education isn't bad and is needed for some occupations. but for the most part doesn't give you experience. which in my opinion is more valued then any education.
im 20 pretty much flunked out of high school. i went through the motions and bought as much time as i could without getting kicked out of school and having to take on any real responsibility. which happened to be the day i turned 18. my parents gave me two weeks to find a job.
not knowing a thing about anything. i landed a job at a local structural steel business as an assistant project manager. they taught me how to read fabrication drawings, design drawings, what an RFI was (lol) and how to respond to one, learned it all.
within 6 months i could purchase (beams, tube, angle, pipe, bolts, rebar, plate, blah blah blah etc..), read fabrication drawings, take care of RFI's, work with architects, attend job site meetings, troubleshoot structural problems on site, and cut expenses by over 15% from all the fuck ups that one of our previous project managers would sweep under the table.
now with what i learned in that 6 months I KNOW there is zero possibility any school could teach you close to that even with a 4 year college education. not to mention i didn't just learn the project managing position at that job. i found out with what i learned there i can be a purchaser, work takeoff, or project manage.
i got offered 50k to project manage late last year and 35k to be a purchaser at another smaller company. this is without applying anywhere and purely from word of mouth. not bad for a guy who isn't even old enough to buy alcohol.
also if i took that 50k i'd be doing a 5th of the work i did at the job that got me there and get paid 5k more a year. not to mention with 2-3 more years under my belt i could move onto bigger companies and get paid anywhere from 75-150k a year salary, with a company truck, and full benefits.
now say some kid who's been in school for the last 24 years rolls in with his degree in construction management. who do you think is going to get the project managing position?
it's all about the quality of work, references, and experience. not some piece of paper that says congratulations you're now certified to work.