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Why are they removing some professional degrees
Executive summary
Employers and policymakers are increasingly dropping or narrowing degree requirements for some professional roles as part of a shift to skills-based hiring, cost and enrollment pressures on higher education, and technological change; a recent employer survey finds about 25% of firms plan to remove bachelor’s requirements for some roles by the end of 2025 [1]. Advocates argue this widens access and reduces bias, while critics warn it could devalue formal training for complex professions and reflect broader market stress on colleges [2] [3].
1. Why employers are removing degree boxes: a move toward skills and outcomes
Major firms and many hiring managers are promoting skills-based hiring—prioritizing portfolios, certifications, and demonstrable outcomes over where a candidate went to college—because they say it widens the talent pool and better predicts on-the-job performance; companies including IBM, Google and Accenture have publicly cut degree requirements for many roles, and a survey of 1,000 hiring managers found 84% of companies that removed degree requirements judged the change successful [2] [1].
2. Equity and access frame: opening pathways for non‑traditional talent
Proponents emphasize that removing degree requirements reduces structural barriers for people who lacked economic access to college and can reduce inadvertent discrimination tied to elite credentials; that reasoning underlies the push to replace “which college did you attend?” with “what can you do?” and is repeatedly cited in reporting on the trend [2] [1].
3. Higher education’s pressure cooker: enrollment, finances, and program relevance
Colleges face demographic and financial headwinds—a projected decline in U.S. college students and changing demand for non‑degree training are prompting institutions to rethink offerings—so employers’ pivot to skills and a broader market for certificates or short courses intensifies pressure on traditional degree models [3].
4. Technology and AI: accelerating role changes and credential signals
Observers argue that AI and automation are reshaping job tasks and the skills employers need; as software performs routine work, firms may value demonstrable technical competency and adaptability over formal degrees, pushing both employers and education providers toward microcredentials and certificate programs [4] [3].
5. What this means for “professional” degrees — not a single story
Available sources describe a selective rollback of degree requirements for some roles (e.g., many tech and business positions) but do not claim wholesale elimination of professional degrees; instead, the trend reallocates where and how skills are validated, while high‑stakes licensed professions or roles requiring deep regulated knowledge are not described as being broadly abandoned in current reporting [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention a universal removal of degrees for all professional fields.
6. Employer evidence and limitations: survey signals, not immutable law
A May 2025 survey cited in reporting shows one in four employers expect to eliminate bachelor’s requirements for some roles by year’s end and high reported satisfaction from companies that tried it [1]. These are meaningful indicators but reflect self‑reported employer experience and intention; they do not guarantee uniform practice across sectors or that degree programs will vanish [1].
7. Competing viewpoints and potential unintended effects
Supporters frame the change as democratizing hiring and correcting talent shortages [2] [1]. Skeptics—implicit in discussions about college finances and the projected 15% student decline—warn the shift could destabilize institutions reliant on degree tuition and raise questions about quality assurance, credential inflation, or unequal access to new credentialing pathways [3] [2].
8. What to watch next: policy, credential portability, and employer outcomes
Key developments to monitor are whether federal or state policy redirects funding to non‑degree programs, whether employers continue to report hiring successes without degrees, and whether colleges expand stackable credentials; early signals include increased acceptance of non‑degree training and institutional incentives to offer shorter, skills‑focused programs [3] [2].
Bottom line: the removal of degree requirements is a targeted, employer‑driven shift toward skills and measurable outcomes—promoted as widening access and driven by technology and labor shortages—but it is neither universal nor uncontested, and it amplifies broader stresses facing higher education [1] [2] [3].