Open Discussion: Does a Degree Improve Your Chances of Succeeding Online?

Let’s kick start this week with an open discussion. Do you think that a college degree will improve the chances of someone succeeding online?

Now, I do know that having a degree is not necessary. This is beyond discussion, since you have plenty of examples of people that made it big on and off the web, and had no degree whatsoever.

My question is if having a degree will improve your chances, as opposed to getting started on the Web right after high school.

Suppose you have two men with the same intellectual capabilities and skills. The first one goes to college to obtain a degree, while the second one starts working full time on the web right after high school. After 4 years the first one will also start working full time on the web, but with an academic background.

After 10 years, which of the two men will be more successful?

Honestly I think that the second one will. I think that four years spent with direct and real work experience will prepare someone much better than four years spent studying economics, business, marketing or whatever.

There are people that claim otherwise though. They defend that a degree, regardless of the knowledge that you will get and which might or might not prove useful in the future, will give you methods for thinking, solving problems and researching information.

My counter argument to that is that direct work experience will also provide you with those tools and frameworks for thinking and solving problems, just in a different way.

I asked a some friends of mine who are pretty successful online, and here is what they answered:

Lee Dodd (has an online forums empire estimated at $15 million):

No high school diploma. I did go to college early at 16 years old but dropped out after a year and went to work, good old pizza delivery.

Zac Johnson (affiliate marketer):

I started making money online while I was 15 and still in high school. I went to a local community college for a semester to check it out, but it really wasn’t that beneficial and I was already busy with my existing business. I actually ended up speaking at a few of my college classes for the semester I went. To answer your question, no I don’t think it’s necessary, but it is very rare to find people successfully make a living off online marketing.

Frank Feingold (has a hosting company)

I think a degree adds credibility (and therefore possibly success) if there is a degree / certification. For example if you discuss real estate on-line it would help to be a licensed realtor. In other areas there are no degrees / certifications so experience is more important.

Cory Miller (web designer)

Here’s my thoughts: Not necessarily. I think having a college degree in general helps open doors and provides you with a base of learning.

But so many of us doing work online are self-taught. We’re voracious, life-long readers. We eat blogs and dead trees to improve our knowledge.

Trent Hamm (blogger)

A degree helps only in the sense that it provides them domain knowledge. For example, if you’re a history blogger, a degree in history would help you.

I think a college degree benefits anyone if it forces them to think. But I think many people skate by with some short-term memorization. If that’s all you get out of it, and you’re not entering a field where that piece of paper is part of the cost of admission, then college doesn’t help.

Suppose you had a son and he wants to work with the Internet. He is already building sites, blogs and what not. Would you tell him to go to the university anyway, or would you tell him to start working full time on the Web?