Is A Four-Year Degree Necessary For A Career? Why More Employers Don’t Think So

Companies are minimizing their educational requirements and instead opting to hire candidates with actual experience under their belt. 

Although a college degree gives students a clear trajectory in achieving their career goals, the content they are learning can be accessed through different programs outside of an educational institution. 

In fact, analysis from the Burning Glass Institute showed that U.S. job postings requiring a bachelor’s degree fell from 46% in 2019 to 41% in November of this year. But why is this happening?  

For one, the labor market is tight and educational requirements exclude a huge portion of candidates that are able and willing to join the workforce. 

Although some careers do indeed require specific certifications, jobs like those within the tech industry are often BYOC (build your own career). For instance, a worker in a four-year computer science program could kickstart their career even faster by enrolling in Google’s online certification program. 

Through the program, participants can master the skills needed to be hired within the IT world, without spending tens of thousands of dollars.  

While it is true that candidates with a four-year degree in tow make more on average than those without, companies shifting their hiring requirements could soon alter this norm and open a world of opportunity for those without the privilege of higher education.