Exxat is a genuinely strong platform, and we’ll say so plainly. Its compliance service, Exxat Approve, centralizes the collection, review, and approval of compliance documents — from flu shots to drug screens — and is available as an add-on to Exxat Prism. (source) Exxat says its medical professionals review documents within 24 hours of upload, and that students can request background checks and drug screens inside the platform. (source) Exxat reports 1,600+ programs, 10,000 clinical affiliates and 400,000+ students. (source) It announced its 500th program on Approve in June 2023 (source), was selected in October 2024 as the compliance and placement vendor by a consortium led by the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center spanning 30+ academic institutions and 50+ sites (source), and announced a minority growth investment from Accel-KKR in January 2026. (source) If you want one ecosystem covering curriculum, placements, and compliance, Exxat belongs on your list.
So when is it the wrong fit?
- When you only need the compliance half. Approve is positioned as an add-on to Exxat Prism. If your placement scheduling already works, adopting an ecosystem to get document review is a large purchase for a specific problem.
- When you also need the screening performed, not just verified. Somebody still has to collect the urine, run the background check, and fit-test 60 students. We run all of it — on-site campus events, Quest screens, Checkr background checks and N95 fit testing — and verify it in the same portal.
- When you want to keep the tools you have. We're happy to be the compliance and screening layer under a placement platform you already like. No rip-and-replace required.
- When budget is the constraint. $30 per student, unlimited free administrator and faculty accounts, no long-term contract, and drug tests priced from $25 on campus, $40–$55 at Quest, plus $35–$70 per background check.
Side by side, honestly
Exxat column checked against exxat.com on 16 October 2026.
| Exxat (Prism + Approve) | Drug Free Schools | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Connected ecosystem: Exxat Prism, Exxat One and Exxat Approve, from curriculum and credentialing to placement coordination (source) | Compliance verification + the screening itself |
| Document review | Reviewed by Exxat’s medical professionals within 24 hours of upload (source) | Every document, within 24 hours, with the exact reason and what to upload instead |
| Performs the screening | Students request screenings in the platform through integrated screening partners (source) | We are the screening company — on-site events, Quest network, Checkr, N95 fit testing |
| Published prices | None found on exxat.com | Yes, on our pricing page |
| Fits alongside your existing tools | Designed as a connected ecosystem | Yes — keep your placement platform, we handle compliance and screening |
| Ownership & scale | Ed-tech company founded in 2011 (source); Accel-KKR minority growth investment, January 2026 (source); SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001:2022 certified (source) | Same family since 1995 — you get the owners |
The honest recommendation
If your institution wants one vendor for curriculum mapping, placements, evaluations, and compliance — and has budget for the suite — Exxat is a legitimate choice and we'd rather you hear that from us than discover it later. If you want compliance verification and screening from a team that offers support 7 days a week by phone, text or email, at per-student pricing with no ecosystem commitment, get a quote from us and compare.
Want your own demo portal? We’ll email you a login.
Set up in about 5 minutes with your program’s requirements. No meeting needed.
Support 7 days a week by phone, text or email, for students and school staff: call or text (901) 517-7450 · josh.smith@drugfreeschools.net
Why programs switch to Drug Free Schools (1:51)
A short video recorded in the live portal: every upload reviewed within 24 hours, rejections that say exactly what to fix, phone scanning, secure links for clinical sites, and $30 per student, one time.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Exxat Approve?
A compliance review service offered as an add-on to Exxat Prism. Exxat describes Approve as centralizing the collection, review, and approval of compliance documents, from flu shots to drug screens, with documents reviewed by its medical professionals within 24 hours of upload.
Who uses Exxat?
Exxat reports 1,600+ programs, 10,000 clinical affiliates and 400,000+ students. A consortium led by the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center selected Exxat in October 2024 across 30+ academic institutions and 50+ sites.
Does Exxat publish prices?
We found no prices on exxat.com when we checked on 16 October 2026, so ask Exxat for a quote. Drug Free Schools publishes all of its prices: $30 per student, one time, for the portal, drug screens from $25 on campus or $40 to $55 at Quest, and background checks at $35 or $70.
Why would a program look for an alternative?
Usually because Approve is an add-on to a larger platform. If you already have placement scheduling you like — or you only need compliance verification and screening — buying into a full ecosystem to get document review can be more platform than the problem requires.
How is Drug Free Schools different?
We do compliance verification and the screening itself — drug testing, background checks, N95 fit testing — as one company. $30/student portal with unlimited free admin seats, every upload reviewed within 24 hours, on-site campus collection events plus any Quest location nationwide, no long-term contracts, and we're family-owned since 1995.
Can we run Drug Free Schools alongside our placement platform?
Yes. Many programs keep their scheduling or placement tool and use us for compliance verification and screening. We don't require you to replace systems that already work.
Exxat, Exxat Prism, Exxat One, Exxat Approve, Accel-KKR, CastleBranch, DISA, DISA Healthcare, Complio, American DataBank, Quest Diagnostics and Checkr are trademarks of their respective owners. Drug Free Schools is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by these companies. Facts about Exxat on this page come from its own public website and press releases, checked 16 October 2026, and may have changed; verify current terms with the vendor. Nothing on this page is legal or medical advice.