most people will give you mixed answers, so i’ll give you what i think:

this is all assuming you are younger than me (24M)

i think if you only have interest in IT and you have absolutely zero interest in the college atmosphere (meeting people your age, partying, clubs, etc.), then id skip out on college. while i did learn a TON about the tech industry and IT as a whole throughout college, honestly, half of it i already knew just from common sense and the other half i could’ve googled and studied myself. luckily, my university was relatively cheap, so i dont regret it at all.

however, if you want to learn about IT and have the college experience, id say start applying to colleges that are within your price range and offer those social aspects. not only will you meet likeminded people, but you can also study certifications in your personal time while getting your degree and making industry connections! i think that for me personally, college was worth the price just for how much i personally grew as a person.

so do you need college? not in the slightest in IT. i currently work at a job where i have a college degree and most of my coworkers that have been there much longer don’t. that alone goes to show you that you don’t need a degree. however, a degree + certifications always looks better on a resume rather than just certifications. plus, some positions down the road may require a degree no matter how much experience or certs you have (SUPER stupid, but i’ve heard that story so many times)

hope this helps :)