Nearly half of US workers don’t know work experience could count toward a degree, according to survey

A new University of Phoenix study from The Harris Poll found that while 90% of U.S. workers are actively learning or developing new skills on the job, many don't realize that these experiences can lead to college credits.

While 45% of working Americans do not believe work experience can count toward an advanced degree, among workers without higher educationalmost three in five (57%) do not know this experience could be counted towards a degree.

An assessment of prior learning—sometimes called Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) or Assessment of Prior Learning (PLA)—allows you to qualify college-the level of knowledge gained as a result of work, training, military service and other opportunities to be assessed for potential credit toward a degree or certificate.

“Working adults learn skills on the job every day, but too many people assume that starting or returning to school means starting from scratch,” says John Woods, Ph.D., provost and chief academic officer at the University of Phoenix.

“Clear guidance and transparent assessment of eligible experience are needed to help working students pursue degrees more efficiently, potentially reducing completion time as well as costs.”

Key survey findings include

• Employees learn – often a lot: 90% spend time each month learning or developing new skills at work; 18% spend an average of more than 20 hours per month.
• Gaps in awareness of what may count towards a degree: Many American adults doubt the credit potential of life experiences (59%), professional experiences (46%) and job training courses (43%). Additionally, a third of U.S. adults (33%) do not believe that previous college coursework can count toward a degree. Generation Z employees are more likely than other generations to be unaware that previous college coursework can make a difference (50%).
• Workers without degrees face the most acute gaps: More than half do not believe that professional experience (57%) will count toward college credit, and more than two in five (42%) do not believe that previous college coursework will count toward current college credit. Meanwhile, 47% undergo training at their own expense; 73% declined professional development opportunities for reasons including cost (34%) or schedule (27%).
• Self-financing is common: 55% of workers paid out of pocket for training that their employer did not pay for; Almost one in four (23%) have done this more than once.
• Barriers remain: 72% of workers have turned down professional development opportunities due to cost (35%) and scheduling conflicts (32%), and some cited a lack of employer support (18%).

“Institutions can create a culture of credit mobility that establishes policies, processes, and supports for working adult learners to consider the value and potential of their college-earned knowledge. credit and life experiences,” states Devin Andrews, vice president of admissions and assessment at the University of Phoenix.

“We've done this at the University of Phoenix, and it helps us inform students about what's possible early in their journey so they participate in the assessment and have the opportunity to apply more credits toward their educational progress.”

The survey was conducted online across the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the University of Phoenix, October 14-16, 2025, among 2,084 adults ages 18 and older, including 1,281 in the workforce. on an ongoing basis, underemploymentor self-employed.

Respondents for this survey were selected from those who agreed to participate in The Harris Poll. Harris' online poll sampling accuracy is measured using a Bayesian confidence interval. In this study, the sample data had an accuracy of +/- 2.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.