A degree tells me that you can stay focused for 3-5 years without your life falling apart, while being given increasingly difficult challenges. Even better if i

A degree tells me that you can stay focused for 3-5 years without your life falling apart, while being given increasingly difficult challenges. Even better if it's a degree in the field that I'm hiring in. It's not about "no degree, no job", it's about "can't get a degree, higher risk that we're going to regret hiring you".