More U.S. workers regret college degree, Indeed survey reveals
TEXAS, UNITED STATES — More than a third of American workers now believe their college degree was a waste of time or money, according to a new survey by Indeed.
The report, conducted by The Harris Poll, found that 36% of respondents with at least an associate degree expressed regret over their education investment.
The sentiment is especially strong among younger generations. A majority of Generation Z workers (51%) and 41% of millennials said their degrees weren’t relevant to their current jobs, compared to 30% of Gen X and just 20% of baby boomers.
“Gen Z isn’t just questioning the economic value of a degree — they’re telling us they might not have gone to college if it weren’t a perceived requirement to get a good job,” said Aidan McLaughlin, Global Director of Brand & Advertising at Indeed.
Skills over credentials, debt shapes perceptions
The survey highlights a growing belief that skills and experience matter more than formal credentials. Sixty percent of graduates believe they could perform their current jobs just as well without a degree, and 52% said they would not have attended college if a degree were not required for so many jobs.
Student debt plays a significant role in shaping these views. Among those with student loans, 41% questioned the value of their degree, compared to 31% of those without debt. Nearly half (43%) of respondents with college debt declined job offers because the salary was too low to offset their loan payments.
AI and changing relevance of degrees
Artificial intelligence is also a factor in declining confidence in college degrees. Thirty percent of respondents said AI has made their degrees irrelevant, a figure that rises to 45% among Gen Z and 36% among millennials.
Despite these concerns, most graduates (79%) said they learned relevant, real-world job skills during their studies, especially those from higher-income households. However, the long-term relevance of degrees is in question: 16% said their degree stopped being relevant within three years, and 6% said it became outdated after four to six years.
Rethinking the path to career success
The findings suggest a shift in attitudes toward higher education and hiring practices.
“When this many workers believe they could do their job just as well without a degree, it should be a wake-up call for employers,” McLaughlin noted.
“We need to ask ourselves: Are degree requirements unintentionally filtering out great talent? Skills-first hiring isn’t about lowering the bar — it’s about recognizing those who already clear it in different, equally valuable ways.”
The survey, conducted from March 27 to March 31, included 772 U.S. adults aged 18 and older with at least an associate degree who are employed or seeking work.
