I like the analogy with poker. College has the best odds of increasing the odds on having a rich life (not only money-wise). That makes it the rational choice.

I like the analogy with poker. College has the best odds of increasing the odds on having a rich life (not only money-wise). That makes it the rational choice. Anyway we live in freedom so everybody has the right of making the irrational choice and own it. Odds are just odds, not results, you can also win with a lower odd (just look around, the world is full of exceptions. The best exception I remember is Tadao Ando [1]; He didn't go to college and got a Prizker prize for Architecture). Don't mistake dropping-out college for skipping college. Zuckerberg or Gates didn't skip college they drop-out when they hit (and recognized) a huge sweet-spot/opportunity. Staying in college would just decrease their odds. They also made the rational choice. You (probably) are not doing it. [1] http://www.pritzkerprize.com/1995/bio http://www.pritzkerprize.com/1995/bio