges the employer or takes weeks is a friction the school chose not to remove — ask why.
How long should degree verification take?
Minutes, with a modern system. The ACLAS lookup returns the credential details instantly. Traditional universities can take days to weeks via registrar offices. As an employer, build your hiring timeline around the slower end — but prefer candidates whose credentials verify instantly, since that signals an institution with nothing to hide.
What are red flags when verifying a degree?
No public verification tool. A verification page that always says 'valid' without details. Contact information that doesn't match the institution's official domain. Pressure to skip verification because the candidate 'needs an answer today.' And credentials from institutions you can't find in any accreditation directory. Any one of these warrants a pause; two warrant a pass.
Can degree certificates be faked?
Paper can always be faked — which is exactly why verification must not depend on paper. A real credential system ties the document to a database record: the code on the certificate is meaningless unless the lookup confirms it. Always verify through the institution's official site (typed by you, not via a link the candidate provides), never by examining the document alone.
What is Qualification Check and IECC verification?
Two additional confirmation layers ACLAS credentials carry. Qualification Check is an independent UK-based qualification verification service employers already use; IECC (International Evaluation and Certification Center) provides third-party evaluation of the credential. Together with the free ACLAS lookup, a credential can be confirmed three independent ways.
Should I verify degrees from well-known universities too?
Yes. Diploma mills have faked credentials from famous universities for decades, and resume fraud is not limited to obscure schools. Verification is cheap and fast — make it a standard step for every hire, not a suspicion-driven exception. The candidates with real degrees will thank you for the professionalism.
What if a candidate's school no longer exists?
This is where verifiable records matter most. If the institution maintained a public verification database, closed schools' records often remain checkable. If verification depended on calling a registrar's office that no longer answers, you're stuck. It's another reason to prefer institutions with independent, persistent verification from the start.
Holding a credential? Check it now.
Free, instant, no account. If you're the graduate, send employers this link instead of a PDF — it carries more weight.