Education levels leaked: what it means and what to do

What this data is

Your highest qualification, such as high school, a trade certificate, a bachelor's degree or a postgraduate degree, collected by job sites, surveys, dating apps and marketing databases.

The risk on its own

Low risk. An education level cannot open an account, answer a security question or identify you. Many people show it on public professional profiles anyway.

The risk combined with other data

With your name and contact details it helps scammers choose an approach, such as fake student loan relief for graduates or fake qualification courses for people without a degree. It also gives data brokers one more matching point when merging your records.

How criminals use it

• A fake student loan forgiveness program targets people listed as graduates and asks for an upfront fee.
• A diploma mill pitches a quick degree to people listed without one.
• Recruitment scams match fake job ads to your listed qualification level.

What to do now

1. Do not worry about this field on its own. Check the same breach for passwords and contact details.
2. Deal with student loan servicers and education providers only through contact details you find on their official websites.
3. Check that any college offering you a qualification is accredited with the relevant national body before paying.
4. Change the password on the breached account if you reused it.

Frequently asked questions

Is my education level sensitive?

No. It is low risk and often public already. Its only real use to criminals is choosing which scam to send you.

Are student loan relief offers ever real?

Genuine relief programs are run by governments and official loan servicers and do not charge upfront fees. Go directly to the official source.

Do I need to do anything?

Only the basics: change the password on the breached account and be cautious of education or loan offers you did not ask for.

Breaches that exposed this data

• Exactis: 2018-06-01, 132M accounts, Credit status information, Dates of birth, Education levels, Email addresses, Ethnicities, Family structure
• LinkedIn Scraped Data (2021): 2021-04-08, 126M accounts, Education levels, Email addresses, Genders, Geographic locations, Job titles, Names
• Mate1.com: 2016-02-29, 27M accounts, Astrological signs, Dates of birth, Drinking habits, Drug habits, Education levels, Email addresses
• Zoosk (2020): 2020-01-12, 24M accounts, Dates of birth, Drinking habits, Education levels, Email addresses, Ethnicities, Family structure
• Paidwork: 2026-03-29, 23M accounts, Bank account numbers, Dates of birth, Device information, Education levels, Email addresses, Financial transactions
• Beautiful People: 2015-11-11, 1.1M accounts, Beauty ratings, Car ownership statuses, Dates of birth, Drinking habits, Education levels, Email addresses
• Senior Dating: 2024-11-23, 766K accounts, Bios, Dates of birth, Drinking habits, Education levels, Email addresses, Genders
• University of California: 2020-12-24, 547K accounts, Dates of birth, Education levels, Email addresses, Ethnicities, Genders, Job titles
• Liker: 2021-03-08, 465K accounts, Auth tokens, Dates of birth, Education levels, Email addresses, Geographic locations, IP addresses
• Ajarn: 2018-12-13, 266K accounts, Dates of birth, Education levels, Email addresses, Genders, Geographic locations, Job applications
• Ladies.com: 2024-07-03, 119K accounts, Bios, Dates of birth, Drinking habits, Education levels, Email addresses, Family structure
• Wendy's: 2018-03-31, 52K accounts, Education levels, Email addresses, IP addresses, Job applications, Names, Passwords

Tools that help

• Email Breach Check
• Phishing Link Checker

Related guides

• Phishing Red Flags: Spot a Fake Email Before You Click
• LinkedIn Privacy Tips: The Settings That Limit Exposure
• Is My Data Exposed? Check Breaches, Leaks and Brokers