Yes, many employers still value college degrees. New research from Lumina Foundation and Gallup suggests that preference persists even when a role does not require one (Marken & Ash, 2026).

That leaves hiring teams and job seekers with a practical question: what does “degree not required” mean when applications are reviewed?

For employers, the answer should be visible in their selection criteria. For applicants, it helps to understand how their education and experience connect to the work.

What the New Research Found

Published October 19, 2026, the findings come from an opt-in online survey of 2,500 U.S. hiring decision-makers conducted August 5–18.

Among respondents:

• 80% preferred candidates with a college degree, regardless of whether the role required one.

• 48% expected AI to make degrees more important over the next five years.

• 26% expected AI to make degrees less important (Marken & Ash, 2026).

These are reported preferences and expectations. The survey does not establish who employers actually hired, prove that graduates perform better, or predict what AI will do to hiring.

The practical takeaway is to examine how a degree preference influences a specific vacancy.

When a Preference Becomes an Unspoken Requirement

Imagine a hypothetical employer advertising a project coordinator role. A degree is listed as preferred, and applicants can qualify through relevant experience.

During review, however, the team advances only graduates, without examining how other applicants demonstrate the required skills.

The posting and the review process now communicate different expectations. The team needs to decide whether a degree is genuinely essential, what it demonstrates, and how alternative evidence will be considered.

Before opening applications, ask:

• Which responsibilities make this qualification relevant?

• Is it essential to eligibility or an additional strength?

• What evidence would demonstrate the same capability through another route?

• How will reviewers apply that distinction consistently?

Our guide to required vs. preferred qualifications explains how to carry those decisions from the job description into candidate review.

Clarifying the distinction is especially useful when the role involves AI tools. “AI skills” needs a concrete meaning, too.

Define the AI Skills the Job Actually Needs

For your next opening, identify what responsible use of AI would involve in that particular role. Depending on the work, useful assessment questions might include:

• Can the candidate check an AI-generated answer against reliable information?

• Can they identify errors or missing context?

• Can they explain when a task needs human judgment?

• Can they follow the organization’s rules for handling information?

These are suggested questions for role design, not findings from the survey or a universal assessment checklist.

For example, a hypothetical marketing coordinator exercise could give every candidate the same short AI-generated product description and an approved fact sheet. Ask them to identify unsupported claims and revise the copy. Explain whether AI assistance is permitted, provide accessible participation arrangements, and use shared scoring criteria.

That exercise would provide evidence about a narrow, relevant task. It would not establish the candidate’s overall suitability on its own.

There is also a current public-sector example of connecting assessment to job requirements. In April 2026, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued implementation guidance for the Information Technology Management Series, 2210, including job aids on designing assessments around competencies derived from job analysis (Hinton, 2026).

That guidance concerns its federal IT hiring context. For other employers, the useful question is whether their own assessment measures what the role requires. Review applicable credential, licensing, and organizational requirements before changing eligibility criteria.

What Job Seekers Can Do With This Information

For applicants, start with the individual posting. Identify whether the degree is required, preferred, or accompanied by an alternative such as relevant experience.

If the employer accepts another route, make your evidence easy to assess. Connect each important responsibility to a relevant example from employment, training, volunteering, or a project.

Instead of writing only “experienced with AI tools,” explain the task, your contribution, how you checked the output, and the result. Use accurate examples and protect confidential information.

If you have a degree, connect relevant coursework or projects to the vacancy. If you do not, show how your experience demonstrates the stated requirements. Neither approach guarantees an interview, but both give reviewers concrete information to evaluate.

Where the wording is ambiguous, a short question to the recruiter can help: “Does this role accept relevant experience in place of the listed degree?”

Why This Matters for Fair Opportunity

The same clarity that helps applicants also helps employers explain their decisions.

At Diversity.com, fair opportunity includes giving people a clear understanding of what qualifies them for consideration and a meaningful way to demonstrate relevant ability.

A hiring team can recognize the value of education while examining other evidence where the role permits it. The important step is to define which capabilities matter and how each applicant can demonstrate them.

That connects this news story to a practical inclusion question: does the advertised opportunity match the opportunity candidates actually receive?

Final Thoughts

Before publishing a vacancy, agree on what a degree contributes to the role and how that contribution will be assessed. If alternative experience is accepted, make that route clear in the posting and the review process.

For job seekers, focus on the employer’s stated criteria and explain your relevant evidence.

For hiring teams ready to review their wording, download Diversity.com’s free Inclusive Job Description Guide. It includes practical prompts for examining degree and experience requirements before a job advertisement goes live.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does AI make college degrees unnecessary?

The survey cannot establish that. It records employer expectations about AI, rather than future hiring outcomes (Marken & Ash, 2026). Assess the requirements of the specific role.

Should I apply if a degree is preferred but I do not have one?

Consider applying if you meet the required qualifications and can demonstrate relevant ability. Explain your experience clearly and check whether the posting specifies acceptable alternatives. A preference does not promise equal weighting or guarantee an interview.

Should employers remove degree requirements?

Review each role individually. Establish why the credential is needed, check applicable requirements, and decide whether other evidence can demonstrate the necessary capability. If alternatives are accepted, explain how applicants will be evaluated.

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Sources & References

• Hinton, V. E. (2026, April 13). Job aids for the competency based position classification and qualification standard for the Information Technology Management Series, 2210 [Memorandum]. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. https://www.opm.gov/chcoc/latest-memos/job-aids-for-the-competency-based-position-classification-and-qualification-standard-for-the-information-technology-management-series-2210.pdf

• Marken, S., & Ash, A. M. (2026, October 19). Employers’ confidence in higher education undaunted by AI. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/715601/employers-confidence-higher-education-undaunted.aspx