Google Is Hiring Employees Without College Degrees

Google co-founder Sergey Brin recently announced that the tech giant is increasingly hiring people without bachelor’s degrees, signaling a significant shift in how the company evaluates talent. Speaking to Stanford University engineering students, Brin emphasized that while Google still employs numerous “academic stars,” many employees are self-taught or come from nontraditional educational backgrounds.

Degree Requirements Drop Significantly

Data from the Burning Glass Institute supports this cultural transformation. The share of Google job listings requiring a college degree fell from 93% in 2017 to just 77% in 2022. This trend isn’t unique to Google—other tech giants including Microsoft, Apple, and Cisco have also reduced their degree requirements, focusing instead on evaluating demonstrable skills rather than educational credentials.

Brin’s own career reflects this philosophy. Though he was pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science at Stanford when he met Larry Page and began developing Google, he chose his field based on genuine passion. He cautioned students against making academic decisions solely out of fear that artificial intelligence might replace certain professions, noting that AI is advancing across all fields.

Industry Leaders Champion Skills Over Credentials

The emphasis on skills-based hiring has gained support from prominent business leaders beyond Google. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon stated in 2024 that elite schooling and high grades don’t guarantee strong performance, emphasizing that many talented individuals’ real abilities remain invisible on resumes. Similarly, Palantir CEO Alex Karp stressed that educational background matters far less than actual capabilities once employees join the company.

For Brin, this shift raises broader questions about higher education’s future purpose and value in an increasingly skills-focused economy.