7 Powerful Reasons You Can Succeed Without a Degree (Even If It Feels Impossible)

While I am without a degree, my youngest son is about to earn his associate degree from LCC this year. Watching him work so hard to achieve this milestone fills me with pride and awe. He’s fought his way through challenges, and honestly, so have I. His success has me reflecting on my own unfinished journey with higher education—how I fell short and the lingering feelings of inadequacy that come with it.

When I graduated high school, I did so with my two-year-old sitting in the audience. Within five years, I had three more children. College simply didn’t fit into my reality. I tried to make it work once, but all I got was $25,000 of student loan debt, a crushing financial burden that kept me locked in poverty for years. I walked away with no degree, no skills I couldn’t have taught myself, and a painful lesson: college isn’t always the answer.

Awe of Commitment (and the Expense)

I’m in awe of people who return to college after raising their kids. Their determination to improve themselves is inspiring, but I know deep down it’s not for me. I’ve taken plenty of online courses over the years to sharpen my skills—things like writing, website design, and even animation. Yet the idea of formal education feels like a ghost of past mistakes. The cost, both financial and emotional, looms too large.

Still, there’s a nagging part of me that feels incomplete. That blank space on my wall where a degree might hang sometimes feels like a void. When I started writing local news, I felt like the biggest fraud in the world. Storytelling has always come naturally to me, but writing the news isn’t just telling a story—it’s a responsibility. Early on, I learned that getting it wrong can have real consequences, and that hard lesson became my accountability.

Real-World Education Over Formal Degrees

Over time, I discovered the tools and tricks of the trade that made me better at my job. It wasn’t a degree that taught me—it was time, practice, and a willingness to learn from my mistakes. Yet, even as I grew as a writer, I often questioned my own validity. How could I expect professionals to take me seriously when I didn’t have formal credentials? It was a cycle of self-doubt I had to learn to silence.

The truth is, the world often overvalues degrees while undervaluing experience. Would a degree have helped me avoid early mistakes? Maybe. But my real education came from facing those challenges head-on. I’ve written and published books, crafted hundreds of news articles, and built a career out of nothing but persistence and passion. And yet, there’s still a whisper of “not enough” when I see a blank spot on my resume.

Success Without a Degree

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking a degree is the only path to success, but some of the most successful people in history—Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg—walked away from college. Their stories remind me that success isn’t confined to a classroom or a piece of paper; it’s forged in the choices we make, the work we put in, and the resilience we develop along the way.

Still, society tends to equate degrees with intelligence and capability. For someone like me, who measures success in words written, deadlines met, and stories told, the pressure to conform to those expectations can feel suffocating. But then I remind myself that I’ve built something meaningful without it. Every book, article, and project proves that value isn’t defined by a diploma.

Letting Go of “What If”

Perhaps one day I’ll go back to school. Not because I need the degree, but because I still sometimes feel like others expect it. For now, though, I’ll focus on celebrating my son’s success. As I watch him walk across that stage, I’ll cheer louder than anyone else, proud of him and proud of how far I’ve come, even without a degree.

The truth is, a degree can open doors, but it doesn’t guarantee success. Your determination, work ethic, and ability to adapt are what ultimately define your future. So, if you’re feeling stuck without a degree, know this: you are capable, worthy, and enough. You just have to keep going—on your terms.

Read more of my thoughts and things.

Kristy Kelly