college

The only reason to go to college is to get a diploma. The only reason to get a diploma is that employers require one. Let’s remove that requirement and say that when you applied for a job, no one asked you what kind of formal education you have but instead they spent two full days interviewing you. Now let’s take two people. The first goes to college and gets a BA. To do this requires about 15 hours a week of class time plus another 30 hours per week in study time. This continues for four years. Now the second person spends 45 hours per week in self-study using the Internet. Let’s say the position is for an engineer.
What can we deduce about the character of the second person? He has to be at least as smart as the first. He has to be a self-motivator. He has to be very disciplined.
Now let’s suppose you interviewed these two people and found them to be comparable. Would you have a bias toward one because he had a diploma? Perhaps you would be biased toward the self-educated person. Point is that the diploma is only there to help perspective employers choose applicants.
Why bother with all this? It’s simple. It’s a matter of money. The college person graduates with a large debt and the self-educated person does not.
I personally can tell you that without a doubt, I would choose the self-educated person because anybody that can do this on their own, has all the qualities I want in an employee and they have demonstrated that they have these qualities.
I admit that I have a personal prejudice in favor of kids who work their way through school vs those who have parents who pay their way. I realize I am generalizing here but that is my bias.