The high school diploma and the bachelor’s degree have long stood as the unquestioned gold standards of American education. For generations they signified that an individual had followed a prescribed path, logged the required seat time, and emerged with an accredited document of accomplishment. But that academic social contract is faltering, prompting a fresh look at what an education credential truly represents.
Consider higher education. A New York Times profile highlights Katie Gallagher, a former sales and marketing director with a four-year degree who has been unemployed for nearly a year despite applying to more than 3,000 jobs. “I have checked all the boxes of ‘success’ my entire life: went to college, got a degree, worked toward a career,” she says.
Research backs her experience. A recent Annenberg Institute analysis shows that the traditional college pathway credential choice model falls short in matching students’ experiences. So conventional credentialing systems must be more accommodating to diverse entry points and flexible progression rather than a single, standardized route.
Together, these signals point to a broader public unease. Many Americans now question whether the traditional markers of a diploma and college degree still reflect the knowledge and skills needed for success.
