# Is a college degree REALLY necessary?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-college-degree-really-necessary/169215>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 17, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-college-degree-really-necessary/169215 "2003-04-17T00:44:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-college-degree-really-necessary/169215/21 "2003-04-17T19:09:45Z")

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I know there are people who say, “You don’t need a college degree to get a good job. Just look at me.” But I question the relevance when it comes from someone who’s been in the workforce for 10+ years.

In 20 years, my mom worked her way up from an entry-level position in a bank to being the system administrator in accounting. She never got a degree. She works hard, is very organized, and is very meticulous when it comes to details. But I think her real advantage was that she started her way up in the 1980s, when few people had college degrees and the economy was better. I’m skeptical that a twentysomething without a degree could advance today like my mom did back then.

These days, I think the best choice is to go to college. It’s possible to do so and escape with a minimum amount of debt. As I see it, experience is valuable and ultimately what counts the most, but having a degree will make you eligible for a greater amount and a greater variety of opportunities for experience. And since your best competition for those jobs will hold degrees, it’s to your advantage to have matching credentials.

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