TECHSPOT: Did you know you might not need a degree to get a top tech job?

February 17, 2023

By Kirstie McDermott

An additional 1.4 million jobs could open to workers without college degrees over the next five years

The college route isn't for everyone: it's eye-wateringly expensive, for one thing. In America, the average cost of attendance for a student living on campus at a public four-year university is $25,707 per year or $102,828 over four years, according to Education Data Initiative.

The numbers are even bleaker for out-of-state students, who pay $43,421 annually, or $173,684 over four years of education. Private, non-profit students pay a huge $218,004 over four years.

More figures estimate that those who are unable to work full-time while studying stand to lose a median annual income of $42,068, and once students' graduate, they are paying an average of $2,186 in interest each year – with the average student borrower spending about 20 years paying off their loans.

Move away

Within tech, there is an increasing move away from requiring prospective candidates to have a college degree. Research from Harvard Business School and The Burning Glass Institute found that in November 2022, 41% of U.S.-based job postings required at least a Bachelor's degree – a 5% drop from early 2019….

https://www.techspot.com/news/97641-did-you-know-you-might-not-need-degree.html