Removing a degree requirement from a job ad does not guarantee that a company will hire more people without degrees. A 2024 analysis by Harvard Business School’s Project on Managing the Future of Work and Burning Glass Institute found only a modest average increase in non-degree hires after employers dropped the requirement—and large differences between firms. The key distinction is whether an employer changes only the posting or also changes how it screens, assesses and selects candidates.
What changed—and what did not?
Employers have increasingly stopped naming formal education requirements in job advertisements. But an advertisement records what an employer says it wants, not who ultimately gets hired. To understand the gap, it helps to separate three kinds of evidence: job postings, observed hiring histories and employer surveys. They describe related trends, but they are not interchangeable.
On Indeed’s U.S. platform, 52% of postings in January 2024 mentioned no formal education requirement, compared with 48% in January 2019. In January 2024, 17.8% required at least a four-year degree. These figures describe postings on Indeed, not all U.S. vacancies or hires; when a posting listed multiple education levels, Indeed counted the lowest one mentioned. Indeed Hiring Lab’s analysis therefore shows a change in advertised requirements, not proof that hiring decisions changed at the same pace.
What the hiring-outcome study found
The clearest direct comparison comes from a 2024 study by Harvard Business School’s Project on Managing the Future of Work and Burning Glass Institute. The researchers examined 11,300 firm-role combinations at large firms where they could observe meaningful hiring before and after degree requirements were removed. Their career-history database covered 65 million U.S. workers, and the analysis tracked changes through 2023.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
In affected roles, the share of hires without bachelor’s degrees rose by about 3.5 percentage points on average after the requirement was removed. That is a change in the share of hires in the studied roles—not a 3.5-point increase across the entire workforce. Because the requirement was removed from only 3.6% of roles in the analyzed period, the authors estimated the aggregate incremental-hiring effect at 0.14%. The two figures answer different questions: the first describes the average change in affected roles; the second accounts for how limited the change in job requirements was across all roles in scope. The report and its methodology do not establish a current 2026 hiring rate or represent every employer and occupation.
Employers followed through unevenly
The average conceals sharply different employer results. The report characterized about 37% of the firms studied as driving nearly all the observed hiring change. Roughly 45% appeared to remove requirements “in name only,” while approximately one-fifth were classified as backsliders. These are categories from the study of its analyzed firms, not estimates for all U.S. employers.
So “employers dropped degree requirements” can describe a real shift in job-ad language while obscuring whether most companies changed their hiring behavior. Some did; many in this study showed little evidence of follow-through.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Why a policy change may not change selection
The study documents uneven results, but it does not experimentally isolate one cause for every employer that failed to hire differently. A plausible explanation is that degree status can remain an informal signal if résumé screening, interview habits and selection criteria stay the same. Removing a line from an advertisement does not, by itself, remove that signal from a résumé or alter how a recruiter weighs it.
Employers also need a credible way to judge whether a candidate can do the work. The World Economic Forum’s 2025 report says 81% of surveyed businesses expected to continue relying on work experience as an assessment mechanism over 2025–2030. NACE’s 2026 Job Outlook survey reports that employers often assess skills during screening and interviews. Those methods can complement skills-first hiring, but they also show why simply dropping a degree requirement is not a complete selection plan: employers still need evidence of competence.
TestGorilla’s 2025 vendor survey reported that 85% of respondents used skills-based hiring and 67% still used résumés. The survey also points to résumé screening as one route through which degree status may remain visible. Because it is a vendor survey, those figures are best treated as respondents’ reported practices, not a matched count of hiring outcomes or proof of a causal mechanism. TestGorilla’s survey findings illustrate how skills assessments and résumé review can coexist.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
How to tell whether an employer is hiring skills-first
A stronger signal than a revised job ad is a documented change in how candidates are evaluated. For a particular role, look for evidence across the full process:
- Role-specific criteria: The employer names the capabilities needed for the work rather than treating a degree as a general proxy.
- A way to demonstrate those capabilities: Candidates can show relevant skills through work samples, structured assessments, experience or another job-related method.
- Consistent evaluation: Recruiters and interviewers use shared criteria rather than relying mainly on unstructured impressions.
- Outcome tracking: The employer measures who applies, advances and gets hired, and whether candidates without degrees gain access over time.
- Appropriate scope: The change identifies the job families and locations it covers, while retaining credentials where they are legally or technically necessary.
These are practical indicators, not a single assessment recipe proven to work for every role. The underlying studies support looking beyond ad edits; they do not establish one universal test or selection design.
What newer skills-first surveys do—and do not—show
More recent surveys suggest that skills-first language and practices have gained traction, but they do not replace the hiring-history evidence. SHRM and the SHRM Foundation’s 2026 report, based on a 2025 survey, found that 34% of organizations said they often or almost always used skills-first strategies in hiring. NACE’s 2026 Job Outlook survey found that 70% of surveyed employers used skills-based hiring for entry-level hires, up from 65% in the prior year.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
These results should not be read as a contradiction of the HBS/Burning Glass findings. The surveys differ in population and wording, and neither percentage is a direct count of hires affected. The matched study follows hiring outcomes through 2023; the newer figures describe employers’ reported practices. SHRM’s report and NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 provide signals about adoption, not an updated estimate of how many workers without degrees were hired.
The World Economic Forum’s figures are also expectations rather than observed future behavior: its 2025 report describes what surveyed employers expect to use over 2025–2030. It also finds that degrees remain part of many employers’ requirements. Skills-first hiring can therefore coexist with degrees, experience, résumés, interviews and skills tests; the question is how much weight each signal carries in a particular role. The Future of Jobs Report 2025 sets out those employer expectations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the distinction matters to workers and employers
For jobseekers, an ad without a degree requirement is an opening, not a guarantee that a degree will be ignored at every screening stage. Applicants can make relevant skills and work evidence easy to assess, while recognizing that employers’ processes vary.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesBest Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
For employers, the measure of progress is not simply how many listings omit degree language. It is whether candidates are assessed against job-related capabilities, whether the process applies those criteria consistently, and whether hiring data show broader access. The National Governors Association’s 2025 report offers a public-sector example: it says states with policies encouraging skills-based hiring saw faster growth in degree-free postings than states without such policies, while emphasizing the need to track outcomes. That posting trend is evidence of policy influence on advertisements, not by itself proof of changed hires. The NGA report discusses state policy and implementation.
The available evidence supports a measured conclusion: degree requirements have become less common in some job ads, and some firms have hired more people without bachelor’s degrees in affected roles. But the average hiring effect in the matched study was small at labor-market scale, and follow-through varied widely. The underlying matched study ends in 2023; the newer sources cited here mainly measure expectations, self-reported practices or postings, rather than providing a comparable post-2023 hiring-outcome estimate.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
