A recent CareerBuilder survey reveals that 38% of employers have raised the bar for educational requirements over the last five years. That’s up from 32% last year.

And 41% of employers are hiring college graduates for positions that mainly went to new hires with high school diplomas, up from 37% last year. 

The online survey polled more than 2,300 hiring and human resources managers across all private industry sectors in the U.S. and was done from Nov. 16 to Dec. 06. The same survey also found 33% of employers are looking for candidates with Master’s degrees to work in positions once reserved for four-year college graduates. That compares to 27% from last year. 

"We've continued to see an increase in the number of employers raising the educational requirements needed for their workforce," says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. "Roles across the board, even entry level positions, are evolving and becoming more complex. Employers are looking for workers with a solid knowledge base and skillset that can make an impact on the business right away.”