The Texas flag flies over the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News/TNS)
Tom Fox/TNS
Texas agencies could expand hiring and promotion opportunities for workers without four-year degrees by replacing some education requirements with experience, training or professional credentials, according to a new state review.
The Texas State Auditor’s Office reviewed 336 job classification series and found that only 31, or about 9%, must require a degree because of laws, regulations or professional licensing rules.
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But 31 state agencies reported imposing their own degree requirements, with no substitutions allowed, in 72 additional job classification series. Those requirements were based on agency policies, operational practices, or preferences rather than state law, according to a report released this month.
The review was required by House Bill 3923, a law that took effect on Sept. 1, 2025. It directed the State Auditor’s classification officer to identify requirements that could be reduced to expand the applicant pool and examine advancement opportunities for current state employees without four-year degrees.
Getting promoted without a college degree
Among the 72 job series for which at least one agency reported imposing a degree requirement with no substitution are accountants, auditors, investigators, programmers, data analysts, project managers, human resources specialists and grant specialists. Other examples include librarians, economists, purchasers and environmental protection specialists. Requirements may apply only to certain levels within a job series, and no agency reported requiring degrees for all 72.
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The findings could eventually affect applicants for state jobs and advancement opportunities for approximately 150,000 classified state employees. The report does not require agencies to eliminate degree requirements or guarantee that job postings will change immediately.
Each agency retains discretion over the minimum qualifications for most positions. The report said implementation will occur gradually as agencies review their job descriptions and postings.
The State Auditor’s Office also added language to some state job descriptions reinforcing agencies’ discretion to substitute experience, education, military service, apprenticeships and relevant credentials when appropriate and legally permitted.
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The study drew responses from 77 of the 89 agencies surveyed. Just over half of respondents, 50.6%, said they had adjusted or planned to adjust minimum qualifications to emphasize skills and competencies.
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About 38% said they recognized or planned to recognize professional certifications as equivalent to a degree. Nearly 33% had removed or planned to remove degree requirements from certain job classifications, while 22.1% reported taking no action yet. Agencies could report more than one strategy.
The report does not identify which agencies require degrees for the 72 classifications. It also does not say how many employees, vacancies or current job postings could be affected.
Some state jobs will continue to require college education. The 31 classifications governed by laws, licensing requirements or regulations include physicians, pharmacists, attorneys, engineers, architects, psychologists, and social workers.
What applicants should look for
The State Auditor’s Office’s skills-based hiring guide advises agencies to clearly explain how applicants can meet minimum qualifications through experience, training or credentials instead of a degree.
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Job seekers without bachelor’s degrees should look for language allowing relevant experience, training or credentials to substitute for a degree.
The guide defines an equivalency standard as one that allows candidates to qualify through alternative, job-related pathways. Relevant experience may include paid or unpaid work, military service, training, internships, volunteer work or job-related education. Certifications, apprenticeships and work samples may also demonstrate an applicant’s skills.
Texans can search for government openings through the Texas Workforce Commission’s state job-search resources. Because qualification standards differ among agencies, applicants should review each posting closely and contact the hiring agency with questions about acceptable substitutions.
This reporting is part of the Future of North Texas, a community-funded journalism initiative supported by the Commit Partnership, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Lisa and Charles Siegel, the McCune-Losinger Family Fund, The Meadows Foundation, the Perot Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas. The News retains full editorial control of this coverage.