As AI Ramps Up, College Degrees Become More Important, Survey Says

Danielle Gamiz

October 21, 2026

Summary

A new Gallup and Lumina Foundation survey finds that 48% of employers believe artificial intelligence will make college degrees more important over the next five years, compared with 26% who expect them to become less valuable. As AI transforms the workplace, employers increasingly value skills such as critical thinking, communication, judgment, and adaptability.

A new poll released by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation shows 48% of employers surveyed said artificial intelligence will make college degrees more important over the coming five years. Just 26% believed they would become less important, per an article about the survey published by Inside Higher Ed.

“Employers are hiring for the things that AI can’t do,” Courtney Brown, Lumina’s vice president of impact and planning, told Inside Higher Ed. “They’re putting a premium on judgment, critical thinking, communication and adaptability. They value those skills you gain by getting degrees.”

Under the leadership of Jennifer Henderson, the DeCoursey Senior Fellow for Campus Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Trinity University is working through a thoughtful, ethical approach to integrating AI, balancing technological innovation with human decision-making, critical thinking, and faculty autonomy to prepare students for the future. To read the Inside Higher Ed article, visit this site.