SHRM: Why Fewer Employers Are Requiring College Degrees

Excerpt from article by Kylie Ora Lobell

In years past, having a college degree was required for almost every salaried job—and many hourly jobs, as well. Candidates who didn't have a degree often would lose out on opportunities and struggle to advance their careers. 

Recently, widespread talent shortages and a number of other cultural shifts have prompted more employers to revisit that requirement. 

About two-thirds of working-age adults (64 percent) do not hold a bachelor's degree, and undergraduate college enrollment fell by 8 percent from 2019 to 2022. The share of jobs that require a college degree fell to 44 percent last year, down from 51 percent in 2017, according to research from the Burning Glass Institute. 

As a result, major employers such as Dell, IBM and Bank of America have eliminated the college degree requirement for most jobs, and many other businesses are following suit. 

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