Figuring out whether someone went to a particular university or not can be useful for a variety of reasons. Maybe you want to verify the education background of a potential employee, find out if an old friend actually graduated like they said they did, or just settle a debate over whether a celebrity attended college. Whatever the reason, there are ways to find out if someone attended a specific university or college.
Ask Them Directly
The most straightforward way to find out if someone went to a certain university is to simply ask them. If it’s someone you know, like a friend or family member, you can just have a conversation and ask if they attended or graduated from a particular school. Make sure to ask follow-up questions too, like what years they attended and what degree they earned. If they claim to have a degree, asking specific questions can help reveal if they’re telling the truth or exaggerating their education background. With a direct conversation, you can also gauge body language and other cues to assess their honesty.
If it’s someone you don’t know personally, like a celebrity or politician, you can check for interviews where they may have spoken about their college experience. Many public figures openly discuss their education history. You can also reach out through social media or a publicist to inquire about their educational background, though you may not always get a response.
Search the University’s Database
One of the most definitive ways to find out if someone went to a particular university is to search the school’s alumni database. Most colleges and universities keep extensive records on past students and graduates. There is often a way to search these databases online through the school’s website. For example, Stanford University has a searchable alumni directory that allows you to look up individuals by first and last name to see if they have a record of attending.
Some key things to keep in mind when searching a university database:
- Make sure to try different name spellings or variations. The records may not match up if you spell their name differently than what’s in the system.
- Try expanding your search by removing filters like graduation year or degree type, since you may not know that information.
- Not all schools make alumni directories publicly searchable online. You may need to call the university registrar for assistance.
- If a search comes up empty, it doesn’t necessarily mean they didn’t attend. The records could be incomplete or they may have gone under a different name at the time.
Look for Them in Yearbooks
Another way to verify if someone went to a particular university is to browse through old school yearbooks. Most colleges publish and archive annual yearbooks with photos of students and faculty. Large university libraries often keep collections of yearbooks that you can flip through and search for an individual by name. If you find a photo and entry matching the name of the person in question, that’s a solid sign they attended that school.
Some tips for using university yearbooks to fact check someone:
- Search for yearbooks covering their expected span of enrollment based on their age or graduation year.
- Pay attention to activities and clubs they listed, which can give clues about their interests at the time.
- Look for different name spellings if you don’t find them right away.
- See if they appear multiple years in a row, which would indicate spending more than one year at the school.
If the university has digitized their yearbook archives, you may be able to search for names online. But browsing physical copies can sometimes yield more matches since text recognition of old yearbooks is imperfect.
Verify Their Degree
You typically need more than just attending classes to earn a degree from a university. If someone is claiming to have graduated from a certain school, there are ways to validate if they actually obtained a diploma or not. Some options include:
- National Student Clearinghouse – This nonprofit offers verification services for degrees earned at over 3,600 colleges and universities in the U.S. Many employers or background check services use them to confirm education credentials.
- Contact the University Registrar – The registrar’s office at a school can look up an individual’s records in the system and verify if a degree was issued. This may require a transcript request or release form.
- Check Public Records – Newspaper commencement announcements and graduation programs can serve as proof that someone completed a degree.
It’s important to remember that records may use a different name than the individual goes by currently. Maiden names, nicknames, and name changes can complicate degree confirmation. But allowing for flexibility can help track down proof of their stated credentials.
Ask For Transcripts
Official student transcripts provide detailed data on courses, grades, degree progress, and dates of attendance at a university. Requesting transcripts directly from the institution’s registrar is one of the best ways to verify someone’s education history. The transcript request process varies by school but often requires:
- Written permission from the student
- A small processing fee
- The years attended or graduation date
Unofficial transcripts may be available more readily but are not considered as credible as ones sent directly from the university. Transcript services like Parchment and Credential Solutions allow online orders if the school participates. While transcripts don’t always prove degree completion, they do provide definitive documentation that someone enrolled in and completed courses.
Ask Their Previous Employers
For confirmation that someone graduated from a certain university, previous employers can sometimes serve as good sources. Many job applications require listing your education history and degrees earned. Past companies may be willing to confirm where the individual claimed to have attended school when hired. This works best for recent graduates whose college years are more easily verified.
If employment was secured through an interview, notes may also provide hints at their stated alma mater. And referral letters could mention the applicant’s university as well. Contacting past managers, HR departments, or interviewers to inquire about education background cited during the hiring process can provide useful affirmation or contradiction of degree claims.
Look for Evidence on Social Media
While not always fully reliable, social media can offer clues about someone’s university attendance or graduation. Profile pages may list an affiliation with the school or campus location. Hashtag usage, photos at university events, or connections with classmates can also imply enrollment. Comments mentioning the person’s major, graduation year, college nickname, or other details can help substantiate their academic history.
Some examples of what to look for include:
- Profile or cover photos taken on campus or wearing university apparel.
- Groups, events, and friends related to the university.
- Posts about moving to attend the school or graduating.
- Comments from others mentioning shared memories or tagging them as alumni.
While social proof doesn’t guarantee genuine attendance, consistent references from multiple sources help confirm someone’s self-reported education background.
Consult Public Records and Reports
Government records, news reports, and other published accounts can provide independent verification of someone’s academic history. Some examples include:
- Newspaper archives – Stories on local students headed to college may confirm university plans.
- Real estate records – Leasing an off-campus apartment near the university may imply attendance.
- Athletic records – Rosters for college sports teams indicate participating in that university’s program.
- Criminal records – University affiliation may be noted if incidents occurred on or near campus.
Published directories, government data sets, genealogy sites, and online archives can also yield clues about an individual’s educational background through proxy records and contextual references.
Contact Former Classmates
One of the most reliable ways to confirm if someone went to a certain university is to ask their former classmates. While you may not know their exact contemporaries, you can try reaching out to alumni groups from the target graduation years. Explain that you are seeking information about a possible graduate from that period.
Ways classmates can help validate university attendance:
- Recognizing the name of the individual in question
- Providing yearbook photos they appear in
- Describing shared classes or campus involvement
- Confirming participation in graduation ceremony
Even general recollections about students matching the person’s description or with similar names can offer supporting evidence of enrollment and attending classes at that institution.
Hire a Private Investigator
For high priority or difficult to verify cases, hiring a private investigator may be worth the cost to conclusively determine if someone attended a university. They have access to specialized databases and legal methods of obtaining records that allow them to build an airtight case regarding an individual’s educational credentials.
Some approaches a private investigator may use include:
- Retrieving official transcripts from the university registrar
- Interviewing former professors and classmates as witnesses
- Researching public records and archives for corroborating evidence
- Performing skip tracing to locate people who can confirm attendance
- Consulting proprietary data sources only available to investigators
While expensive, a qualified private investigator can often uncover conclusive proof of someone’s claimed academic background when all other options have been exhausted.
Conclusion
Verifying whether someone actually attended or graduated from a specific university can be accomplished through different channels. Seeking direct confirmation from the institution via alumni records, transcripts, or the registrar are the most definitive options. But public documents, social media, classmates, and employers can also provide supporting evidence in many cases.
Careful use of multiple methods helps compensate for the flaws and gaps that any single approach may have. And hiring a skilled investigator provides expert assistance when answers prove difficult to uncover independently. With persistence and creativity, you can discover the truth about an individual’s academic background and educational credentials.