A recent People Magazine profile highlighted the story of Claire Gregory, a former attorney who left the legal profession and now works as a restaurant server. Gregory earned a Juris Doctor, completed an additional graduate law degree, and passed two state bar exams before deciding the legal field was not the right fit for her.
The story says less about Gregory and more about a growing problem in the American economy: credential inflation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 32.9% of Americans age 25 and older held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2020, up from 28.5% in 2010. As more Americans earn college degrees, the degree itself loses some of its ability to distinguish applicants in the job market.
Employers respond by raising educational requirements. Jobs that once required a high school diploma now require a bachelor’s degree. Jobs that once required a bachelor’s degree increasingly prefer a master’s degree or other advanced credentials.Young people respond accordingly. Many pursue graduate degrees not because their profession requires specialized education, but because they believe additional credentials will help them stand out. The bachelor’s degree has become common. Graduate degrees increasingly serve as the next competitive advantage.
That trend holds costs. Students spend more years in school, delay entering the workforce, and take on additional debt. Universities collect more tuition while graduates assume more risk.
Arizona offers a good example of why this matters. Employers across the state continue searching for workers in construction, manufacturing, skilled trades, and other high-demand industries. Yet many young adults still feel pressure to pursue additional credentials because they believe another degree will improve their career prospects.
Gregory’s story represents an extreme example of the problem. America increasingly treats another degree as the solution to every career challenge. Policymakers should ask whether young adults need more credentials or whether employers, schools, and communities should place greater value on skills, experience, and productive work.
