For generations, the common life path was to graduate high school, attend college, and start a career. However, recent professional and economic shifts have made the college degree less necessary than in years past.
According to Indeed’s 2025 US Jobs and Hiring Trends Report, as of October 2024, 17.6% of job postings listed a bachelor’s degree as a requirement. Before the pandemic, that figure hovered closer to 20%. The report stated that although the drop seems modest, it represents “tens of thousands more jobs” that may be available to those without a college diploma.
Business owners, career experts, and Gen Z members have also noticed this trend. Keep reading to find out what they’re seeing (and doing), how they feel about the change in job requirements, and what advice they have for young adults just entering the workforce.
The Trend: Slashing Degree Requirements
Business Leaders
Company executives are loosening their education requirements and focusing more on skills and experience for a few reasons:
College doesn’t fully prepare one for a job. Nicole Magelssen, CEO of Alpine Virtual, said, “A degree doesn't always mean job readiness or adaptability, hands-on experience, and real-world problem-solving.”
Business is evolving quickly. “In today's world, a candidate could have graduated 12 months ago with a specific degree, and what they learned is already outdated,” said Jenn Hahn, founder and CEO of J Recruiting Services.
Employers can’t find enough talent in some industries. “Fields like health care, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing have been most interested in creating workarounds to a degree,” said Kathleen deLaski, author of the new book Who Needs College Anymore?
Some business owners are fully embracing this trend. Peter Murphy Lewis, CEO of Strategic Pete, said, “I don’t even look at degrees when hiring.” Instead, he “takes interns with zero marketing experience and then changes them into A-minus marketers in six months.”
Lewis said his system involves real projects, structured mentorship, and public learning. “This works better than a four-year marketing degree that teaches theory but never puts [the learner] in front of real clients,” he explained.
Gen Z Members
Forrest Webber, a 2021 college graduate and analyst at Plastic Fusion, noticed that education requirements for technical roles are disappearing. He said, “For tech, in particular, you don't need to attend college to learn those skills. If you can pass the technical interviews, you're still likely to land the job(s).”
Aidan Charron, associate director for EARTHDAY.ORG, agrees with Webber but has also seen the change apply to other professions. “For everyone else, I think [the requirement] is becoming less rigid now [because] businesses understand that experience, drive, and passion are as key as degrees.”
The Impact: How Does This Shift Affect Schools, Companies, and Workers
Business Leaders
Business leaders are trying to solve the current and pending skills crisis. deLaski noted that “the half-life of many skills has been reduced to five years.” That means universities and companies must find better and faster ways to impart knowledge to students and workers.
However, the educational institutions need some guidance. “If employers can signal the skills they need in a sort of industry-level skills map, it will help higher ed and students with a road map for teaching and learning,” said deLaski.
In the meantime, “Employers are creating their own training pipelines … because universities are falling behind,” said Lewis. Lupe Colangelo, director of alumni engagement and employer partnerships at General Assembly, believes that more and more organizations will invest in training both their new hires and existing team members.
Colangelo said, “Instead of turning to layoffs when skills become outdated, companies that employ a skills-based talent strategy proactively upskill and reskill workers for future needs. This can net significant savings for companies who don't have to compete for top external talent and improve employee retention and engagement.”
Gen Z Members
Without having to earn a college degree, young professionals can launch their careers sooner – and with more money in their pockets. Shereen Ross, HR and accounting coordinator at Vladimir Jones said, “As someone with multiple postgraduate degrees, I know firsthand that student loan debt can delay major life goals like homeownership or starting a family.”
However, the shift requires Gen Z members to be more motivated than ever. Lewis pointed out that there’s “more onus on the individual job seeker to prove their worth. You can't just ‘have a degree’ and think that's good enough anymore.”
The Verdict: Is This A Good Thing
Business Leaders
Many business leaders and entrepreneurs believe the change in job requirements is positive for the incoming workforce (but not necessarily for the colleges that may see a drop in attendance).
Magelssen said, “I love this shift because it opens doors for people who are very capable but don't have the finances or desire to pursue a degree. It also forces companies to be creative and rethink their hiring process.”
Gen Z Members
Young professionals are glad about the shift, too. Webber said, “I believe way fewer people should go to college. Most people are wasting their time and money, especially if they're not sure what they want to study.” Charron added, “I love having people around me with different points of view, and the non-college graduates often have that.”
Should Young Adults Go To College
Business Leaders
The decision to go to college mainly comes down to career aspirations. “If you want to be a doctor, go to school. If you want to be in tech, marketing, sales, design, or business—work experience will take you further, faster,” said Lewis.
However, Hahn still sees an undergraduate degree as a wise investment. She said, “The skills and education may not come directly from the courses [students are] taking, but the intangibles [such as time management, work ethic, collaboration, networking, etc.] they learn from navigating college are still really valuable.”
Gen Z members may want to consider a hybrid approach. “I would suggest mixing in some work while you're in college to start to learn what you enjoy and where you thrive. Having a mix of both when you graduate will not only poise you to get that job offer but will also help narrow down what you're interested in pursuing,” said Hahn.
Gen Z Members
Charron, who graduated in 2020, doesn’t regret obtaining his bachelor’s degree because it aligns with his work and makes a favorable impression on recruiters. However, he’s unsure if he’ll pursue more education.
Webber is also happy with the path he’s taken, which has included a mix of education, entrepreneurship, and employment. While he shared that his business ventures taught him more than his degree program, he acknowledged one significant benefit of attending college: networking.
“Attending a top-tier university puts you around top-tier talent. You make great connections, and it heightens your abilities by being around talented people,” said Webber.
How To Learn Skills Without Going To College
Business Leaders
Company leaders pointed out two ways young workers can boost their skills without setting foot on a college campus: hands-on learning and self-study. If you’re a Gen Z member, you should “get an internship, [secure] a part-time job, [go] freelance, or shadow someone who’s already doing what you want to do. The fastest learners don’t wait for permission to gain experience—they create it,” said Lewis.
Magelssen, Hahn, and deLaski all endorse using the Internet to find learning opportunities. “There are starting to be more ways to build skills, from DIY sources like YouTube and Coursera.org to micro-internship marketplaces like Riipen.com or Parker Dewey,” said deLaski.
Gen Z Members
“My advice to anyone, but especially Gen Z, is to get a range of internships to try different things,” said Charron. Charron had multiple jobs before his post-college career, including in his family’s restaurant and at an aquarium. Through those experiences, he learned how to manage people, be keenly aware of his surroundings, and communicate effectively (which he believes is the most essential professional skill).
Webber again pointed to the power of forging and leveraging relationships with others. He said, “If you're interested in something, find out if you know someone who would let you shadow for free. Do that and see if you'd like to pursue it further. Then, figure out the best way to proceed.”