How do I check if a college or degree is real?
- Score the warning signs. Answer up to 9 questions in the checker: the country, what you are checking, how it reached you, any fees and when, the accreditation claimed, life-experience credit, speed and the official list.
- Find it on the official register. Search the destination's register yourself: the DLI list, CRICOS, the UK sponsor register, the SEVP school search, NZQA or ILEP.
- Check the exact name and course. Match the legal name and any number on your letter, and your course code where courses are listed.
- Confirm with the institution directly. Contact admissions on details from the register or its own website, never from the letter, and ask it to confirm the offer and the payment account.
- Get the degree assessed. For a degree you hold, ask the recognition body of the destination (ENIC-NARIC centres, WES or another ECA organisation for Canada, UK ENIC) whether it counts.
Which official list do I check?
| Country | College for a study visa | Degree recognition |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | IRCC DLI list | ECA from a designated organisation (WES and others) |
| Australia | CRICOS (provider and course code) | TEQSA National Register |
| United Kingdom | Register of licensed student sponsors | GOV.UK recognised bodies, Ofqual register, UK ENIC |
| United States | SEVP-certified school search | DAPIP and CHEA |
| New Zealand | NZQA search (Code signatories) | NZQA search |
| Ireland | ILEP (or the TrustEd Ireland mark) | QQI and NARIC Ireland |
The links, country by country, are in our guide how to check if a college or university is real, and in the emailed report.
How does the checker work?
Each answer is matched against the warning signs that education departments and immigration authorities publish: a price per degree, a whole degree for life experience, an accreditor that only accredits the seller, money paid to an agent instead of the institution, “guaranteed” visas, sponsorship fees and pressure to pay fast. The score adds them up. It rates the signs, not the institution, so a high score means “verify first”, not “this is fake”.
Read more in what a diploma mill is, how to check a college for a study visa, visa sponsorship scams and what a fake degree costs you. Checking a job offer instead? Use the job offer scam checker.
Frequently asked questions
Can this checker tell me if a college or degree is fake?
No tool can. It scores the warning signs in your answers, the same signs official guidance lists for diploma mills, bogus colleges and paid sponsorship. Only the official register of the destination country, and the recognition body for degrees, can confirm it.
How do I check if a college is real for a student visa?
Search the destination's own register: IRCC's DLI list for Canada, CRICOS for Australia, the register of licensed student sponsors for the UK, the SEVP school search for the US, NZQA for New Zealand and ILEP for Ireland. Use the exact legal name, check your course where courses are listed, and never use a link the agent sent.
How do I know if my degree is accredited?
Check the awarding body on its country's official list (DAPIP or CHEA in the US, TEQSA in Australia, the GOV.UK recognised bodies list in the UK), then get it assessed by the recognition body of the country you are moving to, such as an ECA for Canada or UK ENIC.
What happens if I use a fake degree for a visa?
It is treated as deception or misrepresentation. The UK refuses future applications for 10 years, Canada bars you for 5 years, Australia refuses and bars further visas for 3 years, and the US can bar you with no time limit. The emailed report links each official rule.
General information, not legal advice. This checker cannot confirm or rule out that an institution, degree or offer is genuine. Verify it with the official register before you pay or apply. Rules checked October 2026.
