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Checking a college

Is your college on the list? The fake colleges officials have warned about

A college's name is nagging at you: on a brochure, a colleague's CV or your own certificate. There is no single list of fake colleges, but official lists exist. Here they are in the authorities' own words, with a letter for when one names your college.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

In a hurry? Jump to the official lists.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

A wanted poster, not a guest list

Picture the wanted posters on a police station noticeboard. A face missing from that board has never proved anyone clean; it only means nobody has pinned it up.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

An official warning list works the same way: it shows the colleges an authority has named, up to the day it went up. Nigeria's universities commission says so under its own list: "This list of illegal institutions is not exhaustive."

The other list is the guest list: the official register of every institution allowed in. A college can rename itself off a poster, but it cannot add itself to a register.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

A name on a poster is a finding. A name missing from every poster is not. Only the guest list can clear a college.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

Who prints a list of fake colleges, and in what words

Authorities print their own posters, and "fake" is only one of their words. Our government warning list search covers these six and more.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

Who prints it, and its wordWhat a listing means, in its words
India's UGC: "Fake Universities"Their degrees "shall neither be recognized nor valid for higher education and employment purposes"
Nigeria's NUC: "Illegal Universities", "Degree Mills"Their certificates "will not be recognised for the purposes of NYSC, employment, and further studies"
Ghana's GTEC: "Unrecognised Institutions""not recognized by the Commission due to various quality assurance concerns"
Texas's THECB: "Fraudulent and Substandard Institutions"Institutions "whose degrees are illegal to use in Texas"
Uganda's NCHE: "licenses were revoked"A licence held and then lost, each with its "Date Revoked"
The Philippines' CHED: public notices, one school at a timeOne school "is not recognized as a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the Philippines"

A government body gives an institution the legal right to award degrees, by licence, charter or recognition. Accreditation is often a separate quality review, but regulators such as Ghana's and Uganda's accredit institutions themselves, and Uganda's says awards from unaccredited ones "SHALL NOT BE RECOGNISED".

So "unrecognised", "revoked" and "fake" are different findings: pass on a list's exact words.

In the UK, Hedd, the UK's official degree verification service, has an institution check showing whether a UK university or college is a recognised degree-awarding body. If not, treat that as a reason to ask, not a verdict.

Australia's regulator names some entities that are not registered.

Read the small print on the poster

An invented entry, built like real ones:

Ministry of [Country] · Public notice
[Name] University, USA, [City] Study Centre, or any of its campuses in [Country]
Date added: [day, month, year]
Published on: [the authority's own website]

  • Where: "[City] Study Centre". Nigeria's list has named universities by a single study centre, and even the "Illegal Satellite Campuses" of a state university on the NUC's own guest list.
  • Whose law: "Ministry of [Country]". A poster speaks for its own patch: "Texas law only applies to activities in Texas," says the key to the Texas list.
  • When: "Date added". Uganda has dated each revoked licence, and Ghana has listed institutions whose accreditation "has expired".
  • Who signed it: "Published on". Official lists sit on the authority's own website.

Search a list for the most distinctive word in the college's name, plus the town, since spellings vary. Then read the whole entry.

Is this your college?

Same name, another town?

List: "[Name] College, [Town A]". Certificate: "[Name] College, [Town B]". Not settled: an entry adding "or any of its campuses" may still cover yours. Ask the authority, and keep a screenshot of the entry with your certificate.

Only a study centre named?

List: "[Name] University, [City] Study Centre". You studied at the main campus. The wording settles it: an entry naming only that centre covers the centre. Keep the university's confirmation of your campus.

Licence revoked after your certificate?

List: "Licence revoked: [date]". Your certificate is dated before it. The date starts the question: ask the authority what it means for earlier awards, and keep the reply.

Listed abroad, registered at home?

Another country's list names your college; its home register lists it. Whose law settles it: the warning applies there, so check the rules where you plan to work.

Then check the guest list at the door

The authorities on the table keep guest lists too, and so do countries without a poster:

A register is the nearest thing to a list of unaccredited colleges: a college claiming to award degrees in that country but missing from it has something to explain.

Poster, guest list, both or neither?

What you foundDo this next
On a poster, not on the register: an authority has named itNot enrolled: do not pay. Studied there: save the notice and see below.
On both: a branch, a borrowed name, a dated change or another country's findingMatch the entry, check whose law it is, then ask the authority
On neither: no authority vouches for itNot enrolled: wait for the authority to confirm it. Studied there: use the letter below.
On the register, on no poster: the result you wantCheck the campus and programme too

Looking for a fake PhD university list?

Posters usually name institutions, not degree levels. India's UGC is one exception: its "List of HEIs not Following Ph.D Regulations" is a different finding from "fake".

For an Indian PhD, the UGC's PhD regulations require an electronic copy of each thesis to go to INFLIBNET, which keeps theses open to read in its Shodhganga repository.

Search it for the author; a missing thesis is a question, not a verdict. Who checks a PhD, and how follows the rest.

Found your own college on a list?

Take a breath and check that the notice is about your college: match the whole entry against your certificate, down to the campus. A close or famous name is not a match (see famous name, fake university).

If the entry names a centre or branch, first ask the parent university through its website:

"Could you confirm whether [centre or campus, town] was authorised by [university] to teach [programme] from [month and year] to [month and year]?"

Then write to the authority that published the list, through its official website:

"I studied at [full name of the college], [campus and town], from [month and year] to [month and year], and was awarded [degree]. Your [title of the list] includes '[the entry exactly as written]'. Could you confirm whether this entry refers to the institution I attended, and whether my award is recognised?"

File the reply with your certificate; if it clears your college, it answers any employer who finds the list. No reply? Write once more and keep both letters.

If it confirms the worst, read what to do if you have already paid and what using a degree like this can cost.

Then the way forward: a recognised university decides for itself whether to assess what you have learned, and honest routes to a degree shows where to start.

Sources

Want a degree that holds up? Our admissions service helps working adults apply to university in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia, choosing only universities that are officially recognised. If no university on your shortlist offers you a place, we refund our fee in full.

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