How to Get a Copy of Your College Diploma (Replacement Guide)

If your college diploma was lost, damaged, or never framed and you want a fresh one, the good news is that most universities will issue a replacement. The process is straightforward: you request a duplicate diploma from the university registrar, confirm you have no outstanding holds, pay a fee, and wait a few weeks. The part that confuses people is the difference between replacing the diploma and verifying the degree — they're handled by completely different channels, and mixing them up costs time.

This guide covers how to order a replacement college diploma, the records that aren't the same as a diploma, what to do if your school has closed, and how to handle a name change.

Step 1: Order a replacement diploma from your university registrar

The office that issued your diploma — the registrar — is the office that reissues it. Look on your university's website for the registrar's "Diplomas" or "Replacement Diploma" page, which lists the form, the fee, and any special notation.

You will typically need:

• A government photo ID (driver's license or passport)
• Your student ID number or the name and dates you attended
• Your graduation year and the degree/major you earned
• For a changed name, supporting documentation (marriage certificate or court order)

Before you order, clear any holds. Call the bursar (billing) or registrar to confirm you have no unpaid balance, library fines, or other holds, since those can block a diploma order. Replacement diplomas commonly take about four to six weeks to print and ship, and fees vary by school — often in the range of around $50. Some universities note a replacement as a "duplicate" or "reissue," and many now also offer a certified electronic diploma.

Verifying a degree is not the same as a diploma copy

This is the single most useful thing to understand. The National Student Clearinghouse handles degree and enrollment verification and transcript ordering for a large share of US colleges — but it does not reprint diplomas. If an employer or background-check service just needs to confirm that you earned your degree, that's a verification, and it goes through the Clearinghouse or your registrar, not a diploma reprint.

So match the request to the need:

• Need to prove you graduated (for a job, a license, a background check)? That's degree verification or an official transcript — fast, and often all anyone actually requires.
• Need the diploma itself (the printed certificate, to frame or replace)? That's a replacement diploma from the registrar.

If what you need is the record rather than the certificate, our guides to what a transcript is and official vs. unofficial transcripts explain the proof side. And if you're fuzzy on the diploma-versus-degree distinction, diploma vs. degree clears it up: the degree is the qualification, the diploma is the document.

If your college has closed

A closed college doesn't erase your records — they're transferred, not destroyed. Work through these:

1. The National Student Clearinghouse. Many closed institutions' records remain accessible for verification and transcripts through the Clearinghouse. Start there.
2. Your state's higher-education agency. Each state designates a custodian for the records of closed colleges. The state board or department that oversaw the school can tell you who holds the records and how to request them.
3. A teach-out or successor institution. When a college closes, another school sometimes takes over its records as part of a teach-out agreement. The state agency can point you to it.

You can almost always recover your transcript and a verification of your degree this way. A freshly printed official diploma, however, may no longer be available once the issuing institution is gone — which is exactly when many graduates turn to a replica for a frameable copy.

Handling a name change

If your name has changed since graduation, most registrars will reissue the diploma in your current legal name (or your name at graduation, your choice) when you provide documentation — a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order. Ask the registrar about their specific policy before ordering, since some print only the name of record at the time the degree was conferred.

When you want the diploma for the wall

Sometimes the official routes give you a transcript or a verification letter, but not a diploma you can frame — or the school is gone and a reprint isn't possible. That's the gap a replica fills. DiplomaCraft makes replica college diplomas for associate, bachelor's, and master's credentials, recreated from the details you provide and printed on heavyweight acid-free parchment with a metallic gold foil seal, with a free live preview before you order. You can build one detail by detail in the online diploma maker, and the replacement diploma page covers the high-school version too. (Lost a high school diploma instead? See how to get a copy of your high school diploma.)

One important line: a replica is a novelty, replacement, and display keepsake. It is not an official credential, it is not issued by a university, and it should not be presented for employment, enrollment, licensing, or any government process. For anything official, use the registrar or Clearinghouse routes above.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a replacement college diploma take?
Usually about four to six weeks to print and ship, though it varies by university and time of year.

How much does it cost?
There's no national fee; many schools charge somewhere around $50 for a duplicate diploma, but check your registrar's page for the exact amount.

Can the National Student Clearinghouse send me a copy of my diploma?
No. The Clearinghouse verifies degrees and provides transcripts, but it does not reprint diplomas. For a new diploma, order from the registrar.

Will the replacement say "duplicate" or "copy" on it?
Some schools add a notation, some don't. Ask the registrar if that matters to you.

My school closed — can I still get my diploma?
You can almost always get your transcript and a degree verification through the Clearinghouse or your state's records custodian. A reprinted official diploma may not be available, which is when many people order a replica for display.

The short version

To get a copy of your college diploma, order a replacement from the university registrar, clear any holds first, and expect a fee and a few weeks' wait. If you only need to prove the degree, use verification or a transcript instead. And if the school has closed or won't reprint the certificate, a replica is the practical way to put one back on the wall.

Sources

• National Student Clearinghouse, Verification Services and home (degree/enrollment verification and transcripts; diplomas are not reissued by the Clearinghouse).
• Replacement-diploma process and typical fees/timelines reflect US university registrar policies as published by individual institutions.

Fees, timelines, and policies vary by institution; confirm with the registrar that issued your diploma.