Do you have to go to college to be successful?

“A few billionaire entrepreneurs famously didn’t bother with college but the people they hired to help build their companies mostly did.”

By Thomas Smale

The value of a college education is a hotly debated issue. There are some entrepreneurs, including Steve Jobs, Richard Brandson, Larry Ellison and Rachael Ray, who never graduated college yet found success in their respective fields. Many will point to these examples and conclude, “See, you don’t need a college degree to be successful!” But the likes of Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer, Jeff Bezos and Martha Steward all achieved success with a college degree in hand.

You’ve probably been told the importance of college a million times. Many family members, teachers and even friends likely extol going to college and securing a white-collar, nine-to-five job as the only path, it can feel like there’s no other road to success. If you’re an aspiring young entrepreneur, know that you don’t have to give into that feeling- I believe that the days when going to college was a no-brainer ended a long time ago. Furthermore, there are increasing numbers of happy, successful professionals who showcase that there’s another career path in today’s society.

The truth is that a college degree is a required step of many careers, but not all. Decide what career you want first and check if a degree is needed. Even if a degree is not needed in the beginning, it may be required in order for you to move higher up within your company or field. That being said, you can certainly be successful without a college degree- your skills and talents can get you hired. You will have to be determined, self-disciplined and goal-oriented. It’s up to you how you want to get that education and skills- through an institution or on your own in the real world.

There are times when graduating from college was an impressive feat that ensured access to abundant entry-level positions. Time have changed. Owing to a surplus of graduates and changing social attitudes, finishing college is no longer a guarantee of impressing employers. You may have heard stories about billionaire entrepreneurs, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, who decided not to graduate from college. Despite not following the traditional career path, their names have become synonymous with success. Furthermore, they aren’t alone. I believe that experience and skills hold more weight than a piece of paper saying that you studied theories about how things work. How many times have we heard of people attending their first day at a new job only to be told immediately, “Forget everything you learned; we will show you how to do the job.” It may be more difficult to work in a professional field without a degree, but it isn’t impossible.

Employment and success aren’t exactly synonymous, especially in the information age. But this goes back to one’s personal feelings about success and what that looks like to them. Not everyone wants a business. Many just want to support their family and we can see that college education tends to lead to better employment.

On the other hand, a study of 11,745 individuals in the U.S.shows found that 94 percent of CEOs, judges, politicians, millionaires, billionaires and business leaders attended college, with 50 percent graduating from elite school. Based on these findings, those who become highly successful without college education appear to be in the minority, roughly 6 percent.

It is important, however, to ask whether this is because getting an education is the default, accepted behaviour, or if this education played a vital part in the success of those who finished school. Success isn’t merely about finding or getting into a good school- it’s about spending time productively and wisely, something two-third of students appear not to.

You can succeed without a college degree and may have. But it seems we tend to single out and glorify those who’ve done it. The reality is that most successful individuals have graduated college, either by default or by design. Default is a safer assumption in many cases, due to societal norms. But those with drive knew what they were after and didn’t delay in taking steps to achieve in their career or business, regardless of education. They found their footing by design.

Business and education aren’t necessarily tied at the hip. Business requires smarts, but generally a different kind of smarts. It isn’t necessary to recite facts at a moment’s notice, which is what most schools are teaching people to do. Whether you decide to pursue a college education or get your training from real-world experience, the most important thing is to never stop learning.

NAME: Chady Oumme Hanyah