US (Washington Insider Magazine) – Fact Check: Can you succeed without college?
After the events of the Great Resignation between 2021 and 2022, many people are changing their majors, transferring to trade schools, or dropping out of college altogether to chase side-hustles, travel, or their next big passion.
That prompts us to ask the question: How far can you really go without a college degree? Is it really possible to make it big without going through four years of formal education?
Let’s dive in and review what we’ve seen happen over time, and the changes that the Great Resignation (or Great Awakening, as some are calling it,) has brought on a global scale.
Examples of Industry Leaders Who Dropped Out of College
As we’ve seen in recent history, there have been many successful people that did not have college degrees – and they have since become some of the wealthiest people in the world.
Bill Gates started Microsoft as a teenager, and is now known as “Harvard’s most successful dropout.” Mark Zuckerberg owns a highly-valued tech company that has expanded and acquired nearly every competitor in its space. Steve Jobs founded Apple in his garage, launching it into a global brand without relying on education from a college degree.
Beyond this list of industry leaders, There are countless others who went on to start successful businesses without getting a bachelor’s degree or formal college education. If we consider modern career opportunities in 2022, is a degree still necessary?
Can you succeed without higher education in 2022?
Looking at the evidence and the new opportunities that are possible across global industries in 2022, we believe that it is possible to succeed without college.
Finding success to the extent of men like Zuckerburg, Gates, and Jobs is an exception, not the rule. However, with modern-day online educational resources, it is possible to reach new levels of success if you have the drive and passion for the topic you’re mastering.
While a four-year degree isn’t essential to success in 2022, earning a college degree gives you a clear advantage when it comes to having a successful career. Success is subjective – but many Americans are working to achieve a more affluent and stable lifestyle despite the recent economic difficulties. If this is your goal, it’s important to review the information to decide which path is the best one for you. Statistics show that having a degree can make having a successful career more achievable.
On average people who get a bachelor’s degree earn an average of 66 percent more than high school graduates, roughly they will add $1 million to their lifetime earnings, and high school graduates experience an unemployment rate of 8 percent higher than college graduates. In short? Having a high degree of education will make it easier to find a job.
Now could you be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs? Absolutely. Hard work and determination have their place in finding success. If you have the spirit, good investors, and have an eye for entrepreneurial trends, you could easily follow in their footsteps. If you’re looking for a more traditional route, college is still a great way to learn and add value, while boosting your potential to find stable employment later on.
Boosting your salary and learning key industry skills and information aren’t the only benefits of college, though. The connections that you make in college are absolutely invaluable and create a support network that you can rely on during times of transition and hardship.
For example: If you plan to start a business, you don’t necessarily need a college degree. However, it can afford you certain benefits during the launch process. When starting a business those connections will likely help you find some of your first customers. If your business fails then you will have skills and knowledge that are obtained while earning your degree to fall back on.
Redefining success in 2022
Years of experience across industries confirm that it is possible to be successful without a college degree – however, there is certainly a significant advantage to having one, especially in more complex and demanding industries.