Does the Prez Need a College Degree?

No. That was easy.

Does the US President need a college degree; of course not, but do most of them have one, or two, or three over the last few generations? Yes.

In the game of life, there are plenty of highly successful individuals who do not have college degrees; billionaires, tech giants, leading thinkers, writers, neighbours, and everyone else in-between. I am going to say something blasphemous for higher education: going to college does not automatically give you special insight into anything. But going to college does give you access to people, ideas, and situations that are very difficult to experience or have access to without college.

Music composition is a field where a college degree is not required for success. Anyone can start composing and gain the skills and techniques needed to write Classical music through self-study or private lessons. The problem with not going to college is access: when you go to college you have access to established composers, musicians to network with, and most importantly, you have access to musicians and ensembles who can play your works allowing you to test your ideas, get recordings of your pieces, and help you improve slowly and surely.

I am sure for some writing music seems a little out there when it comes to a field of study that can bypass college but any bookish field will be the same from history, philosophy, english, math, law, computers, writing, and even the performing arts. Other fields are different.

Many science fields, engineering, medicine, and teaching all require hands-on experience and because of regulation, they need lots of oversight. Do they all need such oversight? Yes and no. Many could prepare for these fields with a formal apprenticeship but most of those apprenticeships have been replaced by college.

All of this came about because Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin did not complete his degree. I don’t care. If Scott Walker can deliver the goods; be a leader of people, be thoughtful, back-up his arguments, balance budgets, and make decisions that benefit all (most) Americans then having a college degree does not matter.

In my mother’s lifetime, since 1945, Presidents of the United States attained the following degrees (highest):

• 4 bachelors degrees;
• 4 JDs;
• 2 attended a Military Academy;
• 1 MBA;
• and 1 did not attain a college degree.

Of these, which type of preparation can really help you become Presidents of the United States? All of them. If you really want to become the Presidents of the United States you should probably attend a Military Academy and get a JD and an MBA on the way there. By doing this you have practical experience leading people in difficult situations, you know law, and are businesses minded.

Da Capo

Do you need a college degree to be Presidents of the United States? No. Anyone can chart their own path through life without a college degree. The only problem with that is that not having a degree is the exception rather than the norm. For average people many good paying jobs require a degree and unfortunately not having a college degree, even if you have the real-life practical knowhow, is required.