I'm a "non-degreed" guy that (IMO) has done ok so far in life. Unless you're getting a degree in a highly specialized area, I personally think their value dimi

I'm a "non-degreed" guy that (IMO) has done ok so far in life. Unless you're getting a degree in a highly specialized area, I personally think their value diminished over time. Right after graduation a degree is a valuable tool, in theory, that an employer can use to assess your value. When you're 45, your work experience and career accomplishments will/should outweigh any degree(s) you might hold. Of course, this is as related to tech-type jobs. I sort of see this "slider" concept for measuring the value of a degree, as it related to most of the things relevant to what we discuss here. The more entrepreneurial and hard-working you are, the less value a degree holds vs. real-time hands-on work experience. The more you want to rely on a steady paycheck in a cube-farm, the more you should thing about getting that diploma. Some of the top wealth-holders in business and technology have no college degree (Slim, Gates, Ellison, Allen, Dell). Not to mention many more "mid-level" types who have done better than their peers, on-average, by virtue of hard-work and logical thinking. In your specific case, I would politely say that I question the potential for "freelance web development" to yield an ongoing income stream of appreciable value. My guess though is that you plan to augment or enhance those skills and continue moving forward. In which case it makes sense to start devoting as much of your time as possible to that venture.