When will American companies stop valuing a college education?

Angry Willy wrote:

When? For most non-STEM degrees, very, very soon.

I see the product that is being produced by high schools and colleges and the product is borderline worthless. A BA in art history, literature, philosophy, political "science", history, ,"oppressed group" studies, etc. from a "top level school" is both worthless and overpriced. I will gladly take someone from a 2nd or 3rd tier state school majoring in applied math, physics, civil/mechanical/electrical engineering, biology, chemistry, etc. over anyone who has a worthless degree from a "prestigious" university.

This depends on the job and the outlook of the employer. I think philosophy makes a great background for all sorts of jobs. In fact, I prefer to hire people with philosophy backgrounds because it means they have a background of logical reasoning. This is much more applicable to many fields than chemistry would be, and I think the self-selection effect is likely at least as strong for philosophy as most of the fields you mentioned (as evidenced by philosophy having one of the highest average GRE scores).

For some employers, worthless degrees like history, philosophy etc etc are no different than a HS diploma. Actually there are a few employers out there that prefer HS with trade studies mixed in and actual real experience (HS with military experience even better) over people with bachelors in the aforementioned studies and no experience.

It's the roll of the dice.

I certainly would pick a college education in your industry as the standard for showing one's commitment, work ethic, and preparation for an industry to enter it. Any other replacing factors would go down the road of being tribal based. Truth is once you get in, people do get promoted or not laid off because of tribal interests anyway.

I still believe that education is very important, but it only makes sense when a person applies their knowledge and not just a degree. However, far more important are the skills for me. In college, I always did well in practical classes, but I had bad grades for theory, I always needed an essay writing help because it was the hardest for me. It's good that over time I thought of looking for something like https://ca.edubirdie.com/essay-writing-help, I didn't waste time writing, but improved practical skills. It is thanks to this that I am now doing my favorite thing and my colleagues consider me a master of my business.

Universities don't give you an education, it's a certification.

See statements above about how the degree is unimportant but it "reflects on your ability to organize time, dedicate yourself, learn new concepts"

Look at us now wrote:

killermike wrote:

Btw, What is the evidence that college is becoming more and more dumbed down?

Let me count the ways... Anecdotally, though, I have a nephew who just graduated from my alma mater, so I’ve had a play-by-play of the new graduate experience. Let’s just say that between “essays” pulled straight out of Wikipedia that would’ve had him expelled for plagiarism 20 years ago and throwing fits at his professors that would have got him expelled and blackballed if not brought up on charges, it’s incredible that he got through the first semester, much less 4 years.

Lifting even a small part of a Wikipedia page for use as your own work would get caught so fast. Colleges use software that scans students work for reuse of existing content. Seeing as how almost all historical writing has been uploaded as well as all other student papers at all colleges, you almost always get caught.

My wife is an Instructional Technology person at a DI college and she regularly works with faculty on using the scanning software. Everyone must be aware of this and yet students get caught and busted for it every year.

The true value of a higher education depends on the balance between its benefit to the owner (graduate) and the client (business/company/public agency). One problem with the choice of field is the cost which should be tailored by the offering institution to the sustainability for the student more so than it is now. A highly valued/paid field (these days STEM)should cost reasonably more than one of less demand and potential compensation and the responsibility for this has been ignored by the leaders of the colleges and universities.

Feel very uncomfortable reading some of the replies from last year. The value of education isn't measured in money or workplace skills. If companies want employee training they need to pay for it.

In a few years colleges will just churn out business / MBA graduates. Sad, as we don't learn things like history, literature or religion at work so we'll never learn anything and end up with a very highly trained employees but completely ignorant citizens.

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Some interviewers realize that degrees don’t matter. They hire people without degrees but have good qualities such as self-starter, good work ethic, etc..

It's been obvious for decades that perhaps 75% of all college students should not be there, and are a complete waste of taxpayer money. There is an enormous edu-industrial complex keeping the status quo. Govts. love that it keeps unemployment numbers down, and employers save the cost of apprenticeships: training is outsourced to schools. Really started in the mid '50's. In an ideal world anyone not training for the professions would enter the workplace after HS, perhaps with a govt subsidy to the employer with strings attached. To anyone who is not a student/teacher (Like many I had the time of my life in college!) Non trade/CC campuses are grotesque monuments to political influence and waste.

I believe that higher education is always necessary. This gives students the opportunity to develop and become successful in the future.

You are correct. but the other 25% need to be there in order to become accountants and doctors and lawyers and engineers.

Never. Companies love degree holders. Would you rather hire an employee who fits the job 1:1 and knows their worth or an overeducated 22 year old who is drowning in debt and will be willing to do whatever you say and work any price as long as you pay them juuuuust enough for them to save a little bit of money?

Have you ever talked to someone that was unable to get a college education? They wouldn’t be your first pick for a job that requires any sort of intelligence. There are some outliers, but they are very rare.

This^

Also, HS a diploma just means you are still alive and 18 years old. It conveys nothing about how smart you are, how you can organize, or if you are even dependable enough to show up.