A major shift is underway in how employers evaluate job candidates. According to ZipRecruiter, 45% of companies surveyed in 2024 removed bachelor’s degree requirements for some roles. The share of job listings requiring a four-year degree dropped by 10% from 2022 to 2023. While large employers like Walmart, Bank of America, and IBM are making changes, smaller businesses have led the way. About 47% of small and mid-sized firms now prioritize job skills over academic credentials.

When I worked at Target as a store manager, it was frustrating how the company prioritized bachelor’s degrees over skills. What ended up happening was less qualified candidates were ending up in leadership roles, because they would overlook those that had the skills be no degree.

The new trend, often called “skills-based hiring,” is being driven by labor shortages, rising education costs, and the availability of alternative training programs. Instead of focusing on whether an applicant has a college diploma, employers are looking at work ethic, time management, and critical thinking. 

In many cases, companies are also investing in their own training pipelines. About 30% of businesses added new training programs in the past year, and more are offering student loan repayment or tuition assistance benefits.

In today’s market, degrees are no longer the only path to high-quality employment. And this shift is also playing out when it comes to thinking about the ROI of college today.

Even Government Employers Are Joining In

The public sector is also rethinking degree requirements. As of mid-2025, at least 16 states have dropped four-year degree mandates for most state jobs. Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are among them. These changes aim to widen the talent pool, reduce barriers to entry, and improve retention in state agencies.

In Tennessee, the change was written into law. State agencies cannot require a bachelor’s degree unless the job specifically demands knowledge that can only be obtained through formal academic study. Federal hiring has also become more flexible in recent years, with many clerical and assistant roles based on work experience rather than college education.

The federal General Schedule (GS) system, which defines pay and qualifications for government roles, allows applicants with just a high school diploma to qualify for GS-2 positions. Only the highest levels, such as GS-11 and above, require advanced degrees.

These shifts put pressure on colleges to show that a bachelor’s degree is worth the cost. For students considering whether to pursue a four-year program, the new hiring rules offers more freedom and more responsibility to weigh the return on investment.

The Cost Of Degree Inflation

While degree requirements are being dropped in many fields, others are still subject to excessive educational expectations. Public sector roles like teaching and social work are prime examples. Some states require a master’s degree for classroom teachers, even in districts where salaries remain low. Social workers often need both an undergraduate and graduate degree to be licensed.

And with potential changes to paying for graduate school, this degree inflation could become even more onerous. 

This has led to a troubling cycle: students borrow heavily for graduate school to meet state requirements, only to land in low- to moderate-paying jobs that struggle to support the resulting loan payments. Then they rely on programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness to forgive the debt after 10 years, but these programs are always at risk of being changed.

Our previous reporting highlighted how these inflated academic requirements often serve no practical purpose. They do not improve job performance or outcomes, yet they create additional financial stress.

Contrast that with today’s movement toward skills-based hiring. When job requirements align more closely with what the position actually entails, candidates can prepare more efficiently and affordably. For many students, it could mean the difference between taking on tens of thousands in debt or entering the workforce with a certificate and on-the-job training.

A Better Path For High School Graduates

As more companies and states drop outdated degree requirements, students have more choices. A traditional bachelor’s degree remains a strong option for some careers, but it’s no longer the default for everyone. Alternative paths, such as apprenticeships, certificate programs, or on the job experience, are becoming more viable and respected.

For students weighing college choices or considering alternatives, the trend toward skills-based hiring offers an opportunity: get trained, get hired, and avoid unnecessary debt. As always, the best path depends on the job and the person, but now, more paths are open than ever before.

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