For several decades now, the conventional wisdom in America has been that college degrees are essential to success. Jobs for people who don’t have at least some higher -ed credential were supposedly disappearing as work became more sophisticated. More and more employers demanded to see college degrees on applicant resumes.

Maybe that’s changing. In today’s Martin Center article, Christian Barnard of the Reason Foundation argues that our current crisis might get us off the college-degree treadmill. He writes:

Contrary to what advocates for requiring 16 years of education may say, there’s strong evidence that young people don’t always need a four-year degree. For many good careers, a shorter college program or even no college can set them on a good path.

Barnard points to data showing that many fields where the degree requirement hasn’t taken hold are growing and pay well.

And contrary to the notion that work now requires more education, he cites George Mason University economics professor Bryan Caplan’s iconoclastic book The Case Against Education for the proposition that advancing technology actually makes many jobs less intellectually demanding.

Barnard concludes:

Workers with no formal degree occupy nearly half of America’s good jobs and can still make a great living. Despite the credential treadmill, the ‘college or bust’ narrative is a myth.