Americans can get behind dropping degree requirements—but employers and hiring managers keep propping up the ‘paper ceiling’

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Americans can get behind dropping degree requirements—but employers and hiring managers keep propping up the ‘paper ceiling’

Academic disqualification, discrimination, and exclusion are unchecked behaviors that are holding back more than 70 million U.S. workers who are skilled through alternative routes (STARs). This “paper ceiling” is an invisible barrier that’s filtering out qualified workers through biased hiring algorithms and a fixation on degree requirements.

However, removing degree requirements alone will not dismantle the deeply entrenched stereotypes about what constitutes a qualified worker. Our 2024 Graduate Employability Report found that 79% of employers believe a degree still holds value for an entry-level worker looking to join their company and 70% say a degree is a strong indicator of career readiness.

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