You'd be challenged to demonstrate your ability to actually ship software. If you don't have a network of people who have worked with you and can vouch for you,

You'd be challenged to demonstrate your ability to actually ship software. If you don't have a network of people who have worked with you and can vouch for you, you'll have trouble getting well-paying gigs. You'd likely end up starting with hard, poorly-paying jobs and working your way up. That is difficult but doable. However, the bigger thing you'll be missing is the ability to work with programmers who are better than you. Freelancing is usually a lonely pursuit and you'll tend toward work that you can estimate accurately and execute efficiently. The need to focus on and master a domain is good for your consulting business but bad for learning. So I'd recommend against freelancing just out of university purely on that basis; you're missing out on the exposure and learning you'd get working in bigger teams. That said, you don't automatically learn from people just by working in the same building as them, and you don't necessarily have to be a lone wolf when consulting. Whatever you choose, keep learning.