Freelance programmer here. I do have a college degree, but most (all?) of the jobs I take are from people who find me solely through my open source work, and most of them don’t even ask about any other qualifications I might have before offering the job, and I had a sufficient portfolio to attract such offers before I graduated. Otoh, I’ve never applied for a job, only waited for companies to initiate contact; maybe it’s different in the other direction.
Freelance programmer here. I do have a college degree, but most (all?) of the jobs I take are from people who find me solely through my open source work, and most of them don’t even ask about any other qualifications I might have before offering the job, and I had a sufficient portfolio to attract such offers before I graduated. Otoh, I’ve never applied for a job, only waited for companies to initiate contact; maybe it’s different in the other direction.