People need to stop holding up Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg as examples. Those are exceptional individuals, much in the same way that a Lebron James is an exceptional athlete. College is not necessarily the best use of their talents.
In interviewing my fair share of candidates for technical roles, the most exceptionally talented people were well qualified regardless of educational background. For good or merely average candidates, college became a more significant differentiator. Those with a college CS background were able to convey basic computing concepts easily while those without struggled mightily. The differences were even more apparent when reviewing their code samples.
College degrees are not necessarily an indicator of great talent or that someone will be a good employee. However, it at least insures that candidates have a knowledgebase of skills and a grasp of core concepts.
They are good examples because they show exceptional people exist. Given that they exist, there is a chance another one will be waiting in line to join your time. If you narrow your search, you are going to miss them.
In interviewing my fair share of candidates for technical roles, the most exceptionally talented people were well qualified regardless of educational background. For good or merely average candidates, college became a more significant differentiator. Those with a college CS background were able to convey basic computing concepts easily while those without struggled mightily. The differences were even more apparent when reviewing their code samples.
College degrees are not necessarily an indicator of great talent or that someone will be a good employee. However, it at least insures that candidates have a knowledgebase of skills and a grasp of core concepts.