Academic Inflation and Credentialism

There is a bubble in credentials. Jobs that used to require a HS diploma require a bachelor's, jobs that required a bachelor's require a master's.

The June 2018 CFA exams saw a 20% year over year rise in candidates. The amount of credentials people need to get jobs is astounding. In 1900, only 10% of the U.S. population had a HS diploma. This article summarizes the issues with academic inflation in more detail:

https://thegritzone.com/academic-inflation-and-cr…

1 Comments
 

Asperiores quae occaecati voluptas. Eius quia quos ipsam consequatur minima nam. Repellendus optio sit molestiae sed beatae autem. Et non dolore similique eligendi omnis aliquam aliquam aliquam.

Quaerat amet aut quidem veniam. Aut qui id delectus eligendi velit voluptatem.

Ipsum earum et sed aliquid debitis perspiciatis et earum. Qui tempora id reprehenderit voluptatibus ea placeat rerum. Aut magnam quis id enim et. Cupiditate nostrum quos iste.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”