The Shift Toward Skills Over Degrees

The traditional belief that higher education, whether a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD, is the surest path to career success is increasingly being challenged. In a Fortune interview published in May 2025, LaFawn Davis, Senior Vice President of Environmental, Social, and Governance at Indeed, emphasized that employers are increasingly favoring real-world skills over formal degrees when making hiring decisions. Companies like Google, IBM, and Apple have already removed college degree requirements from many of their job listings, underscoring a powerful shift in how talent is evaluated.

This trend is especially prominent in the tech sector, where the ability to demonstrate practical experience and problem-solving capacity often outweighs academic credentials. With the rise of coding bootcamps, certifications, and self-paced learning platforms, employers are now more likely to ask: “What can you build?” instead of “Where did you graduate?”

What Research Says About Higher Education and Career Outcomes

Despite this shift, numerous academic studies still support the value of a college degree, particularly in long-term income and job stability. According to a 2023 OECD report, individuals with a bachelor’s degree earn, on average, 56% more than those with only a high school diploma. Additionally, a 2022 study published in the Journal of Labor Economics found that each level of educational attainment (bachelor’s, master’s, PhD) is generally correlated with greater employment opportunities, especially in sectors like healthcare, law, and academia.

However, the return on investment for education is no longer uniform. A 2021 study by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce showed that while STEM degrees generally lead to higher pay, many liberal arts graduates struggle with underemployment. This is one reason employers are now focusing on competencies like critical thinking, project execution, and digital fluency, skills that don’t always require formal degrees to acquire.

Successful Leaders Who Skipped Higher Education

The “skills over degrees” trend is not just theoretical, it’s echoed in the real-life journeys of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Consider the following high-profile examples:

• Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, dropped out of Reed College after just one semester. He later credited his curiosity and passion for design, not formal education, as the foundation for Apple’s innovative culture.
• Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, left Harvard University before graduating. His coding skills, entrepreneurial mindset, and early vision for personal computing proved far more valuable than a degree.
• Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, also left Harvard to build Facebook. His success was driven by relentless execution and a clear product vision.
• Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, never attended university and struggled academically due to dyslexia. Yet he built a business empire by hiring talented people and taking bold risks.
• Oprah Winfrey, though she did attend Tennessee State University, attributes her career breakthroughs to hands-on broadcasting experience rather than academic training.

What unites these individuals isn’t a lack of education, it’s their deep curiosity, vision, ability to execute relentlessly, and strategic talent-building. These are precisely the qualities today’s employers are actively seeking.

What This Means for Today’s Professionals

For modern professionals, especially in tech, the message is clear: credentials matter less than capability. This doesn’t mean formal education is obsolete, but it is no longer the only (or best) path to a rewarding career.

Hiring managers are placing greater emphasis on:

• Portfolios over diplomas: Can you show work that demonstrates your impact?
• Certifications and bootcamps: Programs like Coursera, Udemy, and General Assembly are gaining legitimacy.
• Project-based learning: GitHub contributions or open-source work can be more valuable than transcripts.
• Soft skills: Communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence remain crucial, often more than technical know-how.

In this new landscape, lifelong learning becomes a career strategy. According to LinkedIn Learning’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report, 89% of professionals say upskilling helped them get promoted or land new roles, regardless of formal education level.

If you're a professional aiming to stay relevant, focus on building tangible skills, showcasing your work, and networking with intention. The gatekeepers are changing, and many doors are now wide open.

A Balanced Future

While the “skills over degrees” movement is real and growing, it's important to recognize that formal education still holds value—especially in fields that require licensure, deep theoretical knowledge, or specialized training. However, the future clearly favors adaptability.

Whether you're a university graduate or a self-taught coder, your success will increasingly depend on your ability to learn fast, apply knowledge, and create real impact.