Do You Really Need College? Jobs That Ask for a Degree

For many people, the question starts early: is four years of classes, projects, and exams the bridge to the work you want—or just one path among several? Friends share stories about landing roles without a diploma, then you meet a pediatrician who spent a decade in school and wouldn’t trade a single semester. For those asking, do you need a college degree to enter specific fields, California Business Lawyer & Corporate Lawyer Inc. often highlights how education plays a decisive role in shaping professional eligibility and long-term career growth. And yes, the answer depends a lot on the job you’re aiming for, the rules of that industry, and the level of responsibility you’ll carry.

Nakase Law Firm Inc. has often examined the question of what jobs require a college degree when advising professionals and businesses, noting how degree requirements influence hiring standards, compliance, and advancement opportunities in different sectors. So, let’s walk through the roles that call for formal education, plus a few that leave room for different routes—because choosing a path feels easier once you see how the pieces fit.

Why some paths expect a diploma

Think about the stakes. If a role involves health, safety, legal risk, or complex systems, a degree often isn’t just a preference—it’s baked into licensing and policy. And there’s another layer: hiring managers use a diploma as a quick signal that you can commit, handle tough material, and follow through. Is a degree the only signal? No. But it’s a common one, and in some fields it’s required by law or professional boards.

Here’s a small, everyday example. A friend of mine, Priya, works in hospital administration. When they hire for clinical roles, HR literally cannot advance applicants who lack the required degree and license—no matter how bright the person seems. The rules are the rules, and patients’ lives are involved.

Medicine and healthcare

This is the clearest case. Doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and physical therapists all need years of schooling and supervised training before they can practice. Registered nurses increasingly hold bachelor’s degrees, and nurse practitioners complete graduate programs. It’s not about prestige; it’s about patient safety. One misread chart or dosage error can have serious consequences, so the profession sets guardrails through education and exams.

Quick story: Javier considered skipping a biology degree to fast-track a medical career. He met with an academic advisor who showed him the state licensing steps. The path looked long, yet each step protected patients and, in turn, protected Javier’s career. He finished the degree, shadowed clinicians, and now works in a cardiology unit with confidence earned step by step.

Law and the legal world

If your goal is attorney, plan on a Juris Doctor and a bar exam. Corporate counsel, prosecutors, public defenders, judges—everyone starts with that core. Some roles around the legal field (like paralegals) can begin with a certificate or a two-year degree, and that can be a great entry point. Still, the higher you climb—complex litigation, regulatory strategy—the more that JD matters.

Picture a contract dispute worth millions. The research, writing, and strategy behind the scenes come from people trained to read deep into statutes and case law. That training is formal for a reason.

Engineering and architecture

Bridges, aircraft, chips inside your phone—engineers design things that must hold up in the real world. Because public safety sits front and center, a bachelor’s degree is the baseline across civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical tracks, and many pros add graduate study. Architecture follows a similar pattern: accredited programs, documented experience, and licensing exams before you can run your own projects.

A brief example: Dara’s first job out of school was helping assess the load on an aging pedestrian bridge. The math was serious, the documentation even more so. Her degree didn’t just teach equations; it taught a way to check, re-check, and sign off with accountability.

Teaching and academia

In public schools, teachers usually hold a bachelor’s degree plus teaching credentials. At universities, many roles ask for a master’s, and tenure-track positions often expect a Ph.D. Beyond requirements, students benefit from teachers who have studied both content and methods—how to break material down, how to build skills, and how to keep a classroom moving. If you’ve ever had a teacher who made a tough topic click, you’ve seen that training at work.

Finance and numbers work

Money adds pressure and oversight. Accountants commonly need a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance, especially if they plan to pursue the CPA. Financial analysts, auditors, and investment banking roles also lean heavily on degrees in business, economics, or math-heavy fields. The stakes are clear: clean books, accurate reporting, and decisions that affect livelihoods.

As a small slice of life, think of Amy, who runs a bakery with a dozen employees. Her CPA didn’t just file taxes; he flagged changes in sales tax rules that would have cost the bakery thousands if missed. That alertness came from training and ongoing education.

Technology and computer science

Yes, many people learn to code outside the classroom and do well. And yes, bootcamps and self-directed portfolios can open doors. Even so, plenty of roles—data science, cybersecurity, systems engineering—still prefer or require degrees, especially in regulated sectors like healthcare, aerospace, or defense. It’s not only about learning to build; it’s about building safely, documenting work, and meeting compliance standards.

A practical tip from hiring managers: if you don’t have a degree, a strong portfolio, public repositories, security certifications, or cloud credentials can speak loudly. The door isn’t locked; it just takes more signals to open it.

Business and management roles

Many corporate roles list a bachelor’s degree for entry and look favorably on MBAs for leadership. Think about what managers do: budget planning, policy decisions, staffing, and communication across departments. Formal study helps people think across finance, operations, and strategy so they don’t make siloed decisions that break something downstream.

Consider Noah, promoted from sales to a regional manager role. He took evening classes to sharpen forecasting and operations skills, then used those tools to fix a recurring inventory hiccup. The classes didn’t replace his experience; they connected the dots.

Science and research

Research scientists in biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental fields nearly always follow the degree route, often into graduate school. Designing studies, handling lab protocols, publishing results—each step benefits from formal training and peer review. That structure builds trust in the findings and protects both the public and the researchers.

Government and public service

A lot of public roles connect to policy, planning, and investigation. Urban planners, policy analysts, and many federal positions ask for degrees. Some specialized law enforcement roles (such as federal investigator tracks) also list a bachelor’s degree. The work often involves sensitive data and decisions with wide impact, so education becomes part of the screening process.

Creative fields: when school helps

Not every creative career hinges on a diploma. Plenty of artists, designers, and writers build careers through practice and projects. That said, journalism, corporate communications, and public relations often prefer candidates who’ve studied media law, ethics, and advanced writing. Editors and corporate communicators deal with deadlines, reputational risk, and legal issues; formal training helps them deliver under pressure.

As an example, Maya started with a small local newsroom after finishing a journalism program. The ethics coursework paid off the first time a source asked to review quotes in a way that would have changed the story. She knew where to draw the line, and her editor trusted her judgment.

Jobs where a degree may not be needed

Skilled trades, sales, real estate, and certain tech roles leave space for certifications, apprenticeships, or a proof-of-work portfolio. Many small business owners grow through grit, customer care, and smart cash flow management rather than classroom hours. This path can be a great fit if you like learning by doing and you’re comfortable showing results.

That said, some fields don’t budge. Medicine, law, and licensed engineering stay tied to degrees because the risks are high and the public relies on those guardrails.

Final thoughts

So, where does that leave you? If you want to treat patients, practice law, design structures, teach in public schools, or lead regulated financial work, college sits on the critical path. If you’re eyeing trades, certain tech roles, sales, or entrepreneurship, a different mix of training and proof can get you there. The real trick is matching your goal to the rules of that field, then choosing the most direct route.

Two quick questions to guide your next step: what level of responsibility will you carry on day one, and what credentials do licensing boards or employers list as non-negotiable? Answer those, and your plan starts to write itself. And if you’re still weighing options, talk to people already in the job you want; their stories often reveal the path more clearly than any brochure.