Google, Apple, IBM No Longer Require College Degrees for Employees

Major American companies like Google, Apple, and IBM no longer require their employees to have a college degree.

The employment landscape is shifting in America. Now, according to a CNBC report, several major American companies no longer require their employees to have a college degree.

These companies include Google, Ernst & Young, Penguin Random House, Costco Wholesale, Whole Foods, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Publix Grocery, Apple, Starbucks Nordstrom, Home Depot, IBM, Bank of America, Chipotle, and Lowe’s.

The list is slightly misleading because several of the companies listed will only hire candidates without college degrees for entry-level positions. However, companies like Google, Apple, IBM, and Penguin Random House offer mid to high-level positions that don’t require a college degree.

IBM’s Vice President of Talent Joanna Daley reported that 15 percent of the company’s employees lack a traditional four-year degree. She explained that the company is opening to hiring computer engineers who have hands-on experience from personal projects or coding vocational classes.

Students around the country should be eager to eschew the traditional path to employment, which typically involves a substantial amount of uncertainty and debt. In a recent speech to young conservatives, tech billionaire Peter Thiel said that his greatest piece of advice was to not take out significant debt for college.