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For: Nicholas Gao, 17, Chinese International School
It is widely recognised that employers tend to view applicants from prestigious universities more favourably. Given that they often have to sift through dozens, if not hundreds, of qualified candidates, employers rely on various tools to identify the best fit for the position.
University prestige is a straightforward way for employers to identify that an applicant has met rigorous admissions standards and has showcased academic and personal excellence.
It is well established worldwide that top-ranked universities admit students not only for their high test scores but also for their strong extracurricular records and diligent work habits. A degree from a prestigious university demonstrates that the applicant has navigated intense challenges and has benefited from the best educational resources. And while there is no single indicator to judge a person’s intelligence, it’s generally fair to say that if they qualify for a prestigious university, they are near brilliant.
This should stand in their favour when it comes to job hiring.
Of course, there is the debate of legacy students and donors. While students from those backgrounds are often deemed unqualified, there are two counterpoints. For starters, this population is smaller than the larger student demographic. And more importantly, the selection process to top universities is rigorous, evaluating a list of holistic factors. Legacy status merely enhances an already strong application.
To add to this, prestigious universities not only cultivate intellectual students; they also mould them into professionals ready for the workforce. This is a two-way system; many prospective students apply to prestigious universities because they are highly motivated to earn a degree and advance in their careers.
Elite universities foster professional networks both inside – and beyond – the college gates. Students are typically active members of professional societies while in school, before taking on internships or work experience within the alumni network as graduates. All of this helps them gain invaluable job experience.
Others may argue that employers are overly reliant on university prestige, which has become a less reliable indicator of an applicant’s worth. Indeed, employers should consider an applicant’s university among other factors in the hiring process.
Against: Hayley Sum, 16, St Paul’s Convent School
Employers often struggle to choose the candidate who will be most beneficial to their company. While there is frequently a focus on the prestige of universities, a candidate’s skills and work ethic should be the primary factors in hiring decisions.
Attending a prestigious university is less of an indicator of success than you might think. Frank Bruni, who wrote the book Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be, found that most CEOs of the top 10 Fortune 500 companies in the United States attended state schools rather than Ivy League colleges. This accentuates that success in the real world is not directly linked to academic achievement. After all, it is the University of Wisconsin–Madison that nurtured the most CEOs in the Fortune 500. This university ranked 110th in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
Students from more fortunate backgrounds aiming for prestigious universities are often blessed with a wealth of connections, which usually puts them at the top of prospective student lists.
With abundant resources, including influential alumni networks, internship opportunities and personal tutors, these students have a greater chance of securing spots at top-tier universities. Relative to others who have no access to such privileges, such applicants would be sitting pretty and breezing through the arduous application process. The trend of focusing on skills rather than on education from A-list universities is already evident.
Fortune 1000 employee experience consultant Joey Coleman told USA Today, “the employers of choice in almost every industry are increasingly deprioritising degrees to focus on a prospective employee’s skill sets, attitude and work ethic”.
This is a powerful signal that employers should no longer be laser-focused on supposedly world-class education. They should prioritise industry-relevant skills.
It is time for employers to cast aside university renown as a factor in hiring. The biggest names in the business world have shown that a highly ranked school is not necessarily the building block of success. Hyperfocusing on prestigious higher education results in a bias against applicants from less fortunate financial backgrounds. Most crucially, it fails to emphasise what truly matters in the workplace: practical skills.
