credentialism

[ kri-den-shuh-liz-uhm ]

noun

1. excessive reliance on credentials, especially academic degrees, in determining hiring or promotion policies.

Word History and Origins

Origin of credentialism¹

First recorded in 1965–70; credential + -ism

Example Sentences

These petty slights are unfair, and Simon should avoid credentialism when it comes to policymaking.

From Washington Post

“Credentialism” — the pursuit of empty academic validations — surged when the court unanimously struck down a corporation’s employment test as “fair in form, but discriminatory in operation,” because it had what has come to be called “disparate impact” on minorities.

From Washington Post

In “The Tyranny of Merit,” Harvard political philosophy professor Michael Sandel argued that the myth of American meritocracy and what he terms “credentialism” have been proved false, and that they’re unfair to boot.

From Los Angeles Times

Certainly, reducing education requirements is no panacea for the intertwined problems of college debt, excessive credentialism and racial inequity.

From Washington Post

Higher education, according to Sandel, can become a “sorting machine” that exaggerates credentialism and perpetuates privilege.

From Washington Post