81% of tech employers still require a college degree, though 79% said they would be fine with only enough work experience.<\/p>\n
47% of tech employers admitted that skills training credentials are most important when considering a candidate for an entry-level job, while only 27% agreed that a college degree has an impact.<\/p>\n
According to the study published by Cengage Group, “many employers still require a four-year degree because they have not updated or innovated how they screen talent and evaluate their potential.”<\/p>\n
On why a degree is important, 40% of employers believe that applicants with a college degree are better equipped for the role. Three in five employers (62%) require a degree for all entry-level positions.<\/p>\n
“Tradition” is also responsible for the requirements for a college degree, with 16% of employers saying they needed a college degree for entry-level positions because “it has always been this way.”<\/p>\n
The Cengage study also found that two in three (66%) companies struggling to find talent believe that “removing degree requirements for open roles would help them find qualified talent to narrow staffing gap.”<\/p>\n
Among employers who do not require a college degree for entry-level positions, one in 10 said they did so to broaden their talent pool to address critical labor shortages.<\/p>\n