A 2025 survey of more than 150 companies suggests employers are tightening hiring funnel strategies despite skepticism about the value of degrees. According to recruiting intelligence firm Veris Insights, 26% of companies are recruiting from a brief selection of schools, up from 17% in 2022, and even non-shortlist firms are increasingly using “target schools” and nearby institutions. Recruiters cited a shift back toward using degree and GPA as decision inputs. Chelsea Schein of Veris Insights told the Wall Street Journal that firms can be more targeted and that “talent is everywhere” hiring has lost ground among entry-level recruitment teams. The article links the narrowing approach to practical recruiting constraints and AI-generated résumé homogenization. As applications become harder to differentiate, some firms use university prestige and proximity to corporate headquarters to prioritize candidates for in-person roles. For higher education leaders, the implication is direct: admissions and career services strategies need to anticipate that employers may increasingly rely on credential signals—degree type and GPA—rather than holistic messaging alone.