Degree Inflation – School Information System

Rising employer demand for bachelor’s degrees in occupations which did not previously require them is called degree inflation.
Degree inflation closes job opportunities to the 62 percent of Americans without four-year degrees, exacerbates labor shortages, and reduces the financial return on investment of a college education.
The proportion of upper-middle-class workers— those earning between $60,000 and $80,000 in today’s dollars — with a bachelor’s degree rose from 38 percent in 1990 to 52 percent today.
Managers, registered nurses, computer software developers, salespersons, and secretaries have experienced the most degree inflation since 1990.
To address degree inflation, state governments should eliminate statutory degree requirements wherever possible. The federal government should ensure a level playing field between traditional colleges and alternative education providers.