--- title: "How 5 Major Employers Are Scrapping Degree Requirements…" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/companies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026" language: "en" author: "drashtigarach" published: "2026-04-13T18:20:02.000Z" modified: "2026-04-13T18:20:02.000Z" --- [Back to Blog](/blog) [Career](/blog/tag/career)[Economy](/blog/tag/economy)[Hiring](/blog/tag/hiring)[Jobs](/blog/tag/jobs)[Skills](/blog/tag/skills) # How 5 Major Employers Are Scrapping Degree Requirements to Fix Broken Entry-Level Hiring in 2026 81% of employers now prioritize skills over degrees, yet entry-level hiring remains broken. See how Accenture, IBM, and others are rebuilding the path in. [![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach) [April 13, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/04)9 min read ![How 5 Major Employers Are Scrapping Degree Requirements to Fix Broken Entry-Level Hiring in 2026](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/kai.AtiA8A8n.png) [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026&title=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026&title=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026)[mailto:?subject=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026](mailto:?subject=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026) The entry-level job market is sending contradictory signals. Three-quarters of entry-level software job listings require three or more years of experience. Meanwhile, 41% of recruiters say entry-level positions are the hardest roles to fill. Something has clearly gone wrong — and a growing number of employers are finally trying to fix it. Platforms like [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) are tracking these shifts closely, because the companies making real structural changes to entry-level hiring are opening opportunities that job seekers need to know about right now. ## Why Entry-Level Hiring Broke Down in the First Place The experience paradox is nothing new, but it has intensified over the past several years. Entry-level roles that once served as genuine training grounds were quietly eliminated and replaced with unpaid internships or hyper-specific job descriptions loaded with credential requirements that most new graduates cannot meet. Degree inflation compounded the problem. Research from [Harvard Business School](https://www.hbs.edu/managing-the-future-of-work/Documents/research/Skills-Based%20Hiring.pdf) and [The Burning Glass Institute](https://www.burningglassinstitute.org/research/skills-based-hiring-2024) found that even as employers publicly committed to skills-based hiring, fewer than 1 in 700 actual hires reflected those policies. The rhetoric advanced faster than the reality. The consequences have been severe for job seekers. Roughly 450,000 entry-level workers dropped out of the job market in September 2021 alone, and nearly half of entry-level applicants admit to exaggerating their backgrounds when faced with unreasonable requirements — creating a cycle that benefits no one. But the tide is beginning to turn. A meaningful subset of employers has moved from announcements to action, redesigning their hiring pipelines from the ground up. ## The Companies Actually Doing It Differently ### Accenture: Apprenticeships as a Pipeline, Not a PR Move [Accenture](https://www.accenture.com/us-en/careers/life-at-accenture/apprenticeships) has made apprenticeship hiring a core part of its entry-level strategy, not an occasional goodwill initiative. The firm has set a target of sourcing 20% of its US and Canada entry-level hires through apprenticeship programs — and has hit that mark for three consecutive fiscal years. The program is open to candidates without a four-year degree. Apprentices train full-time in fields including cybersecurity, data engineering, cloud engineering, and IT support. They receive structured mentorship, ongoing skill assessments, and a direct pathway to permanent employment at Accenture upon completion. What makes this model meaningful is its scale. At a company of Accenture's size, 20% of entry-level hires represents thousands of people each year who enter the workforce through demonstrated ability rather than academic credentials. ### IBM: Technical Training Without the Tuition Debt [IBM](https://www.ibm.com/us-en) has long operated one of the most recognized apprenticeship programs in enterprise tech. The IBM Apprenticeship is a full-time, paid program that does not require a bachelor's degree. Participants train in technical disciplines including cybersecurity, system administration, digital design, and engineering — and the vast majority land full-time roles at IBM upon completing the program. IBM's approach reflects a broader shift in how the company defines "qualified." Rather than relying on degrees as a proxy for capability, IBM uses structured skills assessments and on-the-job performance indicators to evaluate readiness for permanent roles. ### Amazon: Bootcamp Graduates Are In [Amazon](https://www.amazon.jobs/) hired 2,468 bootcamp graduates in 2024 — a 129% increase from 2021 and 2022 combined. While Amazon's veteran-focused apprenticeship program has been well-documented, the company's growing openness to non-traditional credentials across its technical workforce reflects a meaningful shift in its hiring criteria. The data here matters: Amazon is one of the largest employers in the United States, and its decision to meaningfully increase bootcamp graduate hiring sends a market signal that other employers tend to follow. ### EY: Dropped Degree Requirements Nearly a Decade Ago [EY](https://www.ey.com/en_us/careers) — one of the Big Four accounting firms — eliminated degree requirements for its entry-level positions back in 2016. Rather than filtering candidates by academic credential, EY evaluates potential hires through skills assessments and structured interviews designed to measure practical capability and growth potential. Nearly a decade later, that decision looks prescient. The [World Economic Forum's](https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/04/universities-prepare-students-entry-level-jobs/) Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that 81% of employers now expect to prioritize demonstrated work experience over university degrees when evaluating candidates — a significant shift that validates what EY acted on years earlier. ### The Federal Government: A Policy Overhaul at Scale Perhaps the most consequential change is happening at the policy level. The current administration has moved aggressively to eliminate college degree requirements across a broad swath of federal jobs, directing agencies to prioritize demonstrated skills, competencies, and knowledge through improved assessments — including skills-based evaluations and subject-matter expert interviews. The results where this model has been implemented are encouraging. States that have dropped degree requirements for government positions have seen measurable hiring gains: [Pennsylvania](https://www.collegerecruiter.com/blog/2026/03/11/skills-over-degrees-navigating-the-2026-merit-hiring-plan-as-a-new-graduate) opened 92% of its state government positions to non-degree candidates, and Maryland reported a 41% increase in hires in the first year after removing degree filters. ## What Skills-Based Hiring Actually Looks Like in Practice Removing a degree requirement is only the first step. The companies making this work have replaced credential filtering with structured alternatives that more accurately predict job performance. Skills assessments are the most common tool. According to [TestGorilla's](https://www.testgorilla.com/blog/skills-based-hiring-entry-level-recruiting/) research, 90% of employers using skills-based hiring reported making better hires, and 94% found that skills-based hires outperformed those selected on traditional credentials. But the design of these assessments matters enormously. As [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) CEO Lacey Kaelani told [Daily Straits](https://dailystraits.com/2026/02/12/are-hiring-tests-fair/), "If a candidate does pre-interview work that takes more than 2–3 hours or creates something the company may use for revenue, the candidate should be compensated for their work." Genuine skills assessments should focus on hypothetical problems or past business scenarios — not extract real work product from applicants without pay. Beyond assessments, forward-thinking employers are using structured interviews designed around specific competencies, portfolio reviews, and paid project-based evaluations. Personality and cognitive assessments are also being layered in, with [TestGorilla's](https://www.testgorilla.com/skills-based-hiring/state-of-skills-based-hiring-2025/) research finding that 65% of organizations now evaluate candidates based on specific competencies rather than credentials alone. ## The Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality Still Exists It would be misleading to suggest the hiring market has been transformed. The Harvard Business School and Burning Glass Institute research is a useful reality check: 85% of companies claim to practice skills-based hiring, but the actual behavioral change in hiring decisions remains small. The companies making a genuine difference are those that have redesigned the entire pipeline — removing degree filters from applicant tracking systems, training hiring managers on competency-based evaluation, and creating structured apprenticeship tracks that lead to real employment. That is very different from simply updating a job description. For job seekers, the practical implication is to research which employers have made structural changes, not just policy announcements. Look for companies with named apprenticeship or skills-based programs, those that publish data on their non-traditional hire rates, and employers offering paid assessments as part of their process. ## How This Changes the Job Search for New Entrants The skills-based shift creates real opportunities — but it also changes what job seekers need to lead with. Bootcamp certifications, portfolio work, freelance projects, and micro-credentials now carry more weight than they did three years ago at a growing number of employers. [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) tracks job listings from across these employers, making it easier to identify which openings have dropped degree requirements and which companies have made apprenticeship hiring a genuine priority. There are currently 940,000 active apprentices in the US, with average first-year wages of $80,000 — a figure that should put the "just go to college" assumption in serious question. For candidates who have the skills but not the diploma, 2026 may be the year the market finally starts to catch up with what employers say they want. ## People Also Asked **Q:** Which major companies have dropped degree requirements for entry-level jobs? **A:** [EY](https://www.ey.com/en_us/careers) dropped degree requirements in 2016. [Accenture](https://www.accenture.com/us-en/careers/life-at-accenture/apprenticeships) sources 20% of US entry-level hires through its degree-free apprenticeship program. [IBM](https://www.ibm.com/us-en) runs a full-time paid apprenticeship requiring only a high school diploma. Federal agencies are now also prohibited from using a degree as a knockout factor for most positions under the current administration's merit hiring plan. **Q:** What is skills-based hiring and how does it work for entry-level candidates? **A:** Skills-based hiring replaces degree and experience filters with structured assessments, competency-based interviews, and portfolio reviews. Rather than screening out candidates who lack a specific credential, employers evaluate what applicants can actually do. For entry-level candidates, this typically means a combination of skills tests (covering role-specific and soft skills), a structured interview around behavioral competencies, and sometimes a paid project or work sample. According to [TestGorilla](https://www.testgorilla.com/skills-based-hiring/state-of-skills-based-hiring-2025/), 90% of employers using this model report better hires. **Q:** Are apprenticeships a viable alternative to a four-year degree for career entry? **A:** Yes, increasingly so. There are 940,000 active apprentices in the US, earning an average of $80,000 in their first year. Programs at companies like [Accenture](https://www.accenture.com/us-en/careers/life-at-accenture/apprenticeships) and [IBM](https://www.ibm.com/us-en) are full-time and paid, offering structured training and a direct path to permanent employment. States that have opened government roles to non-degree applicants — like Pennsylvania and Maryland — have seen significant increases in both applicant pools and successful hires. Ready to explore new opportunities at employers who value what you can do over where you went to school? [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) connects job seekers with companies that are actively hiring based on skills, not just credentials. [Sign up today](https://www.metaintro.com/signup) to find roles that match your abilities. ### Share this article [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026&title=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026&title=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026)[mailto:?subject=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026](mailto:?subject=How%205%20Major%20Employers%20Are%20Scrapping%20Degree%20Requirements%20to%20Fix%20Broken%20Entry-Level%20Hiring%20in%202026&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fcompanies-scrapping-degree-requirements-entry-level-hiring-2026) For job seekers ## The work you want, without the hunt. Metaintro reads every new posting each day and texts you the few that fit your skills, pay and commute. [Get Started Free](/signup)[Search matching jobs](/jobs/search) - MatchCompare live roles against your current evidence. - PositionTurn proof projects into role-specific applications. - ImproveUse market feedback to keep the skill plan current. [Return to navigation](#main-navigation)