Misconception #98: Credentialism is a tool for economic mobility

Over the years, I have been writing about misconceptions regarding the schooling process. The purpose of these posts is to explain why I disagree with various comments that I have heard people make about schooling. These are meant as personal thoughts rather than conclusive proof, and I will admit that I'm not always the best at explaining my thoughts. Regardless, I have decided that I should be willing to share these posts when I encounter someone online who makes an argument that I have already discussed.

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Studies have shown that people with more credentials are generally better off in a credentialist society. Why do we need studies for that? That's a big part of what credentialism means. Do you want to hear something annoying? This is frequently interpreted as proof that credentialism is a valuable tool for economic mobility.

Credentials take time, money, and effort to obtain. All three of these requirements are more difficult to justify for those who are struggling. As a result, people who are well off will generally have an easier time obtaining credentials.

We have essentially established a credentialist arms race. People in advantageous situations are in the best position to invest the most in the pursuit of credentials. In a sense, credentialism allows them to buy success. Meanwhile, highly capable individuals with limited means are effectively being prohibited from pursuing opportunities.

If you can provide a single struggling individual with the credentials required to succeed, that individual will benefit. Everyone else with similar credentials and below will suffer. Large scale attempts to boost credentials would have a significant impact on credential inflation, putting opportunity further out of reach for the general population. You can see this by looking at how the value of credentials have changed as the gap in high school diplomas has narrowed.

Even if you promise to fully subsidize tuition, the time and effort for credentials is more easily justified for those who are well off. Not only that, but disadvantaged families are less likely to forgo an income. Credential inflation will decrease the value of a degree, further diminishing the appeal. More desirable jobs will increase their credential requirements for the same job, putting such jobs further out of reach. Meanwhile, jobs attainable with a simple degree will see an increase in available workers. This will allow employers to reduce wages for these jobs. All of this will happen as the cost of living increases to help fund these credentials. If you want proof of this, just look at how these same policies have worked out for our disastrous K-12 system. Spin it all you want, but treating a college degree the same way we treat a high school diploma will not provide us with the exact opposite results.

When it comes to equity, credentialism has clearly backfired. We are prohibiting those who can't justify credentials from proving their abilities. Since minorities are more likely to be in a disadvantaged position, they are disproportionately harmed by our credentialist tendencies. If you look past the narrative, the reality should be obvious. Credentialism is a highly inequitable concept.