Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, has published a recent survey report that examines how companies have handled and plan to handle college degree requirements in 2024. The report also shares insight into the tools that are used to evaluate job candidates. In total, Intelligent.com surveyed 800 employers in the United States.
According to the survey, 45 per cent of companies plan to eliminate bachelor’s degree requirements for some positions in 2024. Conversely, 39 per cent of employers say they will not eliminate bachelor’s degree requirements in 2024, and 16 per cent are unsure. In 2023, 55 per cent of companies removed bachelor’s degree requirements for some roles. Seventy per cent removed it for entry-level roles, 61 per cent for mid-level roles, and 45 per cent for senior-level roles. These employers chose to eliminate degree requirements this year because they wanted ‘to create a more diverse workforce,’ wanted ‘to increase the number of applicants,’ or believed ‘there are other ways to gain skills.’
“A bachelor’s degree is much more than preparation for an entry-level job. It prepares people for a full life, including exploring what areas of employment might be a good fit for the immediate and long-term future,” says professor and higher education advisor Diane Gayeski. “While a young person may be able to get an entry-level job without a bachelor’s degree, the lack of the degree along with the other ‘soft skills’ that one gains in college can make it difficult to climb the corporate ladder.”
Survey results also highlight that 80 per cent of employers are ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to favour work experience over education when assessing job candidates’ applications. Likewise, 81 per cent say it is important for recent college graduates to have work experience. In fact, 75 per cent of employers agree that certificate programs have value, while 68 per cent say the same for associate degrees and 61 per cent for online degrees and apprenticeships. Additionally, to determine a candidate’s fit for a job, 68 per cent of employers give candidates test assignments and 64 per cent give personality tests.
This survey was commissioned by Intelligent.com and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish. Responses to this survey were collected in November 2023. In total, 800 respondents in the United States completed the full survey. To qualify for the survey, all participants had to say they were involved in hiring decisions and meet the additional demographic criteria for age, income and organizational role. To view the complete report, please visit: https://www.intelligent.com/nearly-half-of-companies-plan-to-eliminate-bachelors-degree-requirements-in-2024/
