I have a BS in Engineering and Masters in Business (MBA) from Carnegie Mellon where I was the valedictorian. I work in tech and have hired many Engineers, Product Managers, and Sales professionals.

Whether or not somebody has a degree has ZERO influence on whether I hire them. I look at their experience and don’t look at their education (which is usually at the bottom of the resume), other than it being a curiosity when I’m done looking at everything else.

I don’t care about their education because
1) Experience and personality is 99% of what I care about
2) I have personally seen zero correlation between somebody’s education in their success at work. Actually, people with a prestigious education are LESS likely to be successful.
3) I’m pretty sure #2 is because those who goto a prestigious school, on average, have spent their whole young lives trying to beat everybody else at all costs, follow the rules, and cut corners to look good into to get into these schools. I grew up in a middle/upper middle class town where getting into a top school created an obnoxious environment, where people were bred to not be cooperative, creative, or have leadership skills. I don’t trust these people (in general) and neither should you.
4) The education at these top schools is no better than community college or real life training, probably worse because it is taught by professors who are out of touch with reality, and very often are biased in teaching their research which is typically blue sky irrelevant theory
5) They rarely see the “big picture” and are so busy trying to look good on little tasks, they show no capability to care about and understand the bigger factors that determine the effectiveness of their work.
6) One advantage of going to a top school is meeting very motivated people which you get at the very best schools. But offset that with their non-cooperative attitude for people who aren’t just like them, and then factoring in the cost, it’s not worth it, unless you want to go into a specialty like genetic research, medical school or something like that.
7) Universities (as well as grammar and high school) is a breeding ground for turning children into robots to be part of the machine.

Sure there is a correlation with success and whether or not you went to college for a variety of reasons. But it’s just a correlation, factors of the individual are much more important.

College is a grift. A way for universities to make money on a huge lie.

And I don’t believe in bailing out student loans. Sure it would help debt burdened students, but you’re giving money to grifters (the University System) and taking away the student incentive for people to make informed decisions.

Going to college is an individual decision that involves many complex factors. And you get out of it what you put in. Just like the vast majority of the other early career options besides college.