This isn't entirely true. People have been making good money for ages in specialized trades (electricians, plumbers, etc). However, it's arguable that their app

This isn't entirely true. People have been making good money for ages in specialized trades (electricians, plumbers, etc). However, it's arguable that their apprenticeship is equivalent to a degree. In addition, there are plenty of people in technical fields who manage to make up for education with self-teaching and real world experience. This probably becomes an obstacle when applying for jobs through automated HR systems, but I've noticed that those aren't nearly as useful as networking and knowing people anyway.