Does a college degree guarantee success?

A college degree does not guarantee anything, other than showing others that you can follow through with something.

These other responses touch on something that is important: success is a relative term, meaning it only applies to you and only to what you intended to do. If you intend to get a degree and you obtain one, that would be an example of success.

The question you should be asking yourself is "what does success look like to me?". You should be asking this question in all areas of your life, not just education. What does success look like financially? $50,000 per year? $100,000? What about your personal health (diet, exercise, etc.)? Other areas include:
- Spiritual well-being
- Emotional/mental well-being (sleep, stress management, relationships, etc.)
- Hobbies/interests
- Personal goals and aspirations

Be careful not to view yourself as inadequate; instead, see things from an additive perspective: "I am a successful person AND I want to do more for myself". All areas of your life will always have room for growth or improvement (i.e. you could always make more money, get in better shape, etc.) so don't focus on what you don't have. Instead focus on being content with yourself now and seeing success as more of an ongoing thing. Otherwise, you'll take a big hit on self-esteem.

Hi there.

Completing my PhD represented the successful attainment of my goal. The degree alone, however, did not lead me to a successful career. I sought out ways to complement my education with real world experience. I showed tenacity and time management skills by completing my degree, on top of learning the curriculum, but graduation was only part of the equation. A college degree can make you more successful, but does not in and of itself equal success.

Simple answer - Do you think Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and other successful leaders are successful?

Hint: They didn't get a college degree.

You should look at college as an amazing experience and cherish the time you have while you are there. There will never be another time wher eyou get to learn for the sake of learning and that is something that no one can take away from you. You should think about what key factors you are using to measure your success.