> It is sometimes, but there are plenty of jobs that require highschool level skills but will filter out those who don't have a degree just because they can. T

> It is sometimes, but there are plenty of jobs that require highschool level skills but will filter out those who don't have a degree just because they can. There's also "the minimum viable candidate" vs. "cheap value-add". E.g., an admin asst that does the job as described vs. the admin asst that occasionally helps with spreadsheets, does some basic graphic design work, and proof-reads both user-facing and technical documentation. Does an admin asst need a college degree? No. But I'll take the admin asst with some art, accounting, and writing skills ANY day. Those skills completely re-define the role and add tons of value at very low cost. I've seen the same in tech roles. Given two candidates who are both obviously capable of doing the primary duties of the job, the one with a deeper background (either from college or self-taught) is obviously preferable because versatility outside of the designated role is always a nice value-add.