I disagree with your first point, but I upvoted because it is a well-stated, intelligent argument. While it's true that you can get an education without going

I disagree with your first point, but I upvoted because it is a well-stated, intelligent argument. While it's true that you can get an education without going to college, college is a more efficient mechanism than most. They typically cover a variety of things that are not obviously important to someone studying independently (algorithmic complexity would be a good example), and (much like with a startup) the possibility of failure is an effective motivator. It's certainly not the best solution for everyone -- not everyone learns the same way -- but there are a lot of people for whom it is a good choice.