I agree with the "a major is a brand" sentiment, but getting a degree for its paper value is only one of several reasons to get a degree, and I think the paper

I agree with the "a major is a brand" sentiment, but getting a degree for its paper value is only one of several reasons to get a degree, and I think the paper value of a degree, to an entrepreneur, is minimal. (With exceptions for businesses where the core competency is technology transfer.) Obviously the OP has chosen to focus on skills, which is a valid approach. It's also worth noting that "cheap city college" is a crap brand, and the OP must know that, and doesn't seem to mind. Riffing on the "brand" theme, I claim that Linguistics is a crap brand, and I agree with you that Communications is a crap brand (although some CMNS students I've seen have learned a LOT in a what-you-make-of-it way). Philosophy has highly variable brand value depending on who you're talking to.