Google’s Sergey Brin: We Hire Tons Without Degrees—They Just Figure It Out
Sergey Brin on Education, AI, and Hiring Without Degrees
Google cofounder Sergey Brin recently opened up about how the tech giant is hiring a growing number of employees without college degrees, emphasizing skills and problem-solving over traditional credentials. His comments highlight a broader shift in Silicon Valley and beyond, where real-world ability is overtaking formal education as a measure of talent.
Speaking to Stanford engineering students last month, Brin reflected on his own academic journey.
“I chose computer science because I had a passion for it. It was kind of a no-brainer for me,” Brin said. “I guess you could say I was also lucky because I was in such a transformative field.”
Even as artificial intelligence changes how coding and other tasks are performed, Brin warned students not to chase or abandon fields solely based on automation fears.
“I wouldn’t switch to comparative literature just because AI is good at coding,” he said. “The AI is probably even better at comparative literature, just to be perfectly honest.”
Google’s Skills-First Hiring Philosophy
Brin emphasized that Google’s workforce now includes many individuals without bachelor’s degrees.
“In as much as we’ve hired a lot of academic stars, we’ve hired tons of people who don’t have bachelor’s degrees,” he said. “They just figure things out on their own in some weird corner.”
This reflects a major trend across tech, with companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Cisco lowering degree requirements in recent years. According to the Burning Glass Institute, the proportion of Google job postings requiring a degree dropped from 93% in 2017 to 77% in 2022.
Why Degrees Aren’t the Only Path to Success
Brin’s perspective aligns with other business leaders who argue that skills and problem-solving ability matter more than credentials.
Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, noted that strong grades or an Ivy League degree do not automatically translate to workplace excellence. “If you look at skills of people, it is amazing how skilled people are in something, but it didn’t show up in their resume,” Dimon said in 2024.
Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir, has echoed this sentiment despite holding multiple degrees, including a JD from Stanford. “If you did not go to school, or went to a school that’s not great, or went to Harvard or Yale, once you come to Palantir, you’re a Palantirian. No one cares about the other stuff,” Karp said.
A Growing Trend Beyond Silicon Valley
The shift toward skills-based hiring is not limited to tech. Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, says companies are realizing that requiring degrees may exclude talented individuals.
“Almost everyone is realizing that they’re missing out on great talent by having a degree requirement,” Bush told Fortune. “That snowball is just growing.”
For Brin, this change is more than a hiring trend—it could reshape universities themselves.
“I just would rethink what it means to have a university,” he said, suggesting that credential-based gatekeeping may soon be a thing of the past.
What This Means for Students and Job Seekers
Brin’s comments send a clear message to the next generation:
- Passion matters more than credentials. Choose fields that interest you, not those you think will survive AI.
- Skills over degrees. Companies increasingly value what you can do over where you went to school.
- Independent problem-solving counts. Employers like Google are looking for people who can figure things out on their own.
In a world where AI is automating tasks and traditional career paths are evolving, the focus is shifting from formal education to adaptability, creativity, and real-world impact.