Anecdotally, I went to a state school with decent computer engineering and CS programs, got all kinds of experience getting paid to write code for different gro

Anecdotally, I went to a state school with decent computer engineering and CS programs, got all kinds of experience getting paid to write code for different groups throughout the university, met a few professors and like minded individuals in classes who wound up throwing more work my way throughout my entire career, and was 'only' $45k in debt. My first job out of school paid me $60k/yr (2006) and I was over $100k in three. I learned a lot in my CpE and CS classes, but I gained a ton of experience at market rate I never would've gotten as an 18 year old know it all. Not really related but even though I've spent most of my career using my CS teachings, the EE learning that was part of my CpE studies sure has come in handy with the IoT explosion. I knew next to nothing about electrical engineering when I entered university. Had I not gone I wouldn't have known how much I like electronics and robotics.