Do I Need a College Degree?

Do You Need a Degree for Your Career Goals?

The first thing you should consider is: What is my goal for earning a degree?

Are you hoping to work in a specific industry or company? Depending on what you'd like to pursue as a career, a degree may not only be encouraged but required, whether by law or industry standards. This is generally true in healthcare, law, education, and some aspects of business, such as accounting. If you're interested in one of these fields, then your first step will most likely be earning your degree. Choosing an online degree program can help you fit your class schedule around your life, especially if you're already working or have other commitments.

Other fields, and even some jobs in the previously mentioned categories, don't have those same requirements. Some fields may rely more on a portfolio (common in creative industries) or on-the-job training.

Look at job postings or LinkedIn profiles of people with jobs or working at companies you’re interested in. What are the educational requirements in job postings? Are there standard education requirements or training programs professionals in the field have completed? This can help you map out what degree you may need now as well as future training or certifications to advance your career later.

Degree or Experience: What Do Employers Look For?

Early Career

In May 2025, Higher Ed Dive released an article stating one in four employers planned to drop 4-year degree requirements by the end of that year. This may sound very encouraging if you're leaning toward not earning a degree. But here are some other things to consider.

Entry-level positions generally still require a bachelor's degree. There are many reasons for this. It demonstrates you can follow through with a long-term commitment. Employers also view this as an indicator that you are likely to stay with them for longer and can follow through with projects or deadlines on the job. Employers love reliable employees!

Another argument for requiring a degree is that entry level positions are intended for those who may not have any relevant experience yet, which is not uncommon for young twenty-somethings, but is certainly changing. Bachelor's programs provide foundational skills and knowledge about the industry that you need to get started. A job will refine those skills and allow you to apply that knowledge into new contexts. That builds the experience that employers find valuable in senior roles and leadership positions.

Mid-Career and On

As you progress in your career, employers will naturally put more emphasis on your relevant and more recent experience. Think about the ways society and technology have changed over the last twenty years. If you got a degree in computer science 20 years ago but worked as a librarian, you may not have the most up-to-date skills and knowledge to start working as a software engineer or IT consultant.

This point is especially important when considering graduate degrees. If you've been out of the workforce for a while, but have a bachelor's degree that's relevant to a job you're interested in, an employer may want to see evidence that you've stayed on top of the changes in the industry. On the other hand, if you got a degree in school library administration but slowly transitioned into working in the IT industry through courses or certifications, an employer may not care if your bachelor's is in an unrelated field. Why? Because your experience may be more relevant.

Do You Want to Advance or Change Your Career?

In an article on MyPerfectResume.com, Jasmine Escalera wrote about career fog and what might contribute to it. Research done by MyPerfectResume shows that up to 70% of people feel stuck in their career, unsure about what they've chosen, or where their career is going.

While you may not have felt this way, it's likely you may at some point. Sometimes careers or jobs we enjoyed before become tedious or dissatisfying. Escalera writes that many people try to transfer skills to new opportunities. In cases like this, you may not need to earn a degree, especially if you already have a bachelor's. Some skills may translate easily, making it easy to transition to a new career.

In situations where you may need to develop a skill more before a career move, you should consider master's degrees, certificates, or other training. Certificates are great for smaller career moves, such as if you're staying in the same industry. Master's degrees may be better suited for bigger career moves, like entering a new industry or different type of work. 

For example, if you're working in marketing, like me, but you want to move into a more data-driven role, USU's online certificates in data engineering or data analytics may be a great first step. However, if you're in an engineering role but want to move into management or leadership roles, an MBA or MHR may be better for that career move.

Is a College Degree Worth the Cost?

Paying for college is usually the biggest concern about earning a degree because it's the biggest investment outside of the time you put into the program. There are a few ways you can decide if a degree is worth the cost. Ultimately, you'll be the one to determine what the limit is on your financial investment.

Career Outcomes

You have goals tied to companies you want to work for or positions you want to hold. If you have a specific company you want to work for, and they only hire people from certain schools or programs, you might be willing to pay more to get into that school or program.

Positions aren't usually tied to specific programs or schools, but if you notice people in those roles have a similar degree, you can start looking at what each of those degrees or certifications cost them to get a cost range you could expect for your own degree.

Impact Outcomes

You have an overarching purpose or mission you want to complete more than adhering to a specific career path. In cases like this, you may have more liberty to choose a program that's more affordable for your circumstances. (See Higher Education Price Discrepancies below.) Chances are, your career path may rely more on specialized knowledge and skills more than specific credentials.

Financial Outcomes

The most accurate way to determine if a degree is worth the cost is to compare that cost to the salary you'll earn during your career. This can be tricky since salaries vary greatly even for similar roles, but there are many resources available to help understand your potential career earnings, like Glassdoor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even estimates can help you make the decision.

Let's say you want to earn your Master's of Human Resources. Currently, that program has a total cost of around $38,000. Without the degree, you think the highest your salary will be during your career is $100,000. With the degree, you think you could earn as much as $120,000. If you're earning $60,000 currently, earning the degree may be worth it because you are doubling your earning potential. 

It may still make sense to skip the degree, since you still anticipate higher salaries in your career, but external factors, like rising inflation and interest rates, may influence that decision.

All of these have a time and a place, and you should consider all of these factors together. But, regardless of how you analyze the ROI of your degree, remember that it's very uncommon to see a salary or wage increase that matches the cost of your program at once. You'll see the return over time.

The Benefits of Earning a College Degree

A pay raise or new job opportunities are the main benefits people associate with earning their degree. But did you know about the following benefits found by the Lumina Foundation?

• 3.5x lower incidence of poverty
• 47% higher chance of having health insurance through an employer
• 2.4x higher income during retirement
• 44% greater likelihood of reporting your health to be very good or excellent
• 61% chance of being separated or divorced

Society as a whole also benefits from individuals who hold a bachelor's degree. Lower crime, volunteering, increased political and community involvement, and more trust between community members, are just a few perks society experiences. If you're interested in more, you can read the Lumina Foundation’s paper “It’s Not Just the Money” where they break down these and additional benefits.

When Earning a Degree Makes Sense

Whether you need a degree comes down to your goals, your circumstances, and where you're trying to take your career. If a degree gets you closer to what you actually want, like a specific job, a raise, or a shot at moving up, it's worth pursuing. If it doesn't move you toward something, it might not be worth the cost and time right now.

If you're a working adult weighing that decision, campus life can be part of what's holding you back. Sitting in a lecture hall with 18-year-olds isn't for everyone. USU Online exists for exactly this: real degree programs built around a life where other commitments can't take a back seat.

Ready to Take the Next Step?