# What are factual reasons for why universities don't publish degrees earned publicly **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 4, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863 "2012-05-04T13:00:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ClarenceClancy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@ClarenceClancy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClarenceClancy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/1 "2012-05-04T13:00:39Z")
What are factual reasons for why universities don’t publish degrees earned to the public, online and free? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/2 "2012-05-04T13:37:47Z")
I don’t understand the question. Do they publish other degrees? What do you mean by “publish”? ---
**Author:** ![ClarenceClancy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@ClarenceClancy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClarenceClancy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/3 "2012-05-04T13:40:26Z")
make available to public viewing online, e.g.: STUDENT: Joseph DEGREE EARNED: PhD Physics ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/4 "2012-05-04T14:51:50Z")
Two reasons: [ol] [li][FERPA](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Educational_Rights_and_Privacy_Act)[/li][li]It’s none of your business.[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/5 "2012-05-04T15:08:44Z")
The California Institute of Technology allows anyone to download and view commencement programs, which contain a full listing of everybody who got a degree that year. [Here is 2010](http://caltechcampuspubs.library.caltech.edu/2129/1/Commencement_2010a.pdf) (PDF). It’s the basic information the OP is asking about, albeit not as easily searched. I have no idea to what extent other schools do this. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/6 "2012-05-04T15:09:59Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > It’s none of your business. This was my knee-jerk response to the question, which in my head was worded as “why _should_ they?” ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/7 "2012-05-04T17:44:53Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Two reasons: > [ol] > [li][FERPA](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Educational_Rights_and_Privacy_Act)[/li][li]It’s none of your business.[/li][/ol] I agree with the second reason, but the first one isn’t quite valid; degrees earned and majors can fall in the category of “directory information” under FERPA and be disclosed without the student’s express permission. However, there has to be a public notice that this info might be disclosed, and the students have to be given the opportunity to opt out. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/8 "2012-05-04T17:48:40Z")
Money. I claim that I have a BA in math from Washington and you say prove it (for a job let’s assume). What would the school rather have happen, you look it up online for free or I pay $4 for a transcript that costs them 50 cents to process and mail? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/9 "2012-05-04T17:52:38Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Money. > I claim that I have a BA in math from Washington and you say prove it (for a job let’s assume). What would the school rather have happen, you look it up online for free or I pay $4 for a transcript that costs them 50 cents to process and mail? If they’re really only charging $4, they’re not making enough money to make it worth their while, (if any) Even if they charged more, I doubt the hassle of processing the requests justifies the effort. I’ll join the “none of your business” crowd. A University doesn’t want heat from Alumni. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/10 "2012-05-04T18:00:28Z")
Also, if it’s an advanced degree you’re interested in, the degree-granting institution will keep a copy of the student’s dissertation in its library, and the library catalog is generally searchable for free online. > [@Saint Cad](#): > > Money. > I claim that I have a BA in math from Washington and you say prove it (for a job let’s assume). What would the school rather have happen, you look it up online for free or I pay $4 for a transcript that costs them 50 cents to process and mail? This doesn’t make sense. If all you want to document is the fact of your having a particular degree from a particular institution (rather than something specific about your GPA or the courses you took, etc.), then you can just show your actual diploma (or a photocopy thereof), which you already have in your possession. No need to pay the school for any processing costs. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/11 "2012-05-04T18:04:46Z")
I didn’t see one in the linked PDF, but our commencement program has a disclaimer that states that the info in the program is not to be construed as an official graduation list and that the Office of the Registrar is the holder of the goods as far as verification goes. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/12 "2012-05-04T18:18:32Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Money. > I claim that I have a BA in math from Washington and you say prove it (for a job let’s assume). What would the school rather have happen, you look it up online for free or I pay $4 for a transcript that costs them 50 cents to process and mail? My math says that at minimum wage and allowing $0.45 for postage, that leaves 2 seconds for processing. You might be underestimating slightly their costs. Also, what you’re likely paying for isn’t the actual piece of paper they send you but the years of record-keeping and certifying-of-correctness that went into the information on that paper. And the “official transcript” stamp, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/13 "2012-05-05T00:51:24Z")
Some of that information is out there if you know where to look. Slightly out of date: [http://math.unc.edu/department-and-its-history/phds-awarded](http://math.unc.edu/department-and-its-history/phds-awarded) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/14 "2012-05-05T01:44:31Z")
“We’ve always done it this way” – like \*\* Kimstu\*\* mentioned about the diploma: the paradigm since what seems like forever has been that it’s up to the degreeholder to be the one who coughs up evidence of the degree to the interested party and the diploma is sufficent often enough, but if you really want “official” verification that this was for real then the institutions feel you should go through some hoops. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-factual-reasons-for-why-universities-dont-publish-degrees-earned-publicly/620863/15 "2012-05-05T03:03:32Z")
In a timely [news item](http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/yahoo-investor-tells-board-fire-ceo-lying-16279790), Yahoo’s CEO is under fire for falsely claiming that he had a bachelor’s degree in computer science, and the college confirmed that his degree was in accounting. Perhaps he had authorized the disclosure.