[xboxnolifes]

Most undergraduate, and certainly almost all first few years of undergrad, could no doubt be replaced with self-study. I agree with that. I was mostly thinking science/engineering fields that need either an extensive set or expensive set of lab tools and machinery. Or as you bring up medicine, things such as autopsy and hands-on experience. And then there's just having people around (teachers and classmates) that push you toward thoughts you wouldn't even be aware of to think about.

Software engineering's main difference isn't even the lack of credentialism, though that certainly helps. The big thing is the core feedback loop of coding. It's short, has immediate feedback, and practically everything you need to become a good developer is freely available due to FOSS culture.