Higher education continues to play a central role in hiring decisions. However, employers report growing challenges in finding candidates with the right skills and preparing recent graduates for immediate effectiveness. The 2026 Gallup survey of 2,000 U.S. employers from Lumina Foundation and Gallup examines how employers view the state of higher education and the talent pipeline it produces.
Employers across industries continue to value degrees and credentials, and most expect them to remain important in hiring. At the same time, many report gaps between what graduates bring to the workplace and what employers need to stay competitive. These findings complement the Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education study, which captures student perspectives and consistently shows that Americans value postsecondary education even as concerns about cost and accessibility persist.