[tdb7893]

It probably helps but saying it's necessary seems a little far fetched to me. Also since pretty much everyone I knew growing up went to college I don't think "college-level" is really meaningful for much except wealth nowadays

[blacksmith_tb]

That may say as much about you as it does about the population at large, right now about a third of adults in the US have a bachelor's degree[1].

1: http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/326995-census-more-a...

[tdb7893]

I would guess the vast majority of people in my highschool were in the top fourth of income in America (including my family, we were well off but not super rich because my dad was in the military and then a commercial pilot and my mom was a teacher). I'm sure other people have different experiences but waaaayyyy more than the national average of people from my highschool went to college and I can tell you that while it was a decent school it was not filled with geniuses. It's why I think a large amount of the reason people go to college is cultural and that to many people college ends up being more of a symbol of status than a intellectual achievement.