“The U.S. still offers a unique combination of high-quality education, access to leading industries, and strong professional networks. What’s changing is the expectation that the pathway from education to opportunity should be more transparent.” — Ryan Lufnik, VP Global Academic Strategy at Instructure
For far too long, the United States has enjoyed it’s position as one of the most sought-after destinations for higher education. But recently, immigration scrutiny, narrowing pathways to secure a work permit, and derailed routes to permanent residency in America, especially for high volume countries like China and India have led to a state of insecurity for many international students considering America as a dream study-abroad destination.
As workforce expectations shift and artificial intelligence reshapes industries, students are increasingly asking a fundamental question: what does an American education translate to in the real world?
To answer this question, The American Bazaar spoke with Ryan Lufnik, vice president of global academic strategy at Instructure, a Utah-headquartered education technology company that develops innovative learning management systems.
With over two decades in edtech, he has seen institutions expand access to learning at an unprecedented scale. Now, the focus is shifting toward making skills more visible, credentials more meaningful, and pathways from classrooms to careers more transparent—especially for international students navigating unfamiliar job markets.
In this conversation, Lufnik also discusses how U.S. institutions are evolving to better connect education with opportunity, why the “American degree premium” is being redefined rather than diminished, and what international students can do to turn their academic experience into tangible career success.
The American Bazaar: There’s a growing perception that higher education is no longer a guaranteed pathway to employment. Where do you think is the disconnect between learning and workforce readiness most acute?
Ryan Lufnik: I’d frame it less as a disconnect and more as a moment of transition. We have more access to learning than ever before, and people are actively investing in their growth. What’s evolving is how we connect that learning to real-world opportunity.
This creates an opportunity to make skills more visible, credentials more meaningful, and pathways from learning to work more transparent. When that connection is clear, the workforce becomes much easier to navigate for everyone.
Trends indicated that a large percentage of workers feel unprepared for the future. What are institutions still getting wrong when it comes to preparing students for real-world jobs?
I wouldn’t say institutions are getting it wrong; they are responding to a rapidly changing landscape across education and the workforce. Careers today are far more flexible than they used to be, with people frequently moving between roles and industries. In fact, 64% of workers in California expect to change jobs within the next two years.
What that shift highlights is the need to better connect learning to outcomes. Institutions are already delivering quality learning experiences; now it’s about making those outcomes more connected to the real world. That means helping students clearly understand the skills they’re building, and how those skills map to opportunity.
We’re seeing meaningful momentum in that direction. The next phase is continuing to evolve from a focus on what students learn to also making it unmistakably clear what they can do with that learning.
International students—especially from high-volume countries like India and China—are often concerned about employability. Is the current higher education system delivering on employability for international students?
In many ways, yes, and there is a real opportunity to make that connection even stronger. International students often arrive with a clear sense of purpose and a strong commitment to learning, and U.S. institutions offer a diverse environment. What’s evolving now is how we link that experience and career outcomes, making them more visible and more consistent.
What we’re seeing in the data is that this isn’t unique to international students—many workers are looking for clearer signals about which skills matter and how to communicate them to employers.
So the opportunity is to build on an already strong foundation by making skills more explicit, strengthening connections to employers, and ensuring students can clearly translate what they’ve learned into real-world opportunities.
There’s increasing anxiety among international students about return on investment. Are we reaching a tipping point where the “American degree premium” starts to lose its value? Also, with countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK offering clearer post-study work pathways, is the U.S. at risk of losing its edge?
The value of a U.S. degree isn’t going away; it’s becoming more clearly defined. Today, students are thinking more intentionally about outcomes, and that’s helping drive a positive shift across higher education. Institutions are evolving by aligning learning more closely with workforce needs and expanding opportunities for practical, career-relevant experience.
The U.S. still offers a unique combination of high-quality education, access to leading industries, and strong professional networks. What’s changing is the expectation that the pathway from education to opportunity should be more transparent. We’re also seeing strong confidence in credentials overall, 77% of Californian workers say they trust certifications to lead to real career advancement.
So this isn’t about losing value, it’s about making that value more visible, more connected to outcomes, and easier for learners to navigate.
What would you tell an international student to focus on?
I’d encourage international students to think about their experience as more than just a degree; it’s a combination of learning and real-world application. Focus on building skills that are broadly valuable and transferable, especially in areas such as digital fluency, technical capabilities, and leadership, which workers consistently cite as important for growth.
Just as important is finding ways to apply those skills as you go. That could be through internships, projects, research, or any hands-on experience where you’re solving real problems. That’s what helps turn learning into something concrete and easier to demonstrate.
I’d also encourage learners to stay curious and intentional about how their skills translate across roles and markets. The workforce will continue to change, and the ability to adapt and keep learning is just as important as any one credential.