3rd Degree Screening

Higher Education

Background Checks for Higher Education That Keep Your Campus Compliant and Your Community Safe

Screen faculty, staff, student workers, and researchers with a process built for the complexity of higher education hiring, without slowing down your HR team or your candidates.

Higher education hiring professional with brand crimson and navy circle backdrop, background checks for faculty and campus staff
PBSA-accredited screening

Independently audited

For compliance & accuracy

PBSA

PBSA Accredited

Background Screening Association

FCRA

FCRA Certified Staff

Fair Credit Reporting Act

US Based

100% US-Based

Support and Operations

Licensed PI Agency

Licensed Private Investigative Agency

State-Licensed & Bonded

Why it matters

Higher Education Hiring Is More Complex Than Most Institutions Realize

A university isn't one employer. It's a hospital system, a research lab, a childcare center, a housing operation, and an academic institution all running under one roof. The people you hire touch students, vulnerable populations, sensitive data, and in some cases, federal grant funding.

That complexity creates real compliance exposure. Title IX obligations, Clery Act reporting requirements, federal research compliance, and FCRA regulations all intersect in ways that generic background check providers aren't equipped to handle.

At 3rd Degree Screening, we help higher education institutions:

Screen faculty, staff, graduate assistants, and student workers under one consistent, compliant process
Verify academic credentials and employment history for faculty and administrative hires
Identify criminal history, sex offender registry matches, and watch list flags before onboarding
Support compliance for roles working with minors in campus programs
Scale screening to match the rhythm of your academic calendar and high-volume hiring periods

Screening Packages

Our Higher Education Screening Packages

Faculty & Senior Staff

Tenure-Track, Adjunct & Administrative Leadership

  • Legal Name and Maiden/Alias
  • Identity Verification
  • Social Security Trace
  • USA Arrest Booking
  • Nationwide Criminal Database
  • Global Watch Lists
  • Sex Offender Registry - NSOPW
  • Nationwide County Criminal Record Check - Unlimited
  • Federal Criminal Nationwide Search
  • Employment & Education Verification
  • Professional License Check (where applicable)
  • Credit Check (finance/senior roles)
  • *Possible 3rd Party Fees

Staff & Operational Roles

Administrative, Facilities & Dining

  • Legal Name and Maiden/Alias
  • Identity Verification
  • Social Security Trace
  • USA Arrest Booking
  • Nationwide Criminal Database
  • Global Watch Lists
  • Sex Offender Registry - NSOPW
  • Nationwide County Criminal Record Check - Unlimited
  • Federal Criminal Nationwide Search
  • Employment Verification
  • *Possible 3rd Party Fees

Research Staff & Grant-Funded Roles

Lab Personnel, Research Assistants & Postdocs

  • Legal Name and Maiden/Alias
  • Identity Verification
  • Social Security Trace
  • Nationwide Criminal Database
  • Global Watch Lists
  • Sex Offender Registry - NSOPW
  • Nationwide County Criminal Record Check - Unlimited
  • Federal Criminal Nationwide Search
  • Education Verification
  • *Possible 3rd Party Fees

Student Workers & Graduate Assistants

  • Legal Name and Maiden/Alias
  • Identity Verification
  • Social Security Trace
  • Nationwide Criminal Database
  • Global Watch Lists
  • Sex Offender Registry - NSOPW
  • Nationwide County Criminal Record Check - Unlimited
  • Federal Criminal Nationwide Search
  • *Possible 3rd Party Fees

90%

reports in under 36 hours

99%

support requests resolved in 1 contact

9.5 years

average client tenure

50+

integrations

Why Choose Us

Why Higher Education HR Teams Choose 3rd Degree Screening

Campus hiring involves more stakeholder scrutiny than almost any other sector. Boards, accreditors, federal agencies, and the campus community itself all have a stake in who you hire. Your screening partner needs to hold up under that pressure.

Credential and education verification built for academic hiring

We verify degrees, certifications, and prior academic appointments with the rigor that faculty hiring demands, not just employment dates.

Compliance support for roles working with minors

Campus programs, clinics, and childcare operations bring Title IX and child safety obligations that require a more thorough screening approach. We help you build that in from the start.

Clery Act and Title IX awareness

While background checks are one piece of a larger compliance picture, we help ensure your screening process supports, rather than conflicts with, your broader obligations.

Scalable for high-volume academic hiring cycles

Fall onboarding, adjunct hiring surges, and summer program staffing all require a platform that can move at volume without sacrificing accuracy.

No setup fees, monthly minimums, or term commitments

Whether you're a small college or a large research university, you pay only for the checks you run.

U.S.-based support with dedicated account managers

No offshore queues, no ticket-only support. A real person who knows your account is available when hiring gets complicated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Higher Education Hiring Deserves a Higher Standard

Protect your campus community and your institution's reputation with a PBSA-accredited screening partner that understands the full scope of who you hire and why it matters.

Higher education institution contact and onboarding

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